diff --git a/lib/internal/modules/esm/loader.js b/lib/internal/modules/esm/loader.js
index bc36fa2e26b8d0..5d90b5f4c8c8f4 100644
--- a/lib/internal/modules/esm/loader.js
+++ b/lib/internal/modules/esm/loader.js
@@ -537,7 +537,7 @@ class ModuleLoader {
    *   matching translators.
    * @param {ModuleSource} source Source of the module to be translated.
    * @param {boolean} isMain Whether the module to be translated is the entry point.
-   * @returns {ModuleWrap | Promise<ModuleWrap>}
+   * @returns {ModuleWrap}
    */
   #translate(url, format, source, isMain) {
     this.validateLoadResult(url, format);
@@ -547,7 +547,9 @@ class ModuleLoader {
       throw new ERR_UNKNOWN_MODULE_FORMAT(format, url);
     }
 
-    return FunctionPrototypeCall(translator, this, url, source, isMain);
+    const result = FunctionPrototypeCall(translator, this, url, source, isMain);
+    assert(result instanceof ModuleWrap);
+    return result;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/lib/internal/modules/esm/translators.js b/lib/internal/modules/esm/translators.js
index b6ac42302a126b..98bdb384269ced 100644
--- a/lib/internal/modules/esm/translators.js
+++ b/lib/internal/modules/esm/translators.js
@@ -494,18 +494,14 @@ translators.set('json', function jsonStrategy(url, source) {
  * >} [[Instance]] slot proxy for WebAssembly Module Record
  */
 const wasmInstances = new SafeWeakMap();
-translators.set('wasm', async function(url, source) {
+translators.set('wasm', function(url, source) {
   assertBufferSource(source, false, 'load');
 
   debug(`Translating WASMModule ${url}`);
 
   let compiled;
   try {
-    // TODO(joyeecheung): implement a translator that just uses
-    // compiled = new WebAssembly.Module(source) to compile it
-    // synchronously.
-    compiled = await WebAssembly.compile(source, {
-      // The ESM Integration auto-enables Wasm JS builtins by default when available.
+    compiled = new WebAssembly.Module(source, {
       builtins: ['js-string'],
     });
   } catch (err) {