diff --git a/lib/internal/child_process.js b/lib/internal/child_process.js
index d6121c70ef9943..503564df787172 100644
--- a/lib/internal/child_process.js
+++ b/lib/internal/child_process.js
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ const EventEmitter = require('events');
 const net = require('net');
 const dgram = require('dgram');
 const util = require('util');
+const inspect = require('internal/util/inspect').inspect;
 const assert = require('internal/assert');
 
 const { Process } = internalBinding('process_wrap');
@@ -887,7 +888,7 @@ function _validateStdio(stdio, sync) {
         throw new ERR_INVALID_OPT_VALUE('stdio', stdio);
     }
   } else if (!Array.isArray(stdio)) {
-    throw new ERR_INVALID_OPT_VALUE('stdio', util.inspect(stdio));
+    throw new ERR_INVALID_OPT_VALUE('stdio', inspect(stdio));
   }
 
   // At least 3 stdio will be created
@@ -967,12 +968,12 @@ function _validateStdio(stdio, sync) {
     } else if (isArrayBufferView(stdio) || typeof stdio === 'string') {
       if (!sync) {
         cleanup();
-        throw new ERR_INVALID_SYNC_FORK_INPUT(util.inspect(stdio));
+        throw new ERR_INVALID_SYNC_FORK_INPUT(inspect(stdio));
       }
     } else {
       // Cleanup
       cleanup();
-      throw new ERR_INVALID_OPT_VALUE('stdio', util.inspect(stdio));
+      throw new ERR_INVALID_OPT_VALUE('stdio', inspect(stdio));
     }
 
     return acc;