diff --git a/lib/internal/inspector/_inspect.js b/lib/internal/inspector/_inspect.js
index 668709eccce380..528416c75aaee1 100644
--- a/lib/internal/inspector/_inspect.js
+++ b/lib/internal/inspector/_inspect.js
@@ -203,8 +203,8 @@ class NodeInspector {
     process.once('SIGTERM', exitCodeZero);
     process.once('SIGHUP', exitCodeZero);
 
-    PromisePrototypeCatch(PromisePrototypeThen(this.run(), () => {
-      const repl = startRepl();
+    PromisePrototypeCatch(PromisePrototypeThen(this.run(), async () => {
+      const repl = await startRepl();
       this.repl = repl;
       this.repl.on('exit', exitCodeZero);
       this.paused = false;
diff --git a/lib/internal/inspector/inspect_repl.js b/lib/internal/inspector/inspect_repl.js
index 82e97a1fce73dd..8df3fae1d9f6d8 100644
--- a/lib/internal/inspector/inspect_repl.js
+++ b/lib/internal/inspector/inspect_repl.js
@@ -1074,7 +1074,7 @@ function createRepl(inspector) {
       .then(() => Runtime.runIfWaitingForDebugger())
   }
 
-  return function startRepl() {
+  return async function startRepl() {
     inspector.client.on('close', () => {
       resetOnStart();
     });
@@ -1082,6 +1082,9 @@ function createRepl(inspector) {
       initAfterStart();
     });
 
+    // Init once for the initial connection
+    await initAfterStart();
+
     const replOptions = {
       prompt: 'debug> ',
       input: inspector.stdin,
@@ -1100,9 +1103,6 @@ function createRepl(inspector) {
       repl.emit('SIGINT');
     });
 
-    // Init once for the initial connection
-    initAfterStart();
-
     return repl;
   };
 }