diff --git a/lib/child_process.js b/lib/child_process.js
index afdc5ae551a..a108cba0201 100644
--- a/lib/child_process.js
+++ b/lib/child_process.js
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ function checkExecSyncError(ret) {
     if (!err) {
       var msg = 'Command failed: ';
       msg += ret.cmd || ret.args.join(' ');
-      if (ret.stderr)
+      if (ret.stderr && ret.stderr.length > 0)
         msg += '\n' + ret.stderr.toString();
       err = new Error(msg);
     }
diff --git a/test/sequential/test-child-process-execsync.js b/test/sequential/test-child-process-execsync.js
index 137ddbda425..e40651dacff 100644
--- a/test/sequential/test-child-process-execsync.js
+++ b/test/sequential/test-child-process-execsync.js
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ assert.strictEqual(ret, msg + '\n',
     const msg = `Command failed: ${process.execPath} ${args.join(' ')}`;
 
     assert(err instanceof Error);
-    assert.strictEqual(err.message.trim(), msg);
+    assert.strictEqual(err.message, msg);
     assert.strictEqual(err.status, 1);
     return true;
   });