diff --git a/lib/repl.js b/lib/repl.js
index d9efb8c5ece523..44a265a2cca34e 100644
--- a/lib/repl.js
+++ b/lib/repl.js
@@ -234,10 +234,14 @@ function REPLServer(prompt,
     throw new ERR_INVALID_REPL_EVAL_CONFIG();
   }
 
-  // Add this listener only once and use a WeakSet that contains the REPLs
-  // domains. Otherwise we'd have to add a single listener to each REPL instance
-  // and that could trigger the `MaxListenersExceededWarning`.
-  if (!options[kStandaloneREPL] && !addedNewListener) {
+  if (options[kStandaloneREPL]) {
+    // It is possible to introspect the running REPL accessing this variable
+    // from inside the REPL. This is useful for anyone working on the REPL.
+    exports.repl = this;
+  } else if (!addedNewListener) {
+    // Add this listener only once and use a WeakSet that contains the REPLs
+    // domains. Otherwise we'd have to add a single listener to each REPL
+    // instance and that could trigger the `MaxListenersExceededWarning`.
     process.prependListener('newListener', (event, listener) => {
       if (event === 'uncaughtException' &&
           process.domain &&
@@ -895,14 +899,8 @@ exports.start = function(prompt,
                          useGlobal,
                          ignoreUndefined,
                          replMode) {
-  const repl = new REPLServer(prompt,
-                              source,
-                              eval_,
-                              useGlobal,
-                              ignoreUndefined,
-                              replMode);
-  if (!exports.repl) exports.repl = repl;
-  return repl;
+  return new REPLServer(
+    prompt, source, eval_, useGlobal, ignoreUndefined, replMode);
 };
 
 REPLServer.prototype.setupHistory = function setupHistory(historyFile, cb) {
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-repl-options.js b/test/parallel/test-repl-options.js
index 43270e7412d3a2..99f9fa8a605142 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-repl-options.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-repl-options.js
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ const common = require('../common');
 const ArrayStream = require('../common/arraystream');
 const assert = require('assert');
 const repl = require('repl');
+const cp = require('child_process');
+
+assert.strictEqual(repl.repl, undefined);
 
 common.expectWarning({
   DeprecationWarning: {
@@ -120,3 +123,25 @@ assert.strictEqual(r4.ignoreUndefined, false);
 assert.strictEqual(r4.replMode, repl.REPL_MODE_SLOPPY);
 assert.strictEqual(r4.historySize, 30);
 r4.close();
+
+// Check the standalone REPL
+{
+  const child = cp.spawn(process.execPath, ['--interactive']);
+  let output = '';
+
+  child.stdout.setEncoding('utf8');
+  child.stdout.on('data', (data) => {
+    output += data;
+  });
+
+  child.on('exit', common.mustCall(() => {
+    const results = output.replace(/^> /mg, '').split('\n').slice(2);
+    assert.deepStrictEqual(results, ['undefined', '']);
+  }));
+
+  child.stdin.write(
+    'assert.ok(util.inspect(repl.repl, {depth: -1}).includes("REPLServer"));\n'
+  );
+  child.stdin.write('.exit');
+  child.stdin.end();
+}
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-repl-reverse-search.js b/test/parallel/test-repl-reverse-search.js
index a7c736300188de..baafdc9d8fbd33 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-repl-reverse-search.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-repl-reverse-search.js
@@ -251,8 +251,8 @@ const tests = [
       '\x1B[1G', '\x1B[0J',
       `${prompt}ab = "aaaa"`, '\x1B[14G',
       '\x1B[1G', '\x1B[0J',
-      `${prompt}repl.repl.historyIndex`, '\x1B[25G', '\n// -1',
-      '\x1B[19C\x1B[1A',
+      `${prompt}repl.repl.historyIndex`, '\x1B[25G', '\n// 8',
+      '\x1B[20C\x1B[1A',
       '\x1B[1B', '\x1B[2K', '\x1B[1A',
       '\nfwd-i-search: _', '\x1B[1A', '\x1B[25G',
       '\x1B[3G', '\x1B[0J',