diff --git a/benchmark/worker/messageport.js b/benchmark/worker/messageport.js
index 8e2ddae73ff3ab..2f0d6f0621e8c8 100644
--- a/benchmark/worker/messageport.js
+++ b/benchmark/worker/messageport.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ const common = require('../common.js');
 const { MessageChannel } = require('worker_threads');
 const bench = common.createBenchmark(main, {
   payload: ['string', 'object'],
+  style: ['eventtarget', 'eventemitter'],
   n: [1e6]
 });
 
@@ -25,14 +26,26 @@ function main(conf) {
   const { port1, port2 } = new MessageChannel();
 
   let messages = 0;
-  port2.onmessage = () => {
+  function listener() {
     if (messages++ === n) {
       bench.end(n);
       port1.close();
     } else {
       write();
     }
-  };
+  }
+
+  switch (conf.style) {
+    case 'eventtarget':
+      port2.onmessage = listener;
+      break;
+    case 'eventemitter':
+      port2.on('message', listener);
+      break;
+    default:
+      throw new Error('Unsupported listener type');
+  }
+
   bench.start();
   write();
 
diff --git a/lib/internal/event_target.js b/lib/internal/event_target.js
index 02ea2b8f0fff48..a55c9e461de458 100644
--- a/lib/internal/event_target.js
+++ b/lib/internal/event_target.js
@@ -31,8 +31,13 @@ const kEvents = Symbol('kEvents');
 const kStop = Symbol('kStop');
 const kTarget = Symbol('kTarget');
 
+const kHybridDispatch = Symbol.for('nodejs.internal.kHybridDispatch');
+const kCreateEvent = Symbol('kCreateEvent');
 const kNewListener = Symbol('kNewListener');
 const kRemoveListener = Symbol('kRemoveListener');
+const kIsNodeStyleListener = Symbol('kIsNodeStyleListener');
+const kMaxListeners = Symbol('kMaxListeners');
+const kMaxListenersWarned = Symbol('kMaxListenersWarned');
 
 // Lazy load perf_hooks to avoid the additional overhead on startup
 let perf_hooks;
@@ -157,7 +162,7 @@ Object.defineProperty(Event.prototype, SymbolToStringTag, {
 // the linked list makes dispatching faster, even if adding/removing is
 // slower.
 class Listener {
-  constructor(previous, listener, once, capture, passive) {
+  constructor(previous, listener, once, capture, passive, isNodeStyleListener) {
     this.next = undefined;
     if (previous !== undefined)
       previous.next = this;
@@ -166,6 +171,7 @@ class Listener {
     this.once = once;
     this.capture = capture;
     this.passive = passive;
+    this.isNodeStyleListener = isNodeStyleListener;
 
     this.callback =
       typeof listener === 'function' ?
@@ -185,13 +191,17 @@ class Listener {
   }
 }
 
+function initEventTarget(self) {
+  self[kEvents] = new Map();
+}
+
 class EventTarget {
   // Used in checking whether an object is an EventTarget. This is a well-known
   // symbol as EventTarget may be used cross-realm. See discussion in #33661.
   static [kIsEventTarget] = true;
 
   constructor() {
-    this[kEvents] = new Map();
+    initEventTarget(this);
   }
 
   [kNewListener](size, type, listener, once, capture, passive) {}
@@ -206,7 +216,8 @@ class EventTarget {
     const {
       once,
       capture,
-      passive
+      passive,
+      isNodeStyleListener
     } = validateEventListenerOptions(options);
 
     if (!shouldAddListener(listener)) {
@@ -228,7 +239,7 @@ class EventTarget {
     if (root === undefined) {
       root = { size: 1, next: undefined };
       // This is the first handler in our linked list.
-      new Listener(root, listener, once, capture, passive);
+      new Listener(root, listener, once, capture, passive, isNodeStyleListener);
       this[kNewListener](root.size, type, listener, once, capture, passive);
       this[kEvents].set(type, root);
       return;
@@ -247,7 +258,8 @@ class EventTarget {
       return;
     }
 
-    new Listener(previous, listener, once, capture, passive);
+    new Listener(previous, listener, once, capture, passive,
+                 isNodeStyleListener);
     root.size++;
     this[kNewListener](root.size, type, listener, once, capture, passive);
   }
@@ -290,39 +302,61 @@ class EventTarget {
     if (event[kTarget] !== null)
       throw new ERR_EVENT_RECURSION(event.type);
 
