diff --git a/src/cli/helpers.ts b/src/cli/helpers.ts
index 92aa407c9..a0a326399 100644
--- a/src/cli/helpers.ts
+++ b/src/cli/helpers.ts
@@ -103,6 +103,14 @@ export function orderPickleIds(pickleIds: string[], order: string): void {
   }
 }
 
+export function isJavaScript(filePath: string): boolean {
+  return (
+    filePath.endsWith('.js') ||
+    filePath.endsWith('.mjs') ||
+    filePath.endsWith('.cjs')
+  )
+}
+
 export async function emitMetaMessage(
   eventBroadcaster: EventEmitter
 ): Promise<void> {
diff --git a/src/cli/helpers_spec.ts b/src/cli/helpers_spec.ts
index 4f4e0e640..f4200b536 100644
--- a/src/cli/helpers_spec.ts
+++ b/src/cli/helpers_spec.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { expect } from 'chai'
 import {
   emitMetaMessage,
   emitSupportCodeMessages,
+  isJavaScript,
   parseGherkinMessageStream,
 } from './helpers'
 import { EventEmitter } from 'events'
@@ -87,6 +88,16 @@ function testEmitSupportCodeMessages(
 }
 
 describe('helpers', () => {
+  describe('isJavaScript', () => {
+    it('should identify a native javascript file path that can be `import()`ed', () => {
+      expect(isJavaScript('foo/bar.js')).to.be.true()
+      expect(isJavaScript('foo/bar.mjs')).to.be.true()
+      expect(isJavaScript('foo/bar.cjs')).to.be.true()
+      expect(isJavaScript('foo/bar.ts')).to.be.false()
+      expect(isJavaScript('foo/bar.coffee')).to.be.false()
+    })
+  })
+
   describe('emitMetaMessage', () => {
     it('emits a meta message', async () => {
       const envelopes: messages.Envelope[] = []
diff --git a/src/cli/index.ts b/src/cli/index.ts
index bb9a08f30..bd5488e60 100644
--- a/src/cli/index.ts
+++ b/src/cli/index.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import {
   emitMetaMessage,
   emitSupportCodeMessages,
   getExpandedArgv,
+  isJavaScript,
   parseGherkinMessageStream,
 } from './helpers'
 import { validateInstall } from './install_validator'
@@ -162,7 +163,7 @@ export default class Cli {
     supportCodeRequiredModules.map((module) => require(module))
     supportCodeLibraryBuilder.reset(this.cwd, newId)
     for (const codePath of supportCodePaths) {
-      if (supportCodeRequiredModules.length) {
+      if (supportCodeRequiredModules.length || !isJavaScript(codePath)) {
         require(codePath)
       } else {
         await importer(pathToFileURL(codePath))
diff --git a/src/runtime/parallel/worker.ts b/src/runtime/parallel/worker.ts
index 71065e094..6fd1db60c 100644
--- a/src/runtime/parallel/worker.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/parallel/worker.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import { IRuntimeOptions } from '../index'
 import { RealTestRunStopwatch } from '../stopwatch'
 import { duration } from 'durations'
 import { pathToFileURL } from 'url'
+import { isJavaScript } from '../../cli/helpers'
 
 // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-var-requires
 const { importer } = require('../../importer')
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ export default class Worker {
     supportCodeRequiredModules.map((module) => require(module))
     supportCodeLibraryBuilder.reset(this.cwd, this.newId)
     for (const codePath of supportCodePaths) {
-      if (supportCodeRequiredModules.length) {
+      if (supportCodeRequiredModules.length || !isJavaScript(codePath)) {
         require(codePath)
       } else {
         await importer(pathToFileURL(codePath))