diff --git a/lib/internal/modules/esm/get_format.js b/lib/internal/modules/esm/get_format.js
index 7c07e5b1f7ce17..0683113f0106db 100644
--- a/lib/internal/modules/esm/get_format.js
+++ b/lib/internal/modules/esm/get_format.js
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ const protocolHandlers = ObjectAssign(ObjectCreate(null), {
   },
   'file:'(parsed, url) {
     const ext = extname(parsed.pathname);
-    let format;
+    let format = null;
 
     if (ext === '.js') {
       format = getPackageType(parsed.href) === 'module' ? 'module' : 'commonjs';
@@ -63,7 +63,10 @@ const protocolHandlers = ObjectAssign(ObjectCreate(null), {
       format = extensionFormatMap[ext];
     }
     if (!format) {
-      if (experimentalSpecifierResolution === 'node') {
+      if (
+        experimentalSpecifierResolution === 'node' &&
+        legacyExtensionFormatMap[ext]
+      ) {
         process.emitWarning(
           'The Node.js specifier resolution in ESM is experimental.',
           'ExperimentalWarning');
@@ -73,7 +76,7 @@ const protocolHandlers = ObjectAssign(ObjectCreate(null), {
       }
     }
 
-    return format || null;
+    return format;
   },
   'node:'() { return 'builtin'; },
 });
diff --git a/test/es-module/test-esm-get-format.js b/test/es-module/test-esm-get-format.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..e711b57615c3a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/es-module/test-esm-get-format.js
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+'use strict';
+require('../common');
+const assert = require('assert');
+const { defaultGetFormat } = require('internal/modules/esm/get_format');
+
+{
+  const url = new URL('file://example.com/foo/bar.js');
+  assert.strictEqual(defaultGetFormat(url), 'commonjs');
+}
+
+{
+  const url = new URL('file://example.com/foo/bar.whatever');
+  assert.throws(() => defaultGetFormat(url), { name: 'TypeError', message: /Unknown file extension whatever/ });
+}