diff --git a/doc/api/repl.md b/doc/api/repl.md
index 60adbf641d1592..4395193de20326 100644
--- a/doc/api/repl.md
+++ b/doc/api/repl.md
@@ -448,6 +448,22 @@ deprecated: v9.0.0
 An internal method used to parse and execute `REPLServer` keywords.
 Returns `true` if `keyword` is a valid keyword, otherwise `false`.
 
+### replServer.setupHistory(historyPath, callback)
+<!-- YAML
+added: REPLACEME
+-->
+
+* `historyPath` {string} the path to the history file
+* `callback` {Function} called when history writes are ready or upon error
+  * `err` {Error}
+  * `repl` {repl.REPLServer}
+
+Initializes a history log file for the REPL instance. When executing the
+Node.js binary and using the command line REPL, a history file is initialized
+by default. However, this is not the case when creating a REPL
+programmatically. Use this method to initialize a history log file when working
+with REPL instances programmatically.
+
 ## repl.start([options])
 <!-- YAML
 added: v0.1.91
diff --git a/lib/internal/repl.js b/lib/internal/repl.js
index e58752e76eb890..321f4ab29eba59 100644
--- a/lib/internal/repl.js
+++ b/lib/internal/repl.js
@@ -1,24 +1,10 @@
 'use strict';
 
-const { Interface } = require('readline');
 const REPL = require('repl');
-const path = require('path');
-const fs = require('fs');
-const os = require('os');
-const util = require('util');
-const debug = util.debuglog('repl');
+
 module.exports = Object.create(REPL);
 module.exports.createInternalRepl = createRepl;
 
-// XXX(chrisdickinson): The 15ms debounce value is somewhat arbitrary.
-// The debounce is to guard against code pasted into the REPL.
-const kDebounceHistoryMS = 15;
-
-function _writeToOutput(repl, message) {
-  repl._writeToOutput(message);
-  repl._refreshLine();
-}
-
 function createRepl(env, opts, cb) {
   if (typeof opts === 'function') {
     cb = opts;
@@ -55,151 +41,9 @@ function createRepl(env, opts, cb) {
   if (!Number.isNaN(historySize) && historySize > 0) {
     opts.historySize = historySize;
   } else {
-    // XXX(chrisdickinson): set here to avoid affecting existing applications
-    // using repl instances.
     opts.historySize = 1000;
   }
 
   const repl = REPL.start(opts);
-  if (opts.terminal) {
-    return setupHistory(repl, env.NODE_REPL_HISTORY, cb);
-  }
-
-  repl._historyPrev = _replHistoryMessage;
-  cb(null, repl);
-}
-
-function setupHistory(repl, historyPath, ready) {
-  // Empty string disables persistent history
-  if (typeof historyPath === 'string')
-    historyPath = historyPath.trim();
-
-  if (historyPath === '') {
-    repl._historyPrev = _replHistoryMessage;
-    return ready(null, repl);
-  }
-
-  if (!historyPath) {
-    try {
-      historyPath = path.join(os.homedir(), '.node_repl_history');
-    } catch (err) {
-      _writeToOutput(repl, '\nError: Could not get the home directory.\n' +
-                     'REPL session history will not be persisted.\n');
-
-      debug(err.stack);
-      repl._historyPrev = _replHistoryMessage;
-      return ready(null, repl);
-    }
-  }
-
-  var timer = null;
-  var writing = false;
-  var pending = false;
-  repl.pause();
-  // History files are conventionally not readable by others:
-  // https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/3392
-  // https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/3394
-  fs.open(historyPath, 'a+', 0o0600, oninit);
-
-  function oninit(err, hnd) {
-    if (err) {
-      // Cannot open history file.
-      // Don't crash, just don't persist history.
