diff --git a/doc/api/stream.md b/doc/api/stream.md
index 014b2f68b3359b..09ff2c02b1885b 100644
--- a/doc/api/stream.md
+++ b/doc/api/stream.md
@@ -1340,14 +1340,14 @@ run().catch(console.error);
 rs.resume(); // drain the stream
 ```
 
-### stream.pipeline(...streams[, callback])
+### stream.pipeline(...streams, callback)
 <!-- YAML
 added: v10.0.0
 -->
 
 * `...streams` {Stream} Two or more streams to pipe between.
-* `callback` {Function} A callback function that takes an optional error
-  argument.
+* `callback` {Function} Called when the pipeline is fully done.
+  * `err` {Error}
 
 A module method to pipe between streams forwarding errors and properly cleaning
 up and provide a callback when the pipeline is complete.
diff --git a/lib/internal/streams/pipeline.js b/lib/internal/streams/pipeline.js
index 849b3d39dbe25b..caa4042339bd37 100644
--- a/lib/internal/streams/pipeline.js
+++ b/lib/internal/streams/pipeline.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 let eos;
 
 const {
+  ERR_INVALID_CALLBACK,
   ERR_MISSING_ARGS,
   ERR_STREAM_DESTROYED
 } = require('internal/errors').codes;
@@ -19,11 +20,6 @@ function once(callback) {
   };
 }
 
-function noop(err) {
-  // Rethrow the error if it exists to avoid swallowing it
-  if (err) throw err;
-}
-
 function isRequest(stream) {
   return stream.setHeader && typeof stream.abort === 'function';
 }
@@ -66,8 +62,11 @@ function pipe(from, to) {
 }
 
 function popCallback(streams) {
-  if (!streams.length) return noop;
-  if (typeof streams[streams.length - 1] !== 'function') return noop;
+  // Streams should never be an empty array. It should always contain at least
+  // a single stream. Therefore optimize for the average case instead of
+  // checking for length === 0 as well.
+  if (typeof streams[streams.length - 1] !== 'function')
+    throw new ERR_INVALID_CALLBACK();
   return streams.pop();
 }
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-stream-pipeline.js b/test/parallel/test-stream-pipeline.js
index 12733d88a7ac85..f735054e88e9b8 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-stream-pipeline.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-stream-pipeline.js
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ common.crashOnUnhandledRejection();
   }, /ERR_MISSING_ARGS/);
   assert.throws(() => {
     pipeline();
-  }, /ERR_MISSING_ARGS/);
+  }, /ERR_INVALID_CALLBACK/);
 }
 
 {
@@ -493,17 +493,8 @@ common.crashOnUnhandledRejection();
     }
   });
 
-  read.on('close', common.mustCall());
-  transform.on('close', common.mustCall());
-  write.on('close', common.mustCall());
-
-  process.on('uncaughtException', common.mustCall((err) => {
-    assert.deepStrictEqual(err, new Error('kaboom'));
-  }));
-
-  const dst = pipeline(read, transform, write);
-
-  assert.strictEqual(dst, write);
-
-  read.push('hello');
+  assert.throws(
+    () => pipeline(read, transform, write),
+    { code: 'ERR_INVALID_CALLBACK' }
+  );
 }