diff --git a/lib/readline.js b/lib/readline.js
index c8d0a8040ad971..5cc229388219e8 100644
--- a/lib/readline.js
+++ b/lib/readline.js
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ function Interface(input, output, completer, terminal) {
     input = input.input;
   }
 
-  if (completer && typeof completer !== 'function') {
+  if (completer !== undefined && typeof completer !== 'function') {
     throw new ERR_INVALID_OPT_VALUE('completer', completer);
   }
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-readline-interface.js b/test/parallel/test-readline-interface.js
index 2dff11f2a27e72..93c4b12511eef7 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-readline-interface.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-readline-interface.js
@@ -366,6 +366,26 @@ function isWarned(emitter) {
       type: TypeError,
       code: 'ERR_INVALID_OPT_VALUE'
     });
+
+    common.expectsError(function() {
+      readline.createInterface({
+        input: fi,
+        completer: ''
+      });
+    }, {
+      type: TypeError,
+      code: 'ERR_INVALID_OPT_VALUE'
+    });
+
+    common.expectsError(function() {
+      readline.createInterface({
+        input: fi,
+        completer: false
+      });
+    }, {
+      type: TypeError,
+      code: 'ERR_INVALID_OPT_VALUE'
+    });
   }
 
   // Constructor throws if historySize is not a positive number