diff --git a/src/crypto/crypto_util.cc b/src/crypto/crypto_util.cc
index 080f2cf51ce..1fccb27c7ec 100644
--- a/src/crypto/crypto_util.cc
+++ b/src/crypto/crypto_util.cc
@@ -99,20 +99,36 @@ int NoPasswordCallback(char* buf, int size, int rwflag, void* u) {
   return 0;
 }
 
-bool ProcessFipsOptions() {
-  /* Override FIPS settings in configuration file, if needed. */
-  if (per_process::cli_options->enable_fips_crypto ||
-      per_process::cli_options->force_fips_crypto) {
+std::optional<std::string> ProcessFipsOptions() {
+  const bool enable_fips = per_process::cli_options->enable_fips_crypto;
+  const bool force_fips = per_process::cli_options->force_fips_crypto;
+  if (!enable_fips && !force_fips) return std::nullopt;
+
 #if OPENSSL_VERSION_MAJOR >= 3
-    if (!ncrypto::testFipsEnabled()) return false;
-    return ncrypto::setFipsEnabled(true, nullptr);
-#else
-    // TODO(@jasnell): Remove this ifdef branch when openssl 1.1.1 is
-    // no longer supported.
-    if (FIPS_mode() == 0) return FIPS_mode_set(1);
+  // Whether FIPS-approved implementations are reachable is decided by the
+  // OpenSSL configuration, not by Node.js. Refuse to start rather than
+  // restrict the default property query to a provider that is not there,
+  // which would leave every operation failing as unsupported.
+  if (!ncrypto::testFipsEnabled()) {
+    const std::string option = force_fips ? "--force-fips" : "--enable-fips";
+    return option + " requires an active OpenSSL provider named \"fips\". "
+                    "FIPS mode is configured through OpenSSL; see "
+                    "https://nodejs.org/api/crypto.html#fips-mode";
+  }
 #endif
+
+  CryptoErrorList errors{CryptoErrorList::Option::NONE};
+  if (!ncrypto::setFipsEnabled(true, &errors)) {
+    std::string error = "OpenSSL error when trying to enable FIPS";
+    if (!errors.empty()) error += ':';
+    for (const auto& openssl_error : errors) {
+      error += '\n';
+      error += openssl_error;
+    }
+    return error;
   }
-  return true;
+
+  return std::nullopt;
 }
 
 bool InitCryptoOnce(Isolate* isolate) {
diff --git a/src/crypto/crypto_util.h b/src/crypto/crypto_util.h
index 76afc3dd24a..d3ef0f82e5b 100644
--- a/src/crypto/crypto_util.h
+++ b/src/crypto/crypto_util.h
@@ -62,7 +62,10 @@ constexpr T NumBitsToBytes(T bits) {
   return (bits / CHAR_BIT) + ((CHAR_BIT - 1 + (bits % CHAR_BIT)) / CHAR_BIT);
 }
 
-bool ProcessFipsOptions();
+// Applies the FIPS related command line options. Returns a description of
+// what went wrong, or std::nullopt when there was nothing to do or the
+// options were applied successfully.
+std::optional<std::string> ProcessFipsOptions();
 
 bool InitCryptoOnce(v8::Isolate* isolate);
 void InitCryptoOnce();
diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index b368c587343..b5455fe4035 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -1168,6 +1168,7 @@ InitializeOncePerProcessInternal(const std::vector<std::string>& args,
   if (!(flags & ProcessInitializationFlags::kNoInitOpenSSL)) {
 #if HAVE_OPENSSL
 #ifndef OPENSSL_IS_BORINGSSL
+#if OPENSSL_VERSION_MAJOR >= 3
     auto GetOpenSSLErrorString = []() -> std::string {
       std::string ret;
       ERR_print_errors_cb(
@@ -1183,7 +1184,6 @@ InitializeOncePerProcessInternal(const std::vector<std::string>& args,
 
     // In the case of FIPS builds we should make sure
     // the random source is properly initialized first.
-#if OPENSSL_VERSION_MAJOR >= 3
     // Call OPENSSL_init_crypto to initialize OPENSSL_INIT_LOAD_CONFIG to
     // avoid the default behavior where errors raised during the parsing of the
     // OpenSSL configuration file are not propagated and cannot be detected.
@@ -1244,12 +1244,10 @@ InitializeOncePerProcessInternal(const std::vector<std::string>& args,
       OPENSSL_init();
     }
 #endif
-    if (!crypto::ProcessFipsOptions()) {
+    if (auto fips_error = crypto::ProcessFipsOptions()) {
       result->exit_code_ = ExitCode::kGenericUserError;
       result->early_return_ = true;
-      result->errors_.emplace_back(
-          "OpenSSL error when trying to enable FIPS:\n" +
-          GetOpenSSLErrorString());
+      result->errors_.emplace_back(std::move(*fips_error));
       return result;
     }
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-crypto-fips.js b/test/parallel/test-crypto-fips.js
index 04a95fa5fd3..055de8a536f 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-crypto-fips.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-crypto-fips.js
@@ -21,7 +21,14 @@ const FIPS_ERROR_STRING2 =
   'Error [ERR_CRYPTO_FIPS_FORCED]: Cannot set FIPS mode, it was forced with ' +
   '--force-fips at startup.';
 const FIPS_UNSUPPORTED_ERROR_STRING = 'fips mode not supported';
-const FIPS_ENABLE_ERROR_STRING = 'OpenSSL error when trying to enable FIPS:';
+const FIPS_ENABLE_ERROR_STRING =
+  hasOpenSSL3 ?
+    '--enable-fips requires an active OpenSSL provider named "fips"' :
+    'OpenSSL error when trying to enable FIPS:';
+const FIPS_FORCE_ERROR_STRING =
+  hasOpenSSL3 ?
+    '--force-fips requires an active OpenSSL provider named "fips"' :
+    'OpenSSL error when trying to enable FIPS:';
 
 const CNF_FIPS_ON = fixtures.path('openssl_fips_enabled.cnf');
 const CNF_FIPS_OFF = fixtures.path('openssl_fips_disabled.cnf');
@@ -75,7 +82,7 @@ testHelper(
   ['--enable-fips'],
   testFipsCrypto() ? kNoFailure : kGenericUserError,
   testFipsCrypto() ? FIPS_ENABLED : FIPS_ENABLE_ERROR_STRING,
-  'process.versions',
+  'require("crypto").getFips()',
   process.env);
 
 // --force-fips should raise an error if OpenSSL is not FIPS enabled.
@@ -83,8 +90,8 @@ testHelper(
   testFipsCrypto() ? 'stdout' : 'stderr',
   ['--force-fips'],
   testFipsCrypto() ? kNoFailure : kGenericUserError,
-  testFipsCrypto() ? FIPS_ENABLED : FIPS_ENABLE_ERROR_STRING,
-  'process.versions',
+  testFipsCrypto() ? FIPS_ENABLED : FIPS_FORCE_ERROR_STRING,
+  'require("crypto").getFips()',
   process.env);
 
 // By default FIPS should be off in both FIPS and non-FIPS builds