diff --git a/lib/_tls_wrap.js b/lib/_tls_wrap.js
index 57399c602a10bb..6db61991f50ef5 100644
--- a/lib/_tls_wrap.js
+++ b/lib/_tls_wrap.js
@@ -408,8 +408,10 @@ function onocspresponse(resp) {
 function onerror(err) {
   const owner = this[owner_symbol];
   debug('%s onerror %s had? %j',
-        owner._tlsOptions.isServer ? 'server' : 'client', err,
-        owner._hadError);
+        (typeof owner._tlsOptions === 'object' && owner._tlsOptions !== null) ?
+          owner._tlsOptions.isServer ? 'server' : 'client' :
+          'unknown',
+        err, owner._hadError);
 
   if (owner._hadError)
     return;
@@ -421,7 +423,7 @@ function onerror(err) {
     // When handshake fails control is not yet released,
     // so self._tlsError will return null instead of actual error
     owner.destroy(err);
-  } else if (owner._tlsOptions.isServer &&
+  } else if (owner._tlsOptions?.isServer &&
              owner._rejectUnauthorized &&
              RegExpPrototypeTest(/peer did not return a certificate/,
                                  err.message)) {