diff --git a/.eslintrc.js b/.eslintrc.js
index 2eb3eae6a88979..53d0b39d0aea44 100644
--- a/.eslintrc.js
+++ b/.eslintrc.js
@@ -155,9 +155,13 @@ module.exports = {
         selector: "CallExpression[callee.object.name='assert'][callee.property.name='doesNotThrow']",
         message: "Please replace `assert.doesNotThrow()` and add a comment next to the code instead."
       },
+      {
+        selector: `CallExpression[callee.object.name='assert'][callee.property.name='rejects'][arguments.length<2]`,
+        message: 'assert.rejects() must be invoked with at least two arguments.',
+      },
       {
         selector: `CallExpression[callee.object.name='assert'][callee.property.name='throws'][arguments.1.type='Literal']:not([arguments.1.regex])`,
-        message: 'use a regular expression for second argument of assert.throws()',
+        message: 'Use an object as second argument of assert.throws()',
       },
       {
         selector: `CallExpression[callee.object.name='assert'][callee.property.name='throws'][arguments.length<2]`,
diff --git a/lib/.eslintrc.yaml b/lib/.eslintrc.yaml
index bf2251525eed64..80cada0b8c9ecc 100644
--- a/lib/.eslintrc.yaml
+++ b/lib/.eslintrc.yaml
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ rules:
     - error
     - selector: "CallExpression[callee.object.name='assert'][callee.property.name='doesNotThrow']"
       message: "Please replace `assert.doesNotThrow()` and add a comment next to the code instead."
+    - selector: "CallExpression[callee.object.name='assert'][callee.property.name='rejects'][arguments.length<2]"
+      message: "assert.rejects() must be invoked with at least two arguments."
     - selector: "CallExpression[callee.object.name='assert'][callee.property.name='throws'][arguments.1.type='Literal']:not([arguments.1.regex])"
-      message: "use a regular expression for second argument of assert.throws()"
+      message: "Use an object as second argument of assert.throws()"
     - selector: "CallExpression[callee.object.name='assert'][callee.property.name='throws'][arguments.length<2]"
       message: "assert.throws() must be invoked with at least two arguments."
     - selector: "CallExpression[callee.name='setTimeout'][arguments.length<2]"
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-assert-async.js b/test/parallel/test-assert-async.js
index 2a865c121f36da..00a4fe7c722d7a 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-assert-async.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-assert-async.js
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ const promises = [];
 
   promises.push(assert.rejects(() => {
     throw THROWN_ERROR;
-  }).catch(common.mustCall((err) => {
+  }, {}).catch(common.mustCall((err) => {
     assert.strictEqual(err, THROWN_ERROR);
   })));
 }