diff --git a/lib/internal/modules/cjs/loader.js b/lib/internal/modules/cjs/loader.js
index 85ab3ab1443ded..8a4974225049ce 100644
--- a/lib/internal/modules/cjs/loader.js
+++ b/lib/internal/modules/cjs/loader.js
@@ -153,13 +153,12 @@ function readPackage(requestPath) {
   }
 
   try {
-    var pkg = packageMainCache[requestPath] = JSON.parse(json).main;
+    return packageMainCache[requestPath] = JSON.parse(json).main;
   } catch (e) {
     e.path = jsonPath;
     e.message = 'Error parsing ' + jsonPath + ': ' + e.message;
     throw e;
   }
-  return pkg;
 }
 
 function tryPackage(requestPath, exts, isMain) {