diff --git a/src/node_file.cc b/src/node_file.cc
index ee69915ddcaf70..f72226a6e6f39c 100644
--- a/src/node_file.cc
+++ b/src/node_file.cc
@@ -244,13 +244,7 @@ void After(uv_fs_t *req) {
                                    req_wrap->encoding_,
                                    &error);
         if (link.IsEmpty()) {
-          // TODO(addaleax): Use `error` itself here.
-          argv[0] = UVException(env->isolate(),
-                                UV_EINVAL,
-                                req_wrap->syscall(),
-                                "Invalid character encoding for filename",
-                                req->path,
-                                req_wrap->data());
+          argv[0] = error;
         } else {
           argv[1] = link.ToLocalChecked();
         }
@@ -263,13 +257,7 @@ void After(uv_fs_t *req) {
                                    req_wrap->encoding_,
                                    &error);
         if (link.IsEmpty()) {
-          // TODO(addaleax): Use `error` itself here.
-          argv[0] = UVException(env->isolate(),
-                                UV_EINVAL,
-                                req_wrap->syscall(),
-                                "Invalid character encoding for link",
-                                req->path,
-                                req_wrap->data());
+          argv[0] = error;
         } else {
           argv[1] = link.ToLocalChecked();
         }
@@ -281,13 +269,7 @@ void After(uv_fs_t *req) {
                                    req_wrap->encoding_,
                                    &error);
         if (link.IsEmpty()) {
-          // TODO(addaleax): Use `error` itself here.
-          argv[0] = UVException(env->isolate(),
-                                UV_EINVAL,
-                                req_wrap->syscall(),
-                                "Invalid character encoding for link",
-                                req->path,
-                                req_wrap->data());
+          argv[0] = error;
         } else {
           argv[1] = link.ToLocalChecked();
         }
@@ -326,13 +308,7 @@ void After(uv_fs_t *req) {
                                     req_wrap->encoding_,
                                     &error);
             if (filename.IsEmpty()) {
-              // TODO(addaleax): Use `error` itself here.
-              argv[0] = UVException(env->isolate(),
-                                    UV_EINVAL,
-                                    req_wrap->syscall(),
-                                    "Invalid character encoding for filename",
-                                    req->path,
-                                    req_wrap->data());
+              argv[0] = error;
               break;
             }
             name_argv[name_idx++] = filename.ToLocalChecked();
@@ -711,11 +687,8 @@ static void ReadLink(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
                                                encoding,
                                                &error);
     if (rc.IsEmpty()) {
-      // TODO(addaleax): Use `error` itself here.
-      return env->ThrowUVException(UV_EINVAL,
-                                   "readlink",
-                                   "Invalid character encoding for link",
-                                   *path);
+      env->isolate()->ThrowException(error);
+      return;
     }
     args.GetReturnValue().Set(rc.ToLocalChecked());
   }
@@ -886,11 +859,8 @@ static void RealPath(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
                                                encoding,
                                                &error);
     if (rc.IsEmpty()) {
-      // TODO(addaleax): Use `error` itself here.
-      return env->ThrowUVException(UV_EINVAL,
-                                   "realpath",
-                                   "Invalid character encoding for path",
-                                   *path);
+      env->isolate()->ThrowException(error);
+      return;
     }
     args.GetReturnValue().Set(rc.ToLocalChecked());
   }
@@ -940,11 +910,8 @@ static void ReadDir(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
                                                        encoding,
                                                        &error);
       if (filename.IsEmpty()) {
-        // TODO(addaleax): Use `error` itself here.
-        return env->ThrowUVException(UV_EINVAL,
-                                     "readdir",
-                                     "Invalid character encoding for filename",
-                                     *path);
+        env->isolate()->ThrowException(error);
+        return;
       }
 
       name_v[name_idx++] = filename.ToLocalChecked();
@@ -1405,11 +1372,8 @@ static void Mkdtemp(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
     MaybeLocal<Value> rc =
         StringBytes::Encode(env->isolate(), path, encoding, &error);
     if (rc.IsEmpty()) {
-      // TODO(addaleax): Use `error` itself here.
-      return env->ThrowUVException(UV_EINVAL,
-                                   "mkdtemp",
-                                   "Invalid character encoding for filename",
-                                   *tmpl);
+      env->isolate()->ThrowException(error);
+      return;
     }
     args.GetReturnValue().Set(rc.ToLocalChecked());
   }
diff --git a/src/node_os.cc b/src/node_os.cc
index c1d1de971f4a09..c71ca401ed6609 100644
--- a/src/node_os.cc
+++ b/src/node_os.cc
@@ -376,27 +376,11 @@ static void GetUserInfo(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
   else
     shell = StringBytes::Encode(env->isolate(), pwd.shell, encoding, &error);
 
-  uv_os_free_passwd(&pwd);
-
-  if (username.IsEmpty()) {
-    // TODO(addaleax): Use `error` itself here.
-    return env->ThrowUVException(UV_EINVAL,
-                                 "uv_os_get_passwd",
-                                 "Invalid character encoding for username");
-  }
-
-  if (homedir.IsEmpty()) {
-    // TODO(addaleax): Use `error` itself here.
-    return env->ThrowUVException(UV_EINVAL,
-                                 "uv_os_get_passwd",
-                                 "Invalid character encoding for homedir");
-  }
-
-  if (shell.IsEmpty()) {
-    // TODO(addaleax): Use `error` itself here.
-    return env->ThrowUVException(UV_EINVAL,
-                                 "uv_os_get_passwd",
-                                 "Invalid character encoding for shell");
+  if (username.IsEmpty() || homedir.IsEmpty() || shell.IsEmpty()) {
+    CHECK(!error.IsEmpty());
+    uv_os_free_passwd(&pwd);
+    env->isolate()->ThrowException(error);
+    return;
   }
 
   Local<Object> entry = Object::New(env->isolate());
diff --git a/src/string_bytes.cc b/src/string_bytes.cc
index 5aa3b8ca770192..9df42f3bfada01 100644
--- a/src/string_bytes.cc
+++ b/src/string_bytes.cc
@@ -686,7 +686,6 @@ MaybeLocal<Value> StringBytes::Encode(Isolate* isolate,
   CHECK_NE(encoding, UCS2);
   CHECK_BUFLEN_IN_RANGE(buflen);
 
-  *error = Local<Value>();
   if (!buflen && encoding != BUFFER) {
     return String::Empty(isolate);
   }
@@ -772,7 +771,6 @@ MaybeLocal<Value> StringBytes::Encode(Isolate* isolate,
                                       size_t buflen,
                                       Local<Value>* error) {
   CHECK_BUFLEN_IN_RANGE(buflen);
-  *error = Local<Value>();
 
   // Node's "ucs2" encoding expects LE character data inside a
   // Buffer, so we need to reorder on BE platforms.  See