diff --git a/lib/_stream_readable.js b/lib/_stream_readable.js
index 8547957944af25..99069c54c9b3e6 100644
--- a/lib/_stream_readable.js
+++ b/lib/_stream_readable.js
@@ -93,13 +93,16 @@ function ReadableState(options, stream, isDuplex) {
   if (typeof isDuplex !== 'boolean')
     isDuplex = stream instanceof Stream.Duplex;
 
-  // Object stream flag. Used to make read(n) ignore n and to
-  // make all the buffer merging and length checks go away
-  this.objectMode = !!(options && options.objectMode);
+  if (options) {
+    // Object stream flag. Used to make read(n) ignore n and to
+    // make all the buffer merging and length checks go away
+    this.objectMode = !!options.objectMode;
 
-  if (isDuplex)
-    this.objectMode = this.objectMode ||
-      !!(options && options.readableObjectMode);
+    if (isDuplex && !this.objectMode)
+      this.objectMode = !!options.readableObjectMode;
+  } else {
+    this.objectMode = false;
+  }
 
   // The point at which it stops calling _read() to fill the buffer
   // Note: 0 is a valid value, means "don't call _read preemptively ever"