diff --git a/src/crypto/crypto_util.cc b/src/crypto/crypto_util.cc
index bc4efe5f597263..13c40dcb757661 100644
--- a/src/crypto/crypto_util.cc
+++ b/src/crypto/crypto_util.cc
@@ -14,11 +14,9 @@
 
 #include "math.h"
 
-#ifdef OPENSSL_FIPS
 #if OPENSSL_VERSION_MAJOR >= 3
 #include "openssl/provider.h"
 #endif
-#endif
 
 #include <openssl/rand.h>
 
@@ -107,6 +105,25 @@ int NoPasswordCallback(char* buf, int size, int rwflag, void* u) {
   return 0;
 }
 
+bool ProcessFipsOptions() {
+  /* Override FIPS settings in configuration file, if needed. */
+  if (per_process::cli_options->enable_fips_crypto ||
+      per_process::cli_options->force_fips_crypto) {
+#if OPENSSL_VERSION_MAJOR >= 3
+    OSSL_PROVIDER* fips_provider = OSSL_PROVIDER_load(nullptr, "fips");
+    if (fips_provider == nullptr)
+      return false;
+    OSSL_PROVIDER_unload(fips_provider);
+
+    return EVP_default_properties_enable_fips(nullptr, 1) &&
+           EVP_default_properties_is_fips_enabled(nullptr);
+#else
+    return FIPS_mode() == 0 && FIPS_mode_set(1);
+#endif
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
 void InitCryptoOnce() {
 #ifndef OPENSSL_IS_BORINGSSL
   OPENSSL_INIT_SETTINGS* settings = OPENSSL_INIT_new();
@@ -143,25 +160,6 @@ void InitCryptoOnce() {
   }
 #endif
 
-  /* Override FIPS settings in cnf file, if needed. */
-  unsigned long err = 0;  // NOLINT(runtime/int)
-  if (per_process::cli_options->enable_fips_crypto ||
-      per_process::cli_options->force_fips_crypto) {
-#if OPENSSL_VERSION_MAJOR >= 3
-    if (0 == EVP_default_properties_is_fips_enabled(nullptr) &&
-        !EVP_default_properties_enable_fips(nullptr, 1)) {
-#else
-    if (0 == FIPS_mode() && !FIPS_mode_set(1)) {
-#endif
-      err = ERR_get_error();
-    }
-  }
-  if (0 != err) {
-    auto* isolate = Isolate::GetCurrent();
-    auto* env = Environment::GetCurrent(isolate);
-    return ThrowCryptoError(env, err);
-  }
-
   // Turn off compression. Saves memory and protects against CRIME attacks.
   // No-op with OPENSSL_NO_COMP builds of OpenSSL.
   sk_SSL_COMP_zero(SSL_COMP_get_compression_methods());
diff --git a/src/crypto/crypto_util.h b/src/crypto/crypto_util.h
index 94bcb100cca0e2..ac95612a0b1a85 100644
--- a/src/crypto/crypto_util.h
+++ b/src/crypto/crypto_util.h
@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@ using DsaSigPointer = DeleteFnPtr<DSA_SIG, DSA_SIG_free>;
 // callback has been made.
 extern int VerifyCallback(int preverify_ok, X509_STORE_CTX* ctx);
 
+bool ProcessFipsOptions();
+
 void InitCryptoOnce();
 
 void InitCrypto(v8::Local<v8::Object> target);
diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index a9afbd2682f785..3ca2a05d8b8b96 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -1080,9 +1080,17 @@ InitializationResult InitializeOncePerProcess(
       OPENSSL_init();
     }
 #endif
-    // V8 on Windows doesn't have a good source of entropy. Seed it from
-    // OpenSSL's pool.
-    V8::SetEntropySource(crypto::EntropySource);
+  if (!crypto::ProcessFipsOptions()) {
+      result.exit_code = ERR_GET_REASON(ERR_peek_error());
+      result.early_return = true;
+      fprintf(stderr, "OpenSSL error when trying to enable FIPS:\n");
+      ERR_print_errors_fp(stderr);
+      return result;
+  }
+
+  // V8 on Windows doesn't have a good source of entropy. Seed it from
+  // OpenSSL's pool.
+  V8::SetEntropySource(crypto::EntropySource);
 #endif  // HAVE_OPENSSL
 }
   per_process::v8_platform.Initialize(
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-crypto-fips.js b/test/parallel/test-crypto-fips.js
index b6e70b62be68b9..ba8a1ba653ec55 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-crypto-fips.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-crypto-fips.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ const FIPS_ERROR_STRING2 =
   'Error [ERR_CRYPTO_FIPS_FORCED]: Cannot set FIPS mode, it was forced with ' +
   '--force-fips at startup.';
 const FIPS_UNSUPPORTED_ERROR_STRING = 'fips mode not supported';
+const FIPS_ENABLE_ERROR_STRING = 'OpenSSL error when trying to enable FIPS:';
 
 const CNF_FIPS_ON = fixtures.path('openssl_fips_enabled.cnf');
 const CNF_FIPS_OFF = fixtures.path('openssl_fips_disabled.cnf');
@@ -49,8 +50,10 @@ function testHelper(stream, args, expectedOutput, cmd, env) {
       // In the case of expected errors just look for a substring.
       assert.ok(response.includes(expectedOutput));
     } else {
-      // Normal path where we expect either FIPS enabled or disabled.
-      assert.strictEqual(Number(response), expectedOutput);
+      const getFipsValue = Number(response);
+      if (!Number.isNaN(getFipsValue))
+        // Normal path where we expect either FIPS enabled or disabled.
+        assert.strictEqual(getFipsValue, expectedOutput);
     }
     childOk(child);
   }
@@ -58,6 +61,22 @@ function testHelper(stream, args, expectedOutput, cmd, env) {
   responseHandler(child[stream], expectedOutput);
 }
 
+// --enable-fips should raise an error if OpenSSL is not FIPS enabled.
+testHelper(
+  testFipsCrypto() ? 'stdout' : 'stderr',
+  ['--enable-fips'],
+  testFipsCrypto() ? FIPS_ENABLED : FIPS_ENABLE_ERROR_STRING,
+  'process.versions',
+  process.env);
+
+// --force-fips should raise an error if OpenSSL is not FIPS enabled.
+testHelper(
+  testFipsCrypto() ? 'stdout' : 'stderr',
+  ['--force-fips'],
+  testFipsCrypto() ? FIPS_ENABLED : FIPS_ENABLE_ERROR_STRING,
+  'process.versions',
+  process.env);
+
 // By default FIPS should be off in both FIPS and non-FIPS builds.
 testHelper(
   'stdout',