diff --git a/src/node_buffer.cc b/src/node_buffer.cc
index b2fa0ef20174a9..28ded0e3010116 100644
--- a/src/node_buffer.cc
+++ b/src/node_buffer.cc
@@ -424,12 +424,13 @@ MaybeLocal<Object> New(Environment* env,
                      True(env->isolate())).IsNothing()) {
     return Local<Object>();
   }
-  MaybeLocal<Uint8Array> ui = Buffer::New(env, ab, 0, length);
+  MaybeLocal<Uint8Array> maybe_ui = Buffer::New(env, ab, 0, length);
 
-  if (ui.IsEmpty())
+  Local<Uint8Array> ui;
+  if (!maybe_ui.ToLocal(&ui))
     return MaybeLocal<Object>();
 
-  return scope.Escape(ui.ToLocalChecked());
+  return scope.Escape(ui);
 }
 
 // Warning: This function needs `data` to be allocated with malloc() and not