diff --git a/doc/api/errors.md b/doc/api/errors.md
index fe81168e40a0fa..6147f768c821d1 100644
--- a/doc/api/errors.md
+++ b/doc/api/errors.md
@@ -1186,6 +1186,11 @@ after the session had already closed.
 
 An error occurred while issuing a command via the `inspector` module.
 
+<a id="ERR_INSPECTOR_NOT_ACTIVE"></a>
+### ERR_INSPECTOR_NOT_ACTIVE
+
+The `inspector` is not active when `inspector.waitForDebugger()` is called.
+
 <a id="ERR_INSPECTOR_NOT_AVAILABLE"></a>
 ### ERR_INSPECTOR_NOT_AVAILABLE
 
diff --git a/doc/api/inspector.md b/doc/api/inspector.md
index 63d2a702724970..e2980a278d1ef1 100644
--- a/doc/api/inspector.md
+++ b/doc/api/inspector.md
@@ -52,6 +52,16 @@ parameter usage.
 
 Return the URL of the active inspector, or `undefined` if there is none.
 
+## inspector.waitForDebugger()
+<!-- YAML
+added: REPLACEME
+-->
+
+Blocks until a client (existing or connected later) has sent
+`Runtime.runIfWaitingForDebugger` command.
+
+An exception will be thrown if there is no active inspector.
+
 ## Class: inspector.Session
 
 The `inspector.Session` is used for dispatching messages to the V8 inspector
diff --git a/lib/inspector.js b/lib/inspector.js
index 4bec628b7d789e..198d87ae44ccb0 100644
--- a/lib/inspector.js
+++ b/lib/inspector.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const {
   ERR_INSPECTOR_COMMAND,
   ERR_INSPECTOR_NOT_AVAILABLE,
   ERR_INSPECTOR_NOT_CONNECTED,
+  ERR_INSPECTOR_NOT_ACTIVE,
   ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE,
   ERR_INVALID_CALLBACK
 } = require('internal/errors').codes;
@@ -19,7 +20,12 @@ if (!hasInspector)
 const EventEmitter = require('events');
 const { validateString } = require('internal/validators');
 const util = require('util');
-const { Connection, open, url } = internalBinding('inspector');
+const {
+  Connection,
+  open,
+  url,
+  waitForDebugger
+} = internalBinding('inspector');
 
 const connectionSymbol = Symbol('connectionProperty');
 const messageCallbacksSymbol = Symbol('messageCallbacks');
@@ -105,10 +111,22 @@ class Session extends EventEmitter {
   }
 }
 
+function inspectorOpen(port, host, wait) {
+  open(port, host);
+  if (wait)
+    waitForDebugger();
+}
+
+function inspectorWaitForDebugger() {
+  if (!waitForDebugger())
+    throw new ERR_INSPECTOR_NOT_ACTIVE();
+}
+
 module.exports = {
-  open: (port, host, wait) => open(port, host, !!wait),
+  open: inspectorOpen,
   close: process._debugEnd,
   url: url,
+  waitForDebugger: inspectorWaitForDebugger,
   // This is dynamically added during bootstrap,
   // where the console from the VM is still available
   console: require('internal/util/inspector').consoleFromVM,
diff --git a/lib/internal/errors.js b/lib/internal/errors.js
index 8fa56e315e6a1a..23dbb79196c752 100644
--- a/lib/internal/errors.js
+++ b/lib/internal/errors.js
@@ -882,6 +882,7 @@ E('ERR_INPUT_TYPE_NOT_ALLOWED', '--input-type can only be used with string ' +
 E('ERR_INSPECTOR_ALREADY_CONNECTED', '%s is already connected', Error);
 E('ERR_INSPECTOR_CLOSED', 'Session was closed', Error);
 E('ERR_INSPECTOR_COMMAND', 'Inspector error %d: %s', Error);
+E('ERR_INSPECTOR_NOT_ACTIVE', 'Inspector is not active', Error);
 E('ERR_INSPECTOR_NOT_AVAILABLE', 'Inspector is not available', Error);
 E('ERR_INSPECTOR_NOT_CONNECTED', 'Session is not connected', Error);
 E('ERR_INTERNAL_ASSERTION', (message) => {
diff --git a/src/inspector_js_api.cc b/src/inspector_js_api.cc
index 3131c6ad373d11..8b891a2d611ece 100644
--- a/src/inspector_js_api.cc
+++ b/src/inspector_js_api.cc
@@ -237,7 +237,6 @@ void IsEnabled(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
 void Open(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
   Environment* env = Environment::GetCurrent(args);
   Agent* agent = env->inspector_agent();
-  bool wait_for_connect = false;
 
   if (args.Length() > 0 && args[0]->IsUint32()) {
     uint32_t port = args[0].As<Uint32>()->Value();
@@ -249,12 +248,15 @@ void Open(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
     agent->host_port()->set_host(*host);
   }
 
