diff --git a/lib/net.js b/lib/net.js
index ad799567b094c1..a218ad17b48f43 100644
--- a/lib/net.js
+++ b/lib/net.js
@@ -60,9 +60,8 @@ exports.createServer = function(options, connectionListener) {
 // connect(path, [cb]);
 //
 exports.connect = exports.createConnection = function() {
-  const argsLen = arguments.length;
-  var args = new Array(argsLen);
-  for (var i = 0; i < argsLen; i++)
+  var args = new Array(arguments.length);
+  for (var i = 0; i < arguments.length; i++)
     args[i] = arguments[i];
   args = normalizeConnectArgs(args);
   debug('createConnection', args);
@@ -75,7 +74,9 @@ exports.connect = exports.createConnection = function() {
 function normalizeConnectArgs(args) {
   var options = {};
 
-  if (args[0] !== null && typeof args[0] === 'object') {
+  if (args.length === 0) {
+    return [options];
+  } else if (args[0] !== null && typeof args[0] === 'object') {
     // connect(options, [cb])
     options = args[0];
   } else if (isPipeName(args[0])) {
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ function normalizeConnectArgs(args) {
   } else {
     // connect(port, [host], [cb])
     options.port = args[0];
-    if (typeof args[1] === 'string') {
+    if (args.length > 1 && typeof args[1] === 'string') {
       options.host = args[1];
     }
   }
@@ -885,9 +886,8 @@ Socket.prototype.connect = function(options, cb) {
     // Old API:
     // connect(port, [host], [cb])
     // connect(path, [cb]);
-    const argsLen = arguments.length;
-    var args = new Array(argsLen);
-    for (var i = 0; i < argsLen; i++)
+    var args = new Array(arguments.length);
+    for (var i = 0; i < arguments.length; i++)
       args[i] = arguments[i];
     args = normalizeConnectArgs(args);
     return Socket.prototype.connect.apply(this, args);