diff --git a/lib/fs.js b/lib/fs.js
index ddef598126ae16..8c30a842ff1dc4 100644
--- a/lib/fs.js
+++ b/lib/fs.js
@@ -1420,14 +1420,12 @@ function mkdirSync(path, options) {
 /**
  * An iterative algorithm for reading the entire contents of the `basePath` directory.
  * This function does not validate `basePath` as a directory. It is passed directly to
- * `binding.readdir` after a `nullCheck`.
+ * `binding.readdir`.
  * @param {string} basePath
  * @param {{ encoding: string, withFileTypes: boolean }} options
  * @returns {string[] | Dirent[]}
  */
 function readdirSyncRecursive(basePath, options) {
-  nullCheck(basePath, 'path', true);
-
   const withFileTypes = Boolean(options.withFileTypes);
   const encoding = options.encoding;
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-fs-null-bytes.js b/test/parallel/test-fs-null-bytes.js
index d4548c02c07009..2851ac657ded33 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-fs-null-bytes.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-fs-null-bytes.js
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ check(fs.mkdir, fs.mkdirSync, 'foo\u0000bar', '0755');
 check(fs.open, fs.openSync, 'foo\u0000bar', 'r');
 check(fs.readFile, fs.readFileSync, 'foo\u0000bar');
 check(fs.readdir, fs.readdirSync, 'foo\u0000bar');
+check(fs.readdir, fs.readdirSync, 'foo\u0000bar', { recursive: true });
 check(fs.readlink, fs.readlinkSync, 'foo\u0000bar');
 check(fs.realpath, fs.realpathSync, 'foo\u0000bar');
 check(fs.rename, fs.renameSync, 'foo\u0000bar', 'foobar');
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ check(fs.mkdir, fs.mkdirSync, fileUrl, '0755');
 check(fs.open, fs.openSync, fileUrl, 'r');
 check(fs.readFile, fs.readFileSync, fileUrl);
 check(fs.readdir, fs.readdirSync, fileUrl);
+check(fs.readdir, fs.readdirSync, fileUrl, { recursive: true });
 check(fs.readlink, fs.readlinkSync, fileUrl);
 check(fs.realpath, fs.realpathSync, fileUrl);
 check(fs.rename, fs.renameSync, fileUrl, 'foobar');
@@ -131,6 +133,7 @@ check(fs.mkdir, fs.mkdirSync, fileUrl2, '0755');
 check(fs.open, fs.openSync, fileUrl2, 'r');
 check(fs.readFile, fs.readFileSync, fileUrl2);
 check(fs.readdir, fs.readdirSync, fileUrl2);
+check(fs.readdir, fs.readdirSync, fileUrl2, { recursive: true });
 check(fs.readlink, fs.readlinkSync, fileUrl2);
 check(fs.realpath, fs.realpathSync, fileUrl2);
 check(fs.rename, fs.renameSync, fileUrl2, 'foobar');