-    const root = this[kEvents].get(event.type);
+    this[kHybridDispatch](event, event.type, event);
+
+    return event.defaultPrevented !== true;
+  }
+
+  [kHybridDispatch](nodeValue, type, event) {
+    const createEvent = () => {
+      if (event === undefined) {
+        event = this[kCreateEvent](nodeValue, type);
+        event[kTarget] = this;
+      }
+      return event;
+    };
+
+    const root = this[kEvents].get(type);
     if (root === undefined || root.next === undefined)
       return true;
 
-    event[kTarget] = this;
+    if (event !== undefined)
+      event[kTarget] = this;
 
     let handler = root.next;
     let next;
 
     while (handler !== undefined &&
-           (handler.passive || event[kStop] !== true)) {
+           (handler.passive || event?.[kStop] !== true)) {
       // Cache the next item in case this iteration removes the current one
       next = handler.next;
 
       if (handler.once) {
         handler.remove();
         root.size--;
+        const { listener, capture } = handler;
+        this[kRemoveListener](root.size, type, listener, capture);
       }
 
       try {
-        const result = handler.callback.call(this, event);
+        let arg;
+        if (handler.isNodeStyleListener) {
+          arg = nodeValue;
+        } else {
+          arg = createEvent();
+        }
+        const result = handler.callback.call(this, arg);
         if (result !== undefined && result !== null)
-          addCatch(this, result, event);
+          addCatch(this, result, createEvent());
       } catch (err) {
-        emitUnhandledRejectionOrErr(this, err, event);
+        emitUnhandledRejectionOrErr(this, err, createEvent());
       }
 
       handler = next;
     }
 
-    event[kTarget] = undefined;
-
-    return event.defaultPrevented !== true;
+    if (event !== undefined)
+      event[kTarget] = undefined;
   }
 
   [customInspectSymbol](depth, options) {
@@ -350,15 +384,19 @@ Object.defineProperty(EventTarget.prototype, SymbolToStringTag, {
   value: 'EventTarget',
 });
 
-const kMaxListeners = Symbol('maxListeners');
-const kMaxListenersWarned = Symbol('maxListenersWarned');
+function initNodeEventTarget(self) {
+  initEventTarget(self);
+  // eslint-disable-next-line no-use-before-define
+  self[kMaxListeners] = NodeEventTarget.defaultMaxListeners;
+  self[kMaxListenersWarned] = false;
+}
+
 class NodeEventTarget extends EventTarget {
   static defaultMaxListeners = 10;
 
   constructor() {
     super();
-    this[kMaxListeners] = NodeEventTarget.defaultMaxListeners;
-    this[kMaxListenersWarned] = false;
+    initNodeEventTarget(this);
   }
 
   [kNewListener](size, type, listener, once, capture, passive) {
@@ -410,17 +448,18 @@ class NodeEventTarget extends EventTarget {
   }
 
   on(type, listener) {
-    this.addEventListener(type, listener);
+    this.addEventListener(type, listener, { [kIsNodeStyleListener]: true });
     return this;
   }
 
   addListener(type, listener) {
-    this.addEventListener(type, listener);
+    this.addEventListener(type, listener, { [kIsNodeStyleListener]: true });
     return this;
   }
 
   once(type, listener) {
-    this.addEventListener(type, listener, { once: true });
+    this.addEventListener(type, listener,
+                          { once: true, [kIsNodeStyleListener]: true });
     return this;
   }
 
@@ -470,6 +509,7 @@ function validateEventListenerOptions(options) {
     once: Boolean(options.once),
     capture: Boolean(options.capture),
     passive: Boolean(options.passive),
+    isNodeStyleListener: Boolean(options[kIsNodeStyleListener])
   };
 }
 
@@ -520,4 +560,9 @@ module.exports = {
   EventTarget,
   NodeEventTarget,
   defineEventHandler,
+  initEventTarget,
+  initNodeEventTarget,
+  kCreateEvent,
+  kNewListener,
+  kRemoveListener,
 };
diff --git a/lib/internal/per_context/messageport.js b/lib/internal/per_context/messageport.js
index ee08a596122a51..43587319b040de 100644
--- a/lib/internal/per_context/messageport.js
+++ b/lib/internal/per_context/messageport.js
@@ -1,12 +1,31 @@
 'use strict';
+const {
+  SymbolFor,
+} = primordials;
+
 class MessageEvent {
-  constructor(data, target) {
+  constructor(data, target, type) {
     this.data = data;
     this.target = target;
+    this.type = type;
   }
 }
 
