diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index 90ed0e39d96bfa..9906a917d2ea9a 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ MaybeLocal<Value> StartExecution(Environment* env, StartExecutionCallback cb) {
     return StartExecution(env, "internal/main/test_runner");
   }
 
-  if (env->options()->watch_mode && !first_argv.empty()) {
+  if (env->options()->watch_mode) {
     return StartExecution(env, "internal/main/watch_mode");
   }
 
diff --git a/src/node_options-inl.h b/src/node_options-inl.h
index 7facb22afc3c9b..988814c876ee4e 100644
--- a/src/node_options-inl.h
+++ b/src/node_options-inl.h
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ void OptionsParser<Options>::Parse(
         UNREACHABLE();
     }
   }
-  options->CheckOptions(errors);
+  options->CheckOptions(errors, orig_args);
 }
 
 }  // namespace options_parser
diff --git a/src/node_options.cc b/src/node_options.cc
index 98f7d5b6e52a0d..ff1fb266a60f17 100644
--- a/src/node_options.cc
+++ b/src/node_options.cc
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ Mutex cli_options_mutex;
 std::shared_ptr<PerProcessOptions> cli_options{new PerProcessOptions()};
 }  // namespace per_process
 
-void DebugOptions::CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors) {
+void DebugOptions::CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors,
+                                std::vector<std::string>* argv) {
 #if !NODE_USE_V8_PLATFORM && !HAVE_INSPECTOR
   if (inspector_enabled) {
     errors->push_back("Inspector is not available when Node is compiled "
@@ -64,7 +65,8 @@ void DebugOptions::CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors) {
   }
 }
 
-void PerProcessOptions::CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors) {
+void PerProcessOptions::CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors,
+                                     std::vector<std::string>* argv) {
 #if HAVE_OPENSSL
   if (use_openssl_ca && use_bundled_ca) {
     errors->push_back("either --use-openssl-ca or --use-bundled-ca can be "
@@ -91,14 +93,16 @@ void PerProcessOptions::CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors) {
       use_largepages != "silent") {
     errors->push_back("invalid value for --use-largepages");
   }
-  per_isolate->CheckOptions(errors);
+  per_isolate->CheckOptions(errors, argv);
 }
 
-void PerIsolateOptions::CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors) {
-  per_env->CheckOptions(errors);
+void PerIsolateOptions::CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors,
+                                     std::vector<std::string>* argv) {
+  per_env->CheckOptions(errors, argv);
 }
 
-void EnvironmentOptions::CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors) {
+void EnvironmentOptions::CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors,
+                                      std::vector<std::string>* argv) {
   if (has_policy_integrity_string && experimental_policy.empty()) {
     errors->push_back("--policy-integrity requires "
                       "--experimental-policy be enabled");
@@ -169,15 +173,13 @@ void EnvironmentOptions::CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors) {
   if (watch_mode) {
     if (syntax_check_only) {
       errors->push_back("either --watch or --check can be used, not both");
-    }
-
-    if (has_eval_string) {
+    } else if (has_eval_string) {
       errors->push_back("either --watch or --eval can be used, not both");
-    }
-
-    if (force_repl) {
+    } else if (force_repl) {
       errors->push_back("either --watch or --interactive "
                         "can be used, not both");
+    } else if (argv->size() < 1 || (*argv)[1].empty()) {
+      errors->push_back("--watch requires specifying a file");
     }
 
 #ifndef ALLOW_ATTACHING_DEBUGGER_IN_WATCH_MODE
@@ -222,7 +224,7 @@ void EnvironmentOptions::CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors) {
     heap_prof_dir = diagnostic_dir;
   }
 
-  debug_options_.CheckOptions(errors);
+  debug_options_.CheckOptions(errors, argv);
 #endif  // HAVE_INSPECTOR
 }
 
diff --git a/src/node_options.h b/src/node_options.h
index 915d2a4bdcfab8..6c8073dead6de4 100644
--- a/src/node_options.h
+++ b/src/node_options.h
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ class HostPort {
 
 class Options {
  public:
-  virtual void CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors) {}
+  virtual void CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors,
+                            std::vector<std::string>* argv) {}
   virtual ~Options() = default;
 };
 
@@ -99,7 +100,8 @@ class DebugOptions : public Options {
     return break_first_line || break_node_first_line;
   }
 
-  void CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors) override;
+  void CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors,
+                    std::vector<std::string>* argv) override;
 };
 
 class EnvironmentOptions : public Options {
@@ -202,7 +204,8 @@ class EnvironmentOptions : public Options {
   inline DebugOptions* get_debug_options() { return &debug_options_; }
   inline const DebugOptions& debug_options() const { return debug_options_; }
 
-  void CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors) override;
+  void CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors,
+                    std::vector<std::string>* argv) override;
 
  private:
   DebugOptions debug_options_;
@@ -217,7 +220,8 @@ class PerIsolateOptions : public Options {
   bool experimental_shadow_realm = false;
   std::string report_signal = "SIGUSR2";
   inline EnvironmentOptions* get_per_env_options();
-  void CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors) override;
+  void CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors,
+                    std::vector<std::string>* argv) override;
 };
 
 class PerProcessOptions : public Options {
@@ -290,7 +294,8 @@ class PerProcessOptions : public Options {
   std::vector<std::string> cmdline;
 
   inline PerIsolateOptions* get_per_isolate_options();
-  void CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors) override;
+  void CheckOptions(std::vector<std::string>* errors,
+                    std::vector<std::string>* argv) override;
 };
 
 // The actual options parser, as opposed to the structs containing them: