diff --git a/doc/api/errors.md b/doc/api/errors.md
index bdfd0df4a7bba7..9cba4de5f2e628 100644
--- a/doc/api/errors.md
+++ b/doc/api/errors.md
@@ -1809,6 +1809,14 @@ recommended to use 2048 bits or larger for stronger security.
 A TLS/SSL handshake timed out. In this case, the server must also abort the
 connection.
 
+<a id="ERR_TLS_INVALID_CONTEXT">
+### ERR_TLS_INVALID_CONTEXT
+<!-- YAML
+added: REPLACEME
+-->
+
+The context must be a `SecureContext`.
+
 <a id="ERR_TLS_INVALID_PROTOCOL_METHOD"></a>
 ### ERR_TLS_INVALID_PROTOCOL_METHOD
 
diff --git a/lib/_tls_wrap.js b/lib/_tls_wrap.js
index 6f08f91c43dd5d..530a41a1e855fd 100644
--- a/lib/_tls_wrap.js
+++ b/lib/_tls_wrap.js
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ const {
   ERR_SOCKET_CLOSED,
   ERR_TLS_DH_PARAM_SIZE,
   ERR_TLS_HANDSHAKE_TIMEOUT,
+  ERR_TLS_INVALID_CONTEXT,
   ERR_TLS_RENEGOTIATION_DISABLED,
   ERR_TLS_REQUIRED_SERVER_NAME,
   ERR_TLS_SESSION_ATTACK,
@@ -517,8 +518,9 @@ TLSSocket.prototype._wrapHandle = function(wrap) {
                   options.credentials ||
                   tls.createSecureContext(options);
   assert(handle.isStreamBase, 'handle must be a StreamBase');
-  assert(context.context instanceof NativeSecureContext,
-         'context.context must be a NativeSecureContext');
+  if (!(context.context instanceof NativeSecureContext)) {
+    throw new ERR_TLS_INVALID_CONTEXT('context');
+  }
   const res = tls_wrap.wrap(handle, context.context, !!options.isServer);
   res._parent = handle;  // C++ "wrap" object: TCPWrap, JSStream, ...
   res._parentWrap = wrap;  // JS object: net.Socket, JSStreamSocket, ...
diff --git a/lib/internal/errors.js b/lib/internal/errors.js
index 88a38f5e1de62d..f85253ec444256 100644
--- a/lib/internal/errors.js
+++ b/lib/internal/errors.js
@@ -1169,6 +1169,7 @@ E('ERR_TLS_CERT_ALTNAME_INVALID', function(reason, host, cert) {
 }, Error);
 E('ERR_TLS_DH_PARAM_SIZE', 'DH parameter size %s is less than 2048', Error);
 E('ERR_TLS_HANDSHAKE_TIMEOUT', 'TLS handshake timeout', Error);
+E('ERR_TLS_INVALID_CONTEXT', '%s must be a SecureContext', TypeError),
 E('ERR_TLS_INVALID_PROTOCOL_VERSION',
   '%j is not a valid %s TLS protocol version', TypeError);
 E('ERR_TLS_PROTOCOL_VERSION_CONFLICT',
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-tls-basic-validations.js b/test/parallel/test-tls-basic-validations.js
index 925c6643a1a0cc..c4e2833464cb44 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-tls-basic-validations.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-tls-basic-validations.js
@@ -78,9 +78,13 @@ common.expectsError(
 assert.throws(() => tls.createServer({ ticketKeys: Buffer.alloc(0) }),
               /TypeError: Ticket keys length must be 48 bytes/);
 
-common.expectsInternalAssertion(
+assert.throws(
   () => tls.createSecurePair({}),
-  'context.context must be a NativeSecureContext'
+  {
+    message: 'context must be a SecureContext',
+    code: 'ERR_TLS_INVALID_CONTEXT',
+    name: 'TypeError',
+  }
 );
 
 {