-exports.emitMessage = function(data) {
-  if (typeof this.onmessage === 'function')
-    this.onmessage(new MessageEvent(data, this));
+const kHybridDispatch = SymbolFor('nodejs.internal.kHybridDispatch');
+
+exports.emitMessage = function(data, type) {
+  if (typeof this[kHybridDispatch] === 'function') {
+    this[kHybridDispatch](data, type, undefined);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const event = new MessageEvent(data, this, type);
+  if (type === 'message') {
+    if (typeof this.onmessage === 'function')
+      this.onmessage(event);
+  } else {
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-lonely-if
+    if (typeof this.onmessageerror === 'function')
+      this.onmessageerror(event);
+  }
 };
diff --git a/lib/internal/worker/io.js b/lib/internal/worker/io.js
index 60dd8cd67d6186..5b5118a1d70b21 100644
--- a/lib/internal/worker/io.js
+++ b/lib/internal/worker/io.js
@@ -24,20 +24,23 @@ const {
   stopMessagePort
 } = internalBinding('messaging');
 const {
-  threadId,
   getEnvMessagePort
 } = internalBinding('worker');
 
 const { Readable, Writable } = require('stream');
-const EventEmitter = require('events');
+const {
+  Event,
+  NodeEventTarget,
+  defineEventHandler,
+  initNodeEventTarget,
+  kCreateEvent,
+  kNewListener,
+  kRemoveListener,
+} = require('internal/event_target');
 const { inspect } = require('internal/util/inspect');
-let debug = require('internal/util/debuglog').debuglog('worker', (fn) => {
-  debug = fn;
-});
 
 const kIncrementsPortRef = Symbol('kIncrementsPortRef');
 const kName = Symbol('kName');
-const kOnMessageListener = Symbol('kOnMessageListener');
 const kPort = Symbol('kPort');
 const kWaitingStreams = Symbol('kWaitingStreams');
 const kWritableCallbacks = Symbol('kWritableCallbacks');
@@ -54,7 +57,7 @@ const messageTypes = {
 };
 
 // We have to mess with the MessagePort prototype a bit, so that a) we can make
-// it inherit from EventEmitter, even though it is a C++ class, and b) we do
+// it inherit from NodeEventTarget, even though it is a C++ class, and b) we do
 // not provide methods that are not present in the Browser and not documented
 // on our side (e.g. hasRef).
 // Save a copy of the original set of methods as a shallow clone.
@@ -62,47 +65,39 @@ const MessagePortPrototype = ObjectCreate(
   ObjectGetPrototypeOf(MessagePort.prototype),
   ObjectGetOwnPropertyDescriptors(MessagePort.prototype));
 // Set up the new inheritance chain.
-ObjectSetPrototypeOf(MessagePort, EventEmitter);
-ObjectSetPrototypeOf(MessagePort.prototype, EventEmitter.prototype);
+ObjectSetPrototypeOf(MessagePort, NodeEventTarget);
+ObjectSetPrototypeOf(MessagePort.prototype, NodeEventTarget.prototype);
 // Copy methods that are inherited from HandleWrap, because
 // changing the prototype of MessagePort.prototype implicitly removed them.
 MessagePort.prototype.ref = MessagePortPrototype.ref;
 MessagePort.prototype.unref = MessagePortPrototype.unref;
 
-// A communication channel consisting of a handle (that wraps around an
-// uv_async_t) which can receive information from other threads and emits
-// .onmessage events, and a function used for sending data to a MessagePort
-// in some other thread.
-MessagePort.prototype[kOnMessageListener] = function onmessage(event) {
-  if (event.data && event.data.type !== messageTypes.STDIO_WANTS_MORE_DATA)
-    debug(`[${threadId}] received message`, event);
-  // Emit the deserialized object to userland.
-  this.emit('message', event.data);
-};
-
-// This is for compatibility with the Web's MessagePort API. It makes sense to
-// provide it as an `EventEmitter` in Node.js, but if somebody overrides
-// `onmessage`, we'll switch over to the Web API model.
-ObjectDefineProperty(MessagePort.prototype, 'onmessage', {
-  enumerable: true,
-  configurable: true,
-  get() {
-    return this[kOnMessageListener];
-  },
-  set(value) {
-    this[kOnMessageListener] = value;
-    if (typeof value === 'function') {
-      this.ref();
-      MessagePortPrototype.start.call(this);
-    } else {
-      this.unref();
-      stopMessagePort(this);
-    }
+class MessageEvent extends Event {
+  constructor(data, target, type) {
+    super(type);
+    this.data = data;
   }
-});
+}
+
+ObjectDefineProperty(
+  MessagePort.prototype,
+  kCreateEvent,
+  {
+    value: function(data, type) {
+      return new MessageEvent(data, this, type);
+    },
+    configurable: false,
+    writable: false,
+    enumerable: false,
+  });
 