-      _writeToOutput(repl, '\nError: Could not open history file.\n' +
-                           'REPL session history will not be persisted.\n');
-      debug(err.stack);
-
-      repl._historyPrev = _replHistoryMessage;
-      repl.resume();
-      return ready(null, repl);
-    }
-    fs.close(hnd, onclose);
-  }
-
-  function onclose(err) {
-    if (err) {
-      return ready(err);
-    }
-    fs.readFile(historyPath, 'utf8', onread);
-  }
-
-  function onread(err, data) {
-    if (err) {
-      return ready(err);
-    }
-
-    if (data) {
-      repl.history = data.split(/[\n\r]+/, repl.historySize);
-    } else {
-      repl.history = [];
-    }
-
-    fs.open(historyPath, 'r+', onhandle);
-  }
-
-  function onhandle(err, hnd) {
-    if (err) {
-      return ready(err);
-    }
-    fs.ftruncate(hnd, 0, (err) => {
-      repl._historyHandle = hnd;
-      repl.on('line', online);
-
-      // Reading the file data out erases it
-      repl.once('flushHistory', function() {
-        repl.resume();
-        ready(null, repl);
-      });
-      flushHistory();
-    });
-  }
-
-  // ------ history listeners ------
-  function online() {
-    repl._flushing = true;
-
-    if (timer) {
-      clearTimeout(timer);
-    }
-
-    timer = setTimeout(flushHistory, kDebounceHistoryMS);
-  }
-
-  function flushHistory() {
-    timer = null;
-    if (writing) {
-      pending = true;
-      return;
-    }
-    writing = true;
-    const historyData = repl.history.join(os.EOL);
-    fs.write(repl._historyHandle, historyData, 0, 'utf8', onwritten);
-  }
-
-  function onwritten(err, data) {
-    writing = false;
-    if (pending) {
-      pending = false;
-      online();
-    } else {
-      repl._flushing = Boolean(timer);
-      if (!repl._flushing) {
-        repl.emit('flushHistory');
-      }
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-
-function _replHistoryMessage() {
-  if (this.history.length === 0) {
-    _writeToOutput(
-      this,
-      '\nPersistent history support disabled. ' +
-        'Set the NODE_REPL_HISTORY environment\nvariable to ' +
-        'a valid, user-writable path to enable.\n'
-    );
-  }
-  this._historyPrev = Interface.prototype._historyPrev;
-  return this._historyPrev();
+  repl.setupHistory(opts.terminal ? env.NODE_REPL_HISTORY : '', cb);
 }
diff --git a/lib/internal/repl/history.js b/lib/internal/repl/history.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..a0ae07441eb912
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/internal/repl/history.js
@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const { Interface } = require('readline');
+const path = require('path');
+const fs = require('fs');
+const os = require('os');
+const util = require('util');
+const debug = util.debuglog('repl');
+
+// XXX(chrisdickinson): The 15ms debounce value is somewhat arbitrary.
+// The debounce is to guard against code pasted into the REPL.
+const kDebounceHistoryMS = 15;
+
+module.exports = setupHistory;
+
+function _writeToOutput(repl, message) {
+  repl._writeToOutput(message);
+  repl._refreshLine();
+}
+
+function setupHistory(repl, historyPath, ready) {
+  // Empty string disables persistent history
+  if (typeof historyPath === 'string')
+    historyPath = historyPath.trim();
+
+  if (historyPath === '') {
+    repl._historyPrev = _replHistoryMessage;
+    return ready(null, repl);
+  }
+
+  if (!historyPath) {
+    try {
+      historyPath = path.join(os.homedir(), '.node_repl_history');
+    } catch (err) {
+      _writeToOutput(repl, '\nError: Could not get the home directory.\n' +
+        'REPL session history will not be persisted.\n');
+
+      debug(err.stack);
+      repl._historyPrev = _replHistoryMessage;
+      return ready(null, repl);
+    }
+  }
+
+  var timer = null;
+  var writing = false;
+  var pending = false;
+  repl.pause();
+  // History files are conventionally not readable by others:
+  // https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/3392
+  // https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/3394
+  fs.open(historyPath, 'a+', 0o0600, oninit);
+
+  function oninit(err, hnd) {
+    if (err) {
+      // Cannot open history file.
