diff --git a/doc/api/fs.md b/doc/api/fs.md
index fb4a625b863240..c8fa23cf7c4228 100644
--- a/doc/api/fs.md
+++ b/doc/api/fs.md
@@ -3580,6 +3580,11 @@ with options `{ recursive: true, force: true }`.
 
 <!-- YAML
 added: v14.14.0
+changes:
+  - version: REPLACEME
+    pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/41132
+    description: The `path` parameter can be a WHATWG `URL` object using `file:`
+                 protocol.
 -->
 
 * `path` {string|Buffer|URL}
@@ -5328,6 +5333,11 @@ with options `{ recursive: true, force: true }`.
 
 <!-- YAML
 added: v14.14.0
+changes:
+  - version: REPLACEME
+    pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/41132
+    description: The `path` parameter can be a WHATWG `URL` object using `file:`
+                 protocol.
 -->
 
 * `path` {string|Buffer|URL}
diff --git a/lib/fs.js b/lib/fs.js
index abdc2f0c39c11b..9884e85d5845ee 100644
--- a/lib/fs.js
+++ b/lib/fs.js
@@ -1185,6 +1185,7 @@ function rm(path, options, callback) {
     callback = options;
     options = undefined;
   }
+  path = getValidatedPath(path);
 
   validateRmOptions(path, options, false, (err, options) => {
     if (err) {
@@ -1208,6 +1209,7 @@ function rm(path, options, callback) {
  * @returns {void}
  */
 function rmSync(path, options) {
+  path = getValidatedPath(path);
   options = validateRmOptionsSync(path, options, false);
 
   lazyLoadRimraf();
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-fs-rm.js b/test/parallel/test-fs-rm.js
index 3fdfc8426248ac..5b30599189dec4 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-fs-rm.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-fs-rm.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ const tmpdir = require('../common/tmpdir');
 const assert = require('assert');
 const fs = require('fs');
 const path = require('path');
+const { pathToFileURL } = require('url');
 const { execSync } = require('child_process');
 
 const { validateRmOptionsSync } = require('internal/fs/utils');
@@ -97,6 +98,11 @@ function removeAsync(dir) {
   makeNonEmptyDirectory(2, 10, 2, dir, false);
   removeAsync(dir);
 
+  // Same test using URL instead of a path
+  dir = nextDirPath();
+  makeNonEmptyDirectory(2, 10, 2, dir, false);
+  removeAsync(pathToFileURL(dir));
+
   // Create a flat folder including symlinks
   dir = nextDirPath();
   makeNonEmptyDirectory(1, 10, 2, dir, true);
@@ -156,6 +162,16 @@ function removeAsync(dir) {
     fs.rmSync(filePath, { force: true });
   }
 
+  // Should accept URL
+  const fileURL = pathToFileURL(path.join(tmpdir.path, 'rm-file.txt'));
+  fs.writeFileSync(fileURL, '');
+
+  try {
+    fs.rmSync(fileURL, { recursive: true });
+  } finally {
+    fs.rmSync(fileURL, { force: true });
+  }
+
   // Recursive removal should succeed.
   fs.rmSync(dir, { recursive: true });
 
@@ -202,6 +218,16 @@ function removeAsync(dir) {
   } finally {
     fs.rmSync(filePath, { force: true });
   }
+
+  // Should accept URL
+  const fileURL = pathToFileURL(path.join(tmpdir.path, 'rm-promises-file.txt'));
+  fs.writeFileSync(fileURL, '');
+
+  try {
+    await fs.promises.rm(fileURL, { recursive: true });
+  } finally {
+    fs.rmSync(fileURL, { force: true });
+  }
 })().then(common.mustCall());
 
 // Test input validation.