diff --git a/doc/api/v8.markdown b/doc/api/v8.markdown
index adced82685eea4..cedd5c86d9b008 100644
--- a/doc/api/v8.markdown
+++ b/doc/api/v8.markdown
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Returns an object with the following properties
 }
 ```
 
-## setFlagsFromString()
+## setFlagsFromString(string)
 
 Set additional V8 command line flags.  Use with care; changing settings
 after the VM has started may result in unpredictable behavior, including
diff --git a/src/node_v8.cc b/src/node_v8.cc
index f3bdda409d0f6e..2834a21496bbdb 100644
--- a/src/node_v8.cc
+++ b/src/node_v8.cc
@@ -60,6 +60,13 @@ void GetHeapStatistics(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
 
 
 void SetFlagsFromString(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
+  Environment* env = Environment::GetCurrent(args);
+
+  if (args.Length() < 1)
+    return env->ThrowTypeError("v8 flag is required");
+  if (!args[0]->IsString())
+    return env->ThrowTypeError("v8 flag must be a string");
+
   String::Utf8Value flags(args[0]);
   V8::SetFlagsFromString(*flags, flags.length());
 }
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-v8-flag-type-check.js b/test/parallel/test-v8-flag-type-check.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..1bb501df43606c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-v8-flag-type-check.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+var common = require('../common');
+var assert = require('assert');
+var v8 = require('v8');
+
+assert.throws(function() {v8.setFlagsFromString(1)}, TypeError);
+assert.throws(function() {v8.setFlagsFromString()}, TypeError);