+      // Don't crash, just don't persist history.
+      _writeToOutput(repl, '\nError: Could not open history file.\n' +
+        'REPL session history will not be persisted.\n');
+      debug(err.stack);
+
+      repl._historyPrev = _replHistoryMessage;
+      repl.resume();
+      return ready(null, repl);
+    }
+    fs.close(hnd, onclose);
+  }
+
+  function onclose(err) {
+    if (err) {
+      return ready(err);
+    }
+    fs.readFile(historyPath, 'utf8', onread);
+  }
+
+  function onread(err, data) {
+    if (err) {
+      return ready(err);
+    }
+
+    if (data) {
+      repl.history = data.split(/[\n\r]+/, repl.historySize);
+    } else {
+      repl.history = [];
+    }
+
+    fs.open(historyPath, 'r+', onhandle);
+  }
+
+  function onhandle(err, hnd) {
+    if (err) {
+      return ready(err);
+    }
+    fs.ftruncate(hnd, 0, (err) => {
+      repl._historyHandle = hnd;
+      repl.on('line', online);
+
+      // Reading the file data out erases it
+      repl.once('flushHistory', function() {
+        repl.resume();
+        ready(null, repl);
+      });
+      flushHistory();
+    });
+  }
+
+  // ------ history listeners ------
+  function online(line) {
+    repl._flushing = true;
+
+    if (timer) {
+      clearTimeout(timer);
+    }
+
+    timer = setTimeout(flushHistory, kDebounceHistoryMS);
+  }
+
+  function flushHistory() {
+    timer = null;
+    if (writing) {
+      pending = true;
+      return;
+    }
+    writing = true;
+    const historyData = repl.history.join(os.EOL);
+    fs.write(repl._historyHandle, historyData, 0, 'utf8', onwritten);
+  }
+
+  function onwritten(err, data) {
+    writing = false;
+    if (pending) {
+      pending = false;
+      online();
+    } else {
+      repl._flushing = Boolean(timer);
+      if (!repl._flushing) {
+        repl.emit('flushHistory');
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+function _replHistoryMessage() {
+  if (this.history.length === 0) {
+    _writeToOutput(
+      this,
+      '\nPersistent history support disabled. ' +
+      'Set the NODE_REPL_HISTORY environment\nvariable to ' +
+      'a valid, user-writable path to enable.\n'
+    );
+  }
+  this._historyPrev = Interface.prototype._historyPrev;
+  return this._historyPrev();
+}
diff --git a/lib/repl.js b/lib/repl.js
index f1b269b801905f..1f89f43c241488 100644
--- a/lib/repl.js
+++ b/lib/repl.js
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ const {
   startSigintWatchdog,
   stopSigintWatchdog
 } = internalBinding('util');
+const history = require('internal/repl/history');
 
 // Lazy-loaded.
