diff --git a/lib/internal/modules/esm/resolve.js b/lib/internal/modules/esm/resolve.js
index a321744ab8263c..cc1230648881d8 100644
--- a/lib/internal/modules/esm/resolve.js
+++ b/lib/internal/modules/esm/resolve.js
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ const {
   ERR_INVALID_MODULE_SPECIFIER,
   ERR_INVALID_PACKAGE_CONFIG,
   ERR_INVALID_PACKAGE_TARGET,
+  ERR_INVALID_URL,
   ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND,
   ERR_PACKAGE_IMPORT_NOT_DEFINED,
   ERR_PACKAGE_PATH_NOT_EXPORTED,
@@ -846,12 +847,13 @@ function moduleResolve(specifier, base, conditions, preserveSymlinks) {
   } else if (protocol === 'file:' && specifier[0] === '#') {
     resolved = packageImportsResolve(specifier, base, conditions);
   } else {
-    try {
-      resolved = new URL(specifier);
-    } catch (cause) {
+    const url = URLParse(specifier);
+    if (url !== null) {
+      resolved = url;
+    } else {
       if (isData && !BuiltinModule.canBeRequiredWithoutScheme(specifier)) {
         const error = new ERR_UNSUPPORTED_RESOLVE_REQUEST(specifier, base);
-        setOwnProperty(error, 'cause', cause);
+        setOwnProperty(error, 'cause', new ERR_INVALID_URL(specifier));
         throw error;
       }
       resolved = packageResolve(specifier, base, conditions);