diff --git a/lib/_http_client.js b/lib/_http_client.js
index 009e3fc6c6fd74..c8620d3bd9e078 100644
--- a/lib/_http_client.js
+++ b/lib/_http_client.js
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ const {
   ERR_INVALID_PROTOCOL,
   ERR_UNESCAPED_CHARACTERS
 } = codes;
+const { validateInteger } = require('internal/validators');
 const { getTimerDuration } = require('internal/timers');
 const {
   DTRACE_HTTP_CLIENT_REQUEST,
@@ -178,10 +179,8 @@ function ClientRequest(input, options, cb) {
   }
 
   const maxHeaderSize = options.maxHeaderSize;
-  if (maxHeaderSize !== undefined && (!Number.isSafeInteger(maxHeaderSize) ||
-      maxHeaderSize < 0)) {
-    throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE('maxHeaderSize', 'number', maxHeaderSize);
-  }
+  if (maxHeaderSize !== undefined)
+    validateInteger(maxHeaderSize, 'maxHeaderSize', 0);
   this.maxHeaderSize = maxHeaderSize;
 
   this.path = options.path || '/';
diff --git a/lib/_http_server.js b/lib/_http_server.js
index d1ae080f3312f4..6c52f7adbc919d 100644
--- a/lib/_http_server.js
+++ b/lib/_http_server.js
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ const {
   ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE,
   ERR_INVALID_CHAR
 } = require('internal/errors').codes;
+const { validateInteger } = require('internal/validators');
 const Buffer = require('buffer').Buffer;
 const {
   DTRACE_HTTP_SERVER_REQUEST,
@@ -323,10 +324,8 @@ function Server(options, requestListener) {
   this[kServerResponse] = options.ServerResponse || ServerResponse;
 
   const maxHeaderSize = options.maxHeaderSize;
-  if (maxHeaderSize !== undefined && (!Number.isSafeInteger(maxHeaderSize) ||
-      maxHeaderSize < 0)) {
-    throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE('maxHeaderSize', 'number', maxHeaderSize);
-  }
+  if (maxHeaderSize !== undefined)
+    validateInteger(maxHeaderSize, 'maxHeaderSize', 0);
   this.maxHeaderSize = maxHeaderSize;
 
   net.Server.call(this, { allowHalfOpen: true });
diff --git a/src/node_options.cc b/src/node_options.cc
index 10833d2dac1877..2abb96e9938aef 100644
--- a/src/node_options.cc
+++ b/src/node_options.cc
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ EnvironmentOptionsParser::EnvironmentOptionsParser() {
             "profile generated with --heap-prof. (default: 512 * 1024)",
             &EnvironmentOptions::heap_prof_interval);
   AddOption("--max-http-header-size",
-            "set the maximum size of HTTP headers (default: 8KB)",
+            "set the maximum size of HTTP headers (default: 8192 (8KB))",
             &EnvironmentOptions::max_http_header_size,
             kAllowedInEnvironment);
 #endif  // HAVE_INSPECTOR