diff --git a/lib/fs.js b/lib/fs.js
index ad90551f40f1..50bea658163c 100644
--- a/lib/fs.js
+++ b/lib/fs.js
@@ -614,7 +614,11 @@ function readFileSync(path, options) {
 
   if ((options.encoding === 'utf8' || options.encoding === 'utf-8') &&
       !hasUserBuffer) {
-    if (!isInt32(path)) {
+    if (isInt32(path)) {
+      // V8 does not report -0 as an int32, so it would reach the binding as a
+      // path instead of a file descriptor.
+      path |= 0;
+    } else {
       path = getValidatedPath(path);
     }
     return binding.readFileUtf8(path, stringToFlags(options.flag));
@@ -2995,7 +2999,11 @@ function writeFileSync(path, data, options) {
 
   // C++ fast path for string data and UTF8 encoding
   if (typeof data === 'string' && (options.encoding === 'utf8' || options.encoding === 'utf-8')) {
-    if (!isInt32(path)) {
+    if (isInt32(path)) {
+      // V8 does not report -0 as an int32, so it would reach the binding as a
+      // path instead of a file descriptor.
+      path |= 0;
+    } else {
       path = getValidatedPath(path);
     }
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-fs-negative-zero.js b/test/parallel/test-fs-negative-zero.js
index 538cea67faaa..09f965eb171f 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-fs-negative-zero.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-fs-negative-zero.js
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 require('../common');
 
+const assert = require('assert');
+const { spawnSync } = require('child_process');
 const fs = require('fs');
 const path = require('path');
 const os = require('os');
@@ -29,5 +31,18 @@ ignoreExpectedError(() => fs.mkdirSync(missing, { mode: -0 }));
 ignoreExpectedError(() => fs.chmodSync(missing, -0));
 ignoreExpectedError(() => fs.writeFileSync(missing, '', { mode: -0 }));
 
+// -0 is accepted as file descriptor 0. Writing an empty string reaches the
+// utf8 fast path without issuing a write on the descriptor.
+fs.writeFileSync(-0, '');
+fs.appendFileSync(-0, '');
+
+const child = spawnSync(
+  process.execPath,
+  ['-e', 'process.stdout.write(require("fs").readFileSync(-0, "utf8"))'],
+  { input: 'hello' },
+);
+assert.strictEqual(child.status, 0);
+assert.strictEqual(child.stdout.toString(), 'hello');
+
 fs.watchFile(missing, { interval: -0 }, () => {});
 fs.unwatchFile(missing);