diff --git a/lib/repl.js b/lib/repl.js
index a37e8e0be7bab2..10ca72f0e79d26 100644
--- a/lib/repl.js
+++ b/lib/repl.js
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ const {
   PromiseRace,
   RegExp,
   Set,
+  StringPrototypeIncludes,
   Symbol,
   WeakSet,
 } = primordials;
@@ -549,6 +550,14 @@ function REPLServer(prompt,
             e.stack = e.stack
               .replace(/^REPL\d+:\d+\r?\n/, '')
               .replace(/^\s+at\s.*\n?/gm, '');
+            const importErrorStr = 'Cannot use import statement outside a ' +
+              'module';
+            if (StringPrototypeIncludes(e.message, importErrorStr)) {
+              e.message = 'Cannot use import statement inside the Node.js ' +
+                'repl, alternatively use dynamic import';
+              e.stack = e.stack.replace(/SyntaxError:.*\n/,
+                                        `SyntaxError: ${e.message}\n`);
+            }
           } else if (self.replMode === exports.REPL_MODE_STRICT) {
             e.stack = e.stack.replace(/(\s+at\s+REPL\d+:)(\d+)/,
                                       (_, pre, line) => pre + (line - 1));
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-repl.js b/test/parallel/test-repl.js
index 76dec355381299..ee1650be1c9140 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-repl.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-repl.js
@@ -805,6 +805,16 @@ const tcpTests = [
   {
     send: `require(${JSON.stringify(moduleFilename)}).number`,
     expect: '42'
+  },
+  {
+    send: 'import comeOn from \'fhqwhgads\'',
+    expect: [
+      kSource,
+      kArrow,
+      '',
+      'Uncaught:',
+      /^SyntaxError: .* dynamic import/
+    ]
   }
 ];