diff --git a/lib/internal/bootstrap_node.js b/lib/internal/bootstrap_node.js
index cb6867125860e1..6380506b72ee1b 100644
--- a/lib/internal/bootstrap_node.js
+++ b/lib/internal/bootstrap_node.js
@@ -510,11 +510,9 @@
     return NativeModule._source.hasOwnProperty(id);
   };
 
-  const EXPOSE_INTERNALS = process.execArgv.some(function(arg) {
-    return arg.match(/^--expose[-_]internals$/);
-  });
+  const config = process.binding('config');
 
-  if (EXPOSE_INTERNALS) {
+  if (config.exposeInternals) {
     NativeModule.nonInternalExists = NativeModule.exists;
 
     NativeModule.isInternal = function(id) {
diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index 2acb63e7b37206..84a883845d916b 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -214,6 +214,12 @@ bool config_preserve_symlinks = false;
 // Set in node.cc by ParseArgs when --redirect-warnings= is used.
 std::string config_warning_file;  // NOLINT(runtime/string)
 
+// Set in node.cc by ParseArgs when --expose-internals or --expose_internals is
+// used.
+// Used in node_config.cc to set a constant on process.binding('config')
+// that is used by lib/internal/bootstrap_node.js
+bool config_expose_internals = false;
+
 bool v8_initialized = false;
 
 // process-relative uptime base, initialized at start-up
@@ -3787,7 +3793,7 @@ static void ParseArgs(int* argc,
 #endif
     } else if (strcmp(arg, "--expose-internals") == 0 ||
                strcmp(arg, "--expose_internals") == 0) {
-      // consumed in js
+      config_expose_internals = true;
     } else if (strcmp(arg, "--") == 0) {
       index += 1;
       break;
diff --git a/src/node_config.cc b/src/node_config.cc
index 5c9c51585baf3a..3c082d61943a7c 100644
--- a/src/node_config.cc
+++ b/src/node_config.cc
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ void InitConfig(Local<Object> target,
                                                 .ToLocalChecked();
     target->DefineOwnProperty(env->context(), name, value).FromJust();
   }
+
+  if (config_expose_internals)
+    READONLY_BOOLEAN_PROPERTY("exposeInternals");
 }  // InitConfig
 
 }  // namespace node
diff --git a/src/node_internals.h b/src/node_internals.h
index 0ee694a2284707..fa219b96cdb4a9 100644
--- a/src/node_internals.h
+++ b/src/node_internals.h
@@ -65,6 +65,12 @@ extern std::string openssl_config;
 // that is used by lib/module.js
 extern bool config_preserve_symlinks;
 
+// Set in node.cc by ParseArgs when --expose-internals or --expose_internals is
+// used.
+// Used in node_config.cc to set a constant on process.binding('config')
+// that is used by lib/internal/bootstrap_node.js
+extern bool config_expose_internals;
+
 // Set in node.cc by ParseArgs when --redirect-warnings= is used.
 // Used to redirect warning output to a file rather than sending
 // it to stderr.
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-internal-modules-expose.js b/test/parallel/test-internal-modules-expose.js
index 02ddfd87c363fc..ab48e36881268c 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-internal-modules-expose.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-internal-modules-expose.js
@@ -3,5 +3,9 @@
 
 require('../common');
 const assert = require('assert');
+const config = process.binding('config');
+
+console.log(config, process.argv);
 
 assert.strictEqual(typeof require('internal/freelist').FreeList, 'function');
+assert.strictEqual(config.exposeInternals, true);