diff --git a/lib/readline.js b/lib/readline.js
index ffd2aab5517027..6fe456ec313493 100644
--- a/lib/readline.js
+++ b/lib/readline.js
@@ -252,9 +252,6 @@ function Interface(input, output, completer, terminal) {
     input.on('keypress', onkeypress);
     input.on('end', ontermend);
 
-    // Current line
-    this.line = '';
-
     this._setRawMode(true);
     this.terminal = true;
 
@@ -270,6 +267,9 @@ function Interface(input, output, completer, terminal) {
     self.once('close', onSelfCloseWithTerminal);
   }
 
+  // Current line
+  this.line = '';
+
   input.resume();
 }
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-repl-no-terminal.js b/test/parallel/test-repl-no-terminal.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..60f97b52e26942
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-repl-no-terminal.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+'use strict';
+const common = require('../common');
+
+const repl = require('repl');
+const r = repl.start({ terminal: false });
+r.setupHistory('/nonexistent/file', common.mustSucceed());
+process.stdin.unref?.();