diff --git a/lib/buffer.js b/lib/buffer.js
index e3e2083ff9ca9c..e703c06ebf1603 100644
--- a/lib/buffer.js
+++ b/lib/buffer.js
@@ -105,6 +105,10 @@ function fromObject(obj) {
     return b;
   }
 
+  if (obj == null) {
+    throw new TypeError('must start with number, buffer, array or string');
+  }
+
   if (obj instanceof ArrayBuffer) {
     return binding.createFromArrayBuffer(obj);
   }
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-buffer.js b/test/parallel/test-buffer.js
index 308019eae5a08c..7beb1ca463a182 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-buffer.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-buffer.js
@@ -1179,3 +1179,7 @@ Buffer.poolSize = ps;
 assert.throws(function() {
   Buffer(10).copy();
 });
+
+assert.throws(function() {
+  new Buffer();
+}, /must start with number, buffer, array or string/);