diff --git a/doc/api/errors.md b/doc/api/errors.md
index 5127b9f571acc0..2d4f3f02e94e79 100644
--- a/doc/api/errors.md
+++ b/doc/api/errors.md
@@ -580,6 +580,11 @@ by the `assert` module.
 
 Used when attempting to perform an operation outside the bounds of a `Buffer`.
 
+<a id="ERR_CHILD_CLOSED_BEFORE_REPLY"></a>
+### ERR_CHILD_CLOSED_BEFORE_REPLY
+
+Used when a child process is closed before the parent received a reply.
+
 <a id="ERR_CONSOLE_WRITABLE_STREAM"></a>
 ### ERR_CONSOLE_WRITABLE_STREAM
 
diff --git a/lib/internal/errors.js b/lib/internal/errors.js
index 31c8fa945aeb64..1634a09a893c56 100644
--- a/lib/internal/errors.js
+++ b/lib/internal/errors.js
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ module.exports = exports = {
 E('ERR_ARG_NOT_ITERABLE', '%s must be iterable');
 E('ERR_ASSERTION', '%s');
 E('ERR_BUFFER_OUT_OF_BOUNDS', bufferOutOfBounds);
+E('ERR_CHILD_CLOSED_BEFORE_REPLY','Child closed before reply received');
 E('ERR_CONSOLE_WRITABLE_STREAM',
   'Console expects a writable stream instance for %s');
 E('ERR_CPU_USAGE', 'Unable to obtain cpu usage %s');
@@ -176,7 +177,7 @@ E('ERR_UNKNOWN_STDIN_TYPE', 'Unknown stdin file type');
 E('ERR_UNKNOWN_STREAM_TYPE', 'Unknown stream file type');
 E('ERR_V8BREAKITERATOR', 'Full ICU data not installed. ' +
   'See https://github.com/nodejs/node/wiki/Intl');
-// Add new errors from here...
+
 
 function invalidArgType(name, expected, actual) {
   assert(name, 'name is required');
diff --git a/lib/internal/socket_list.js b/lib/internal/socket_list.js
index 15e880ba8c13d4..f6091c0c66055d 100644
--- a/lib/internal/socket_list.js
+++ b/lib/internal/socket_list.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
+const errors = require('internal/errors');
+
 const EventEmitter = require('events');
 
 // This object keeps track of the sockets that are sent
@@ -18,7 +20,7 @@ class SocketListSend extends EventEmitter {
 
     function onclose() {
       self.child.removeListener('internalMessage', onreply);
-      callback(new Error('child closed before reply'));
+      callback(new errors.Error('ERR_CHILD_CLOSED_BEFORE_REPLY'));
     }
 
     function onreply(msg) {
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-internal-socket-list-send.js b/test/parallel/test-internal-socket-list-send.js
index 10413bfdbcb839..797baf43f4dd76 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-internal-socket-list-send.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-internal-socket-list-send.js
@@ -17,7 +17,11 @@ const key = 'test-key';
   const list = new SocketListSend(child, 'test');
 
   list._request('msg', 'cmd', common.mustCall((err) => {
-    assert.strictEqual(err.message, 'child closed before reply');
+    common.expectsError({
+      code: 'ERR_CHILD_CLOSED_BEFORE_REPLY',
+      type: Error,
+      message: 'Child closed before reply received'
+    })(err);
     assert.strictEqual(child.listenerCount('internalMessage'), 0);
   }));
 }
@@ -55,7 +59,11 @@ const key = 'test-key';
   const list = new SocketListSend(child, key);
 
   list._request('msg', 'cmd', common.mustCall((err) => {
-    assert.strictEqual(err.message, 'child closed before reply');
+    common.expectsError({
+      code: 'ERR_CHILD_CLOSED_BEFORE_REPLY',
+      type: Error,
+      message: 'Child closed before reply received'
+    })(err);
     assert.strictEqual(child.listenerCount('internalMessage'), 0);
   }));
 }
@@ -119,7 +127,7 @@ const key = 'test-key';
   const count = 1;
   const child = Object.assign(new EventEmitter(), {
     connected: true,
-    send: function(msg) {
+    send: function() {
       process.nextTick(() => {
         this.emit('disconnect');
         this.emit('internalMessage', { key, count, cmd: 'NODE_SOCKET_COUNT' });
@@ -129,8 +137,12 @@ const key = 'test-key';
 
   const list = new SocketListSend(child, key);
 
-  list.getConnections(common.mustCall((err, msg) => {
-    assert.strictEqual(err.message, 'child closed before reply');
+  list.getConnections(common.mustCall((err) => {
+    common.expectsError({
+      code: 'ERR_CHILD_CLOSED_BEFORE_REPLY',
+      type: Error,
+      message: 'Child closed before reply received'
+    })(err);
     assert.strictEqual(child.listenerCount('internalMessage'), 0);
   }));
 }