 let processTopLevelAwait;
@@ -762,6 +763,10 @@ exports.start = function(prompt,
   return repl;
 };
 
+REPLServer.prototype.setupHistory = function setupHistory(historyFile, cb) {
+  history(this, historyFile, cb);
+};
+
 REPLServer.prototype.clearBufferedCommand = function clearBufferedCommand() {
   this[kBufferedCommandSymbol] = '';
 };
diff --git a/node.gyp b/node.gyp
index a0c81ded72d679..efafbb7afacb2b 100644
--- a/node.gyp
+++ b/node.gyp
@@ -172,6 +172,7 @@
       'lib/internal/readline.js',
       'lib/internal/repl.js',
       'lib/internal/repl/await.js',
+      'lib/internal/repl/history.js',
       'lib/internal/repl/recoverable.js',
       'lib/internal/socket_list.js',
       'lib/internal/test/binding.js',
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-repl-programmatic-history.js b/test/parallel/test-repl-programmatic-history.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..7eda401a7c386b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-repl-programmatic-history.js
@@ -0,0 +1,245 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const common = require('../common');
+const fixtures = require('../common/fixtures');
+const stream = require('stream');
+const REPL = require('repl');
+const assert = require('assert');
+const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require('path');
+const os = require('os');
+
+const tmpdir = require('../common/tmpdir');
+tmpdir.refresh();
+
+// Mock os.homedir()
+os.homedir = function() {
+  return tmpdir.path;
+};
+
+// Create an input stream specialized for testing an array of actions
+class ActionStream extends stream.Stream {
+  run(data) {
+    const _iter = data[Symbol.iterator]();
+    const doAction = () => {
+      const next = _iter.next();
+      if (next.done) {
+        // Close the repl. Note that it must have a clean prompt to do so.
+        setImmediate(() => {
+          this.emit('keypress', '', { ctrl: true, name: 'd' });
+        });
+        return;
+      }
+      const action = next.value;
+
+      if (typeof action === 'object') {
+        this.emit('keypress', '', action);
+      } else {
+        this.emit('data', `${action}\n`);
+      }
+      setImmediate(doAction);
+    };
+    setImmediate(doAction);
+  }
+  resume() {}
+  pause() {}
+}
+ActionStream.prototype.readable = true;
+
+
+// Mock keys
+const UP = { name: 'up' };
+const ENTER = { name: 'enter' };
+const CLEAR = { ctrl: true, name: 'u' };
+
+// File paths
+const historyFixturePath = fixtures.path('.node_repl_history');
+const historyPath = path.join(tmpdir.path, '.fixture_copy_repl_history');
+const historyPathFail = fixtures.path('nonexistent_folder', 'filename');
+const defaultHistoryPath = path.join(tmpdir.path, '.node_repl_history');
+const emptyHiddenHistoryPath = fixtures.path('.empty-hidden-repl-history-file');
+const devNullHistoryPath = path.join(tmpdir.path,
+                                     '.dev-null-repl-history-file');
+// Common message bits
+const prompt = '> ';
+const replDisabled = '\nPersistent history support disabled. Set the ' +
+                     'NODE_REPL_HISTORY environment\nvariable to a valid, ' +
+                     'user-writable path to enable.\n';
+const homedirErr = '\nError: Could not get the home directory.\n' +
+                   'REPL session history will not be persisted.\n';
+const replFailedRead = '\nError: Could not open history file.\n' +
+                       'REPL session history will not be persisted.\n';
+
+const tests = [
+  {
+    env: { NODE_REPL_HISTORY: '' },
+    test: [UP],
+    expected: [prompt, replDisabled, prompt]
+  },
+  {
+    env: { NODE_REPL_HISTORY: ' ' },
+    test: [UP],
+    expected: [prompt, replDisabled, prompt]
+  },
+  {
+    env: { NODE_REPL_HISTORY: historyPath },
+    test: [UP, CLEAR],
+    expected: [prompt, `${prompt}'you look fabulous today'`, prompt]
+  },
+  {
+    env: {},
+    test: [UP, '\'42\'', ENTER],
+    expected: [prompt, '\'', '4', '2', '\'', '\'42\'\n', prompt, prompt],
+    clean: false
+  },
+  { // Requires the above test case