 // This is called from inside the `MessagePort` constructor.
 function oninit() {
+  initNodeEventTarget(this);
+  // TODO(addaleax): This should be on MessagePort.prototype, but
+  // defineEventHandler() does not support that.
+  defineEventHandler(this, 'message');
+  defineEventHandler(this, 'messageerror');
   setupPortReferencing(this, this, 'message');
 }
 
@@ -112,9 +107,15 @@ ObjectDefineProperty(MessagePort.prototype, onInitSymbol, {
   value: oninit
 });
 
+class MessagePortCloseEvent extends Event {
+  constructor() {
+    super('close');
+  }
+}
+
 // This is called after the underlying `uv_async_t` has been closed.
 function onclose() {
-  this.emit('close');
+  this.dispatchEvent(new MessagePortCloseEvent());
 }
 
 ObjectDefineProperty(MessagePort.prototype, handleOnCloseSymbol, {
@@ -156,18 +157,36 @@ function setupPortReferencing(port, eventEmitter, eventName) {
   // If there are none or all are removed, unref() the channel so the worker
   // can shutdown gracefully.
   port.unref();
-  eventEmitter.on('newListener', (name) => {
-    if (name === eventName && eventEmitter.listenerCount(eventName) === 0) {
+  eventEmitter.on('newListener', function(name) {
+    if (name === eventName) newListener(eventEmitter.listenerCount(name));
+  });
+  eventEmitter.on('removeListener', function(name) {
+    if (name === eventName) removeListener(eventEmitter.listenerCount(name));
+  });
+  const origNewListener = eventEmitter[kNewListener];
+  eventEmitter[kNewListener] = function(size, type, ...args) {
+    if (type === eventName) newListener(size - 1);
+    return origNewListener.call(this, size, type, ...args);
+  };
+  const origRemoveListener = eventEmitter[kRemoveListener];
+  eventEmitter[kRemoveListener] = function(size, type, ...args) {
+    if (type === eventName) removeListener(size);
+    return origRemoveListener.call(this, size, type, ...args);
+  };
+
+  function newListener(size) {
+    if (size === 0) {
       port.ref();
       MessagePortPrototype.start.call(port);
     }
-  });
-  eventEmitter.on('removeListener', (name) => {
-    if (name === eventName && eventEmitter.listenerCount(eventName) === 0) {
+  }
+
+  function removeListener(size) {
+    if (size === 0) {
       stopMessagePort(port);
       port.unref();
     }
-  });
+  }
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/node_messaging.cc b/src/node_messaging.cc
index add851e0836f3a..c615293570475c 100644
--- a/src/node_messaging.cc
+++ b/src/node_messaging.cc
@@ -746,6 +746,8 @@ void MessagePort::OnMessage() {
 
     Local<Value> payload;
     Local<Value> message_error;
+    Local<Value> argv[2];
+
     {
       // Catch any exceptions from parsing the message itself (not from
       // emitting it) as 'messageeror' events.
@@ -764,16 +766,15 @@ void MessagePort::OnMessage() {
       continue;
     }
 
-    if (MakeCallback(emit_message, 1, &payload).IsEmpty()) {
+    argv[0] = payload;
+    argv[1] = env()->message_string();
+
+    if (MakeCallback(emit_message, arraysize(argv), argv).IsEmpty()) {
     reschedule:
       if (!message_error.IsEmpty()) {
-        // This should become a `messageerror` event in the sense of the
-        // EventTarget API at some point.
-        Local<Value> argv[] = {
-          env()->messageerror_string(),
-          message_error
-        };
-        USE(MakeCallback(env()->emit_string(), arraysize(argv), argv));
+        argv[0] = message_error;
+        argv[1] = env()->messageerror_string();
+        USE(MakeCallback(emit_message, arraysize(argv), argv));
       }
 
       // Re-schedule OnMessage() execution in case of failure.
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-async-wrap-missing-method.js b/test/parallel/test-async-wrap-missing-method.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 038a77fba65964..00000000000000
--- a/test/parallel/test-async-wrap-missing-method.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,48 +0,0 @@
-'use strict';
-const common = require('../common');
-const assert = require('assert');
-
-const { MessageChannel } = require('worker_threads');
-
-{
-  const { port1, port2 } = new MessageChannel();
-
-  // Returning a non-function in the getter should not crash.
-  Object.defineProperty(port1, 'onmessage', {
-    get() {
-      port1.unref();
-      return 42;
-    }
-  });
-
-  port2.postMessage({ foo: 'bar' });
-
-  // We need to start the port manually because .onmessage assignment tracking
-  // has been overridden.
-  port1.start();
-  port1.ref();
-}
-
-{
-  const err = new Error('eyecatcher');
-  process.on('uncaughtException', common.mustCall((exception) => {
-    port1.unref();
-    assert.strictEqual(exception, err);
-  }));
-
-  const { port1, port2 } = new MessageChannel();
-
-  // Throwing in the getter should not crash.
-  Object.defineProperty(port1, 'onmessage', {
-    get() {
-      throw err;
-    }
-  });
-
-  port2.postMessage({ foo: 'bar' });
-
-  // We need to start the port manually because .onmessage assignment tracking
-  // has been overridden.
-  port1.start();
-  port1.ref();
-}
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-crypto-key-objects-messageport.js b/test/parallel/test-crypto-key-objects-messageport.js
index 1b910b571f77fc..f38e20da420aae 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-crypto-key-objects-messageport.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-crypto-key-objects-messageport.js
@@ -75,9 +75,9 @@ for (const [key, repr] of keys) {
 
