diff --git a/lib/internal/fs/utils.js b/lib/internal/fs/utils.js
index 184d5c7bc526c9..30d4aeb27bcdcc 100644
--- a/lib/internal/fs/utils.js
+++ b/lib/internal/fs/utils.js
@@ -884,15 +884,13 @@ const validateStringAfterArrayBufferView = hideStackFrames((buffer, name) => {
 });
 
 const validatePrimitiveStringAfterArrayBufferView = hideStackFrames((buffer, name) => {
-  if (typeof buffer === 'string') {
-    return;
+  if (typeof buffer !== 'string') {
+    throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE(
+      name,
+      ['string', 'Buffer', 'TypedArray', 'DataView'],
+      buffer
+    );
   }
-
-  throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE(
-    name,
-    ['string', 'Buffer', 'TypedArray', 'DataView'],
-    buffer
-  );
 });
 
 const validatePosition = hideStackFrames((position, name) => {