+    env: {},
+    test: [UP, UP, ENTER],
+    expected: [prompt, `${prompt}'42'`, '\'42\'\n', prompt]
+  },
+  {
+    env: { NODE_REPL_HISTORY: historyPath,
+           NODE_REPL_HISTORY_SIZE: 1 },
+    test: [UP, UP, CLEAR],
+    expected: [prompt, `${prompt}'you look fabulous today'`, prompt]
+  },
+  {
+    env: { NODE_REPL_HISTORY: historyPathFail,
+           NODE_REPL_HISTORY_SIZE: 1 },
+    test: [UP],
+    expected: [prompt, replFailedRead, prompt, replDisabled, prompt]
+  },
+  {
+    before: function before() {
+      if (common.isWindows) {
+        const execSync = require('child_process').execSync;
+        execSync(`ATTRIB +H "${emptyHiddenHistoryPath}"`, (err) => {
+          assert.ifError(err);
+        });
+      }
+    },
+    env: { NODE_REPL_HISTORY: emptyHiddenHistoryPath },
+    test: [UP],
+    expected: [prompt]
+  },
+  {
+    before: function before() {
+      if (!common.isWindows)
+        fs.symlinkSync('/dev/null', devNullHistoryPath);
+    },
+    env: { NODE_REPL_HISTORY: devNullHistoryPath },
+    test: [UP],
+    expected: [prompt]
+  },
+  { // Make sure this is always the last test, since we change os.homedir()
+    before: function before() {
+      // Mock os.homedir() failure
+      os.homedir = function() {
+        throw new Error('os.homedir() failure');
+      };
+    },
+    env: {},
+    test: [UP],
+    expected: [prompt, homedirErr, prompt, replDisabled, prompt]
+  }
+];
+const numtests = tests.length;
+
+
+function cleanupTmpFile() {
+  try {
+    // Write over the file, clearing any history
+    fs.writeFileSync(defaultHistoryPath, '');
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (err.code === 'ENOENT') return true;
+    throw err;
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
+// Copy our fixture to the tmp directory
+fs.createReadStream(historyFixturePath)
+  .pipe(fs.createWriteStream(historyPath)).on('unpipe', () => runTest());
+
+const runTestWrap = common.mustCall(runTest, numtests);
+
+function runTest(assertCleaned) {
+  const opts = tests.shift();
+  if (!opts) return; // All done
+
+  if (assertCleaned) {
+    try {
+      assert.strictEqual(fs.readFileSync(defaultHistoryPath, 'utf8'), '');
+    } catch (e) {
+      if (e.code !== 'ENOENT') {
+        console.error(`Failed test # ${numtests - tests.length}`);
+        throw e;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  const test = opts.test;
+  const expected = opts.expected;
+  const clean = opts.clean;
+  const before = opts.before;
+  const historySize = opts.env.NODE_REPL_HISTORY_SIZE;
+  const historyFile = opts.env.NODE_REPL_HISTORY;
+
+  if (before) before();
+
+  const repl = REPL.start({
+    input: new ActionStream(),
+    output: new stream.Writable({
+      write(chunk, _, next) {
+        const output = chunk.toString();
+
+        // Ignore escapes and blank lines
+        if (output.charCodeAt(0) === 27 || /^[\r\n]+$/.test(output))
+          return next();
+
+        try {
+          assert.strictEqual(output, expected.shift());
+        } catch (err) {
+          console.error(`Failed test # ${numtests - tests.length}`);
+          throw err;
+        }
+        next();
+      }
+    }),
+    prompt: prompt,
+    useColors: false,
+    terminal: true,
+    historySize: historySize
+  });
+
+  repl.setupHistory(historyFile, function(err, repl) {
+    if (err) {
+      console.error(`Failed test # ${numtests - tests.length}`);
+      throw err;
+    }
+
+    repl.once('close', () => {
+      if (repl._flushing) {
+        repl.once('flushHistory', onClose);
+        return;
+      }
+
+      onClose();
+    });
+
+    function onClose() {
+      const cleaned = clean === false ? false : cleanupTmpFile();
+
+      try {
+        // Ensure everything that we expected was output
+        assert.strictEqual(expected.length, 0);
+        setImmediate(runTestWrap, cleaned);
+      } catch (err) {
+        console.error(`Failed test # ${numtests - tests.length}`);
+        throw err;
+      }
+    }
+
+    repl.inputStream.run(test);
+  });
+}