diff --git a/.github/workflows/continuous-integration.yml b/.github/workflows/continuous-integration.yml
index 5e9ad0a65..9b0e6b5c3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/continuous-integration.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/continuous-integration.yml
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         os: [ubuntu, windows]
         # Don't forget to add all new flavors to this list!
-        flavor: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
+        flavor: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
         include:
           # Node 12.15
           # TODO Add comments about why we test 12.15; I think git blame says it's because of an ESM behavioral change that happened at 12.16
@@ -57,49 +57,56 @@ jobs:
             nodeFlag: 12_15
             typescript: latest
             typescriptFlag: latest
-          # Node 12
+          # Node 12.16
+          # Earliest version that supports getFormat, etc hooks: https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/master/doc/changelogs/CHANGELOG_V12.md#12.16.0
           - flavor: 2
+            node: 12.16
+            nodeFlag: 12_16
+            typescript: latest
+            typescriptFlag: latest
+          # Node 12
+          - flavor: 3
             node: 12
             nodeFlag: 12
             typescript: latest
             typescriptFlag: latest
           # Node 14.13.0
           # To test ESM builtin module resolution immediately before a node behavioral change: https://github.com/TypeStrong/ts-node/issues/1130
-          - flavor: 3
+          - flavor: 4
             node: 14.13.0
             nodeFlag: 14_13_0
             typescript: latest
             typescriptFlag: latest
           # Node 14
-          - flavor: 4
+          - flavor: 5
             node: 14
             nodeFlag: 14
             typescript: latest
             typescriptFlag: latest
-          - flavor: 5
+          - flavor: 6
             node: 14
             nodeFlag: 14
             typescript: 2.7
             typescriptFlag: 2_7
-          - flavor: 6
+          - flavor: 7
             node: 14
             nodeFlag: 14
             typescript: next
             typescriptFlag: next
           # Node 16
-          - flavor: 7
+          - flavor: 8
             node: 16
             nodeFlag: 16
             typescript: latest
             typescriptFlag: latest
             downgradeNpm: true
-          - flavor: 8
+          - flavor: 9
             node: 16
             nodeFlag: 16
             typescript: 2.7
             typescriptFlag: 2_7
             downgradeNpm: true
-          - flavor: 9
+          - flavor: 10
             node: 16
             nodeFlag: 16
             typescript: next
diff --git a/dist-raw/node-esm-resolve-implementation.js b/dist-raw/node-esm-resolve-implementation.js
index b57090002..648b4a88c 100644
--- a/dist-raw/node-esm-resolve-implementation.js
+++ b/dist-raw/node-esm-resolve-implementation.js
@@ -5,13 +5,19 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const [nodeMajor, nodeMinor, nodePatch] = process.versions.node.split('.').map(s => parseInt(s, 10))
-// Test for 14.13.1 or higher
+// Test for node >14.13.1 || (>=12.20.0 && <13)
 const builtinModuleProtocol = nodeMajor > 14 || (
     nodeMajor === 14 && (
       nodeMinor > 13 || (
         nodeMinor === 13 && nodePatch > 0
       )
     )
+  ) || (
+    nodeMajor === 12 && (
+      nodeMinor > 20 || (
+        nodeMinor === 20
+      )
+    )
   )
     ? 'node:'
     : 'nodejs:';
diff --git a/src/test/index.spec.ts b/src/test/index.spec.ts
index 8be458032..9a7c46ade 100644
--- a/src/test/index.spec.ts
+++ b/src/test/index.spec.ts
@@ -1195,9 +1195,12 @@ test.suite('ts-node', (test) => {
   });
 
   test.suite('esm', (test) => {
-    const cmd = `node --loader ts-node/esm`;
+    const experimentalModulesFlag = semver.gte(process.version, '12.17.0')
+      ? ''
+      : '--experimental-modules';
+    const cmd = `node ${experimentalModulesFlag} --loader ts-node/esm`;
 
-    if (semver.gte(process.version, '13.0.0')) {
+    if (semver.gte(process.version, '12.16.0')) {
       test('should compile and execute as ESM', async () => {
         const { err, stdout } = await exec(`${cmd} index.ts`, {
           cwd: join(TEST_DIR, './esm'),
@@ -1250,7 +1253,7 @@ test.suite('ts-node', (test) => {
             cwd: join(TEST_DIR, './esm-node-resolver'),
             env: {
               ...process.env,
-              NODE_OPTIONS: '--experimental-specifier-resolution=node',
+              NODE_OPTIONS: `${experimentalModulesFlag} --experimental-specifier-resolution=node`,
             },
           });
           expect(err).to.equal(null);
diff --git a/tests/esm-node-resolver/index.ts b/tests/esm-node-resolver/index.ts
index 77eb4efe6..419f16664 100644
--- a/tests/esm-node-resolver/index.ts
+++ b/tests/esm-node-resolver/index.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ import { baz } from './baz';
 import { biff } from './biff';
 import { libfoo } from 'libfoo';
 
+// Test import builtin modules
+import { readFileSync } from 'fs';
+if (typeof readFileSync !== 'function')
+  throw new Error('failed to import builtin module');
+
 if (typeof module !== 'undefined')
   throw new Error('module should not exist in ESM');