diff --git a/lib/events.js b/lib/events.js
index ad5ded2d0e9fc0..603f3083ed2ce0 100644
--- a/lib/events.js
+++ b/lib/events.js
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ const {
   SymbolAsyncIterator,
 } = primordials;
 const kRejection = SymbolFor('nodejs.rejection');
+
+const { kEmptyObject } = require('internal/util');
+
 const { inspect } = require('internal/util/inspect');
 
 let spliceOne;
@@ -945,7 +948,7 @@ function getEventListeners(emitterOrTarget, type) {
  * @param {{ signal: AbortSignal; }} [options]
  * @returns {Promise}
  */
-async function once(emitter, name, options = {}) {
+async function once(emitter, name, options = kEmptyObject) {
   const signal = options?.signal;
   validateAbortSignal(signal, 'options.signal');
   if (signal?.aborted)
diff --git a/lib/internal/event_target.js b/lib/internal/event_target.js
index d005e9edc08c13..651cf55d5f3f8e 100644
--- a/lib/internal/event_target.js
+++ b/lib/internal/event_target.js
@@ -35,7 +35,11 @@ const {
 } = require('internal/errors');
 const { validateObject, validateString } = require('internal/validators');
 
-const { customInspectSymbol, kEnumerableProperty } = require('internal/util');
+const {
+  customInspectSymbol,
+  kEmptyObject,
+  kEnumerableProperty,
+} = require('internal/util');
 const { inspect } = require('util');
 
 const kIsEventTarget = SymbolFor('nodejs.event_target');
@@ -453,7 +457,7 @@ class EventTarget {
    *   signal?: AbortSignal
    * }} [options]
    */
-  addEventListener(type, listener, options = {}) {
+  addEventListener(type, listener, options = kEmptyObject) {
     if (!isEventTarget(this))
       throw new ERR_INVALID_THIS('EventTarget');
     if (arguments.length < 2)
@@ -540,7 +544,7 @@ class EventTarget {
    *   capture?: boolean,
    * }} [options]
    */
-  removeEventListener(type, listener, options = {}) {
+  removeEventListener(type, listener, options = kEmptyObject) {
     if (!isEventTarget(this))
       throw new ERR_INVALID_THIS('EventTarget');
     if (!shouldAddListener(listener))
@@ -869,7 +873,7 @@ function validateEventListenerOptions(options) {
     return { capture: options };
 
   if (options === null)
-    return {};
+    return kEmptyObject;
   validateObject(options, 'options', {
     allowArray: true, allowFunction: true,
   });