     // TODO(addaleax): Switch this to a 'messageerror' event once MessagePort
     // implements EventTarget fully and in a cross-context manner.
-    port2moved.emit = common.mustCall((name, err) => {
-      assert.strictEqual(name, 'messageerror');
-      assert.strictEqual(err.code, 'ERR_MESSAGE_TARGET_CONTEXT_UNAVAILABLE');
+    port2moved.onmessageerror = common.mustCall((event) => {
+      assert.strictEqual(event.data.code,
+                         'ERR_MESSAGE_TARGET_CONTEXT_UNAVAILABLE');
     });
 
     port2moved.start();
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-worker-message-port-inspect-during-init-hook.js b/test/parallel/test-worker-message-port-inspect-during-init-hook.js
index 30b90710a604f1..8f9678de1e970e 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-worker-message-port-inspect-during-init-hook.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-worker-message-port-inspect-during-init-hook.js
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@ const { MessageChannel } = require('worker_threads');
 
 async_hooks.createHook({
   init: common.mustCall((id, type, triggerId, resource) => {
-    assert.strictEqual(util.inspect(resource),
-                       'MessagePort { active: true, refed: false }');
+    assert.strictEqual(
+      util.inspect(resource),
+      'MessagePort [EventTarget] { active: true, refed: false }');
   }, 2)
 }).enable();
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-worker-message-port-transfer-filehandle.js b/test/parallel/test-worker-message-port-transfer-filehandle.js
index e19e8c11a5ce78..2184ad575fa4a4 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-worker-message-port-transfer-filehandle.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-worker-message-port-transfer-filehandle.js
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@ const { once } = require('events');
   });
   // TODO(addaleax): Switch this to a 'messageerror' event once MessagePort
   // implements EventTarget fully and in a cross-context manner.
-  port2moved.emit = common.mustCall((name, err) => {
-    assert.strictEqual(name, 'messageerror');
-    assert.strictEqual(err.code, 'ERR_MESSAGE_TARGET_CONTEXT_UNAVAILABLE');
+  port2moved.onmessageerror = common.mustCall((event) => {
+    assert.strictEqual(event.data.code,
+                       'ERR_MESSAGE_TARGET_CONTEXT_UNAVAILABLE');
   });
   port2moved.start();
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-worker-message-port.js b/test/parallel/test-worker-message-port.js
index d128dc7edb25fd..4f4863c45ed516 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-worker-message-port.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-worker-message-port.js
@@ -154,7 +154,9 @@ const { MessageChannel, MessagePort } = require('worker_threads');
   assert.deepStrictEqual(
     Object.getOwnPropertyNames(MessagePort.prototype).sort(),
     [
-      'close', 'constructor', 'onmessage', 'postMessage', 'ref', 'start',
+      // TODO(addaleax): This should include onmessage (and eventually
+      // onmessageerror).
+      'close', 'constructor', 'postMessage', 'ref', 'start',
       'unref'
     ]);
 }
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-worker-terminate-source-map.js b/test/parallel/test-worker-terminate-source-map.js
index d88a4c68366865..8cd40a6607422c 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-worker-terminate-source-map.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-worker-terminate-source-map.js
@@ -32,9 +32,11 @@ Map.prototype.entries = increaseCallCount;
 Object.keys = increaseCallCount;
 Object.create = increaseCallCount;
 Object.hasOwnProperty = increaseCallCount;
-Object.defineProperty(Object.prototype, 'value', {
-  get: increaseCallCount,
-  set: increaseCallCount
-});
+for (const property of ['_cache', 'lineLengths', 'url']) {
+  Object.defineProperty(Object.prototype, property, {
+    get: increaseCallCount,
+    set: increaseCallCount
+  });
+}
 
 parentPort.postMessage('done');