-  if (args.Length() > 2 && args[2]->IsBoolean()) {
-    wait_for_connect = args[2]->BooleanValue(args.GetIsolate());
-  }
   agent->StartIoThread();
-  if (wait_for_connect)
+}
+
+void WaitForDebugger(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
+  Environment* env = Environment::GetCurrent(args);
+  Agent* agent = env->inspector_agent();
+  if (agent->IsActive())
     agent->WaitForConnect();
+  args.GetReturnValue().Set(agent->IsActive());
 }
 
 void Url(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
@@ -285,6 +287,7 @@ void Initialize(Local<Object> target, Local<Value> unused,
   env->SetMethod(target, "callAndPauseOnStart", CallAndPauseOnStart);
   env->SetMethod(target, "open", Open);
   env->SetMethodNoSideEffect(target, "url", Url);
+  env->SetMethod(target, "waitForDebugger", WaitForDebugger);
 
   env->SetMethod(target, "asyncTaskScheduled", AsyncTaskScheduledWrapper);
   env->SetMethod(target, "asyncTaskCanceled",
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-inspector-wait-for-connection.js b/test/parallel/test-inspector-wait-for-connection.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..e6cfd81deba24b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-inspector-wait-for-connection.js
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+// Flags: --expose-internals
+
+'use strict';
+const common = require('../common');
+
+common.skipIfInspectorDisabled();
+
+const assert = require('assert');
+const { NodeInstance } = require('../common/inspector-helper.js');
+
+async function runTests() {
+  const child = new NodeInstance(['-e', `(${main.toString()})()`], '', '');
+  const session = await child.connectInspectorSession();
+  await session.send({ method: 'Runtime.enable' });
+  // Check that there is only one console message received.
+  await session.waitForConsoleOutput('log', 'before wait for debugger');
+  assert.ok(!session.unprocessedNotifications()
+                    .some((n) => n.method === 'Runtime.consoleAPICalled'));
+  // Check that inspector.url() is available between inspector.open() and
+  // inspector.waitForDebugger()
+  const { result: { value } } = await session.send({
+    method: 'Runtime.evaluate',
+    params: {
+      expression: 'process._ws',
+      includeCommandLineAPI: true
+    }
+  });
+  assert.ok(value.startsWith('ws://'));
+  session.send({ method: 'Runtime.runIfWaitingForDebugger' });
+  // Check that messages after first and before second waitForDebugger are
+  // received
+  await session.waitForConsoleOutput('log', 'after wait for debugger');
+  await session.waitForConsoleOutput('log', 'before second wait for debugger');
+  assert.ok(!session.unprocessedNotifications()
+                    .some((n) => n.method === 'Runtime.consoleAPICalled'));
+  const secondSession = await child.connectInspectorSession();
+  // Check that inspector.waitForDebugger can be resumed from another session
+  secondSession.send({ method: 'Runtime.runIfWaitingForDebugger' });
+  await session.waitForConsoleOutput('log', 'after second wait for debugger');
+  assert.ok(!session.unprocessedNotifications()
+                    .some((n) => n.method === 'Runtime.consoleAPICalled'));
+  secondSession.disconnect();
+  session.disconnect();
+
+  function main(prefix) {
+    const inspector = require('inspector');
+    inspector.open(0, undefined, false);
+    process._ws = inspector.url();
+    console.log('before wait for debugger');
+    inspector.waitForDebugger();
+    console.log('after wait for debugger');
+    console.log('before second wait for debugger');
+    inspector.waitForDebugger();
+    console.log('after second wait for debugger');
+  }
+
+  // Check that inspector.waitForDebugger throws if there is no active
+  // inspector
+  const re = /^Error \[ERR_INSPECTOR_NOT_ACTIVE\]: Inspector is not active$/;
+  assert.throws(() => require('inspector').waitForDebugger(), re);
+}
+
+runTests();