diff --git a/benchmark/process/bench-hrtime.js b/benchmark/process/bench-hrtime.js
index 9152a32b22d213..e704087b692e68 100644
--- a/benchmark/process/bench-hrtime.js
+++ b/benchmark/process/bench-hrtime.js
@@ -5,27 +5,38 @@ const assert = require('assert');
 
 const bench = common.createBenchmark(main, {
   n: [1e6],
-  type: ['raw', 'diff']
+  type: ['raw', 'diff', 'bigint']
 });
 
 function main({ n, type }) {
   const hrtime = process.hrtime;
-  var noDead = hrtime();
+  var noDead = type === 'bigint' ? hrtime.bigint() : hrtime();
   var i;
 
-  if (type === 'raw') {
-    bench.start();
-    for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
-      noDead = hrtime();
-    }
-    bench.end(n);
-  } else {
-    bench.start();
-    for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
-      noDead = hrtime(noDead);
-    }
-    bench.end(n);
+  switch (type) {
+    case 'raw':
+      bench.start();
+      for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+        noDead = hrtime();
+      }
+      bench.end(n);
+      break;
+    case 'diff':
+      bench.start();
+      for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+        noDead = hrtime(noDead);
+      }
+      bench.end(n);
+      break;
+    case 'bigint':
+      bench.start();
+      for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+        noDead = hrtime.bigint();
+      }
+      bench.end(n);
+      break;
   }
 
-  assert.ok(Array.isArray(noDead));
+  // eslint-disable-next-line valid-typeof
+  assert.ok(Array.isArray(noDead) || typeof noDead === 'bigint');
 }
diff --git a/lib/internal/process/per_thread.js b/lib/internal/process/per_thread.js
index fa0334b8bfb2b0..85772aafd8cee9 100644
--- a/lib/internal/process/per_thread.js
+++ b/lib/internal/process/per_thread.js
@@ -122,8 +122,8 @@ function wrapProcessMethods(binding) {
     ];
   }
 
-  // Use a BigUint64Array in the closure because V8 does not have an API for
-  // creating a BigInt out of a uint64_t yet.
+  // Use a BigUint64Array in the closure because this is actually a bit
+  // faster than simply returning a BigInt from C++ in V8 7.1.
   const hrBigintValues = new BigUint64Array(1);
   function hrtimeBigInt() {
     _hrtimeBigInt(hrBigintValues);