diff --git a/lib/internal/streams/pipeline.js b/lib/internal/streams/pipeline.js
index 33d47e52933afb..f9b33ed9bda62a 100644
--- a/lib/internal/streams/pipeline.js
+++ b/lib/internal/streams/pipeline.js
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ function pipeline(...streams) {
     } else {
       const name = reading ? `transform[${i - 1}]` : 'destination';
       throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE(
-        name, ['Stream', 'Function'], ret);
+        name, ['Stream', 'Function'], stream);
     }
   }