diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index ca15ddfc26a9a3..65ce3b424f5067 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ static std::string trace_enabled_categories;  // NOLINT(runtime/string)
 static std::string trace_file_pattern =  // NOLINT(runtime/string)
   "node_trace.${rotation}.log";
 static bool abort_on_uncaught_exception = false;
+static std::string report_events;  // NOLINT(runtime/string)
 
 // Bit flag used to track security reverts (see node_revert.h)
 unsigned int reverted = 0;
@@ -2569,6 +2570,14 @@ void LoadEnvironment(Environment* env) {
     return;
   }
 
+#if defined(NODE_REPORT)
+  fprintf(stderr, "report events: %s \n", report_events.c_str());
+  if (!report_events.empty()) {
+    nodereport::InitializeNodeReport();
+    nodereport::SetEvents(env->isolate(), report_events.c_str());
+  }
+#endif
+
   // Bootstrap Node.js
   Local<Object> bootstrapper = Object::New(env->isolate());
   SetupBootstrapObject(env, bootstrapper);
@@ -3044,6 +3053,22 @@ static void ParseArgs(int* argc,
       // Also a V8 option.  Pass through as-is.
       new_v8_argv[new_v8_argc] = arg;
       new_v8_argc += 1;
+    } else if (strcmp(arg, "--report-events") == 0) {
+      const char* events = argv[index + 1];
+      if (events == nullptr) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "%s: %s requires an argument\n", argv[0], arg);
+        exit(9);
+      }
+      args_consumed += 1;
+      report_events = events;
+  fprintf(stderr, "parsed events %s \n", report_events.c_str());
+      // Replace ',' with '+' separators
+      std::size_t c = report_events.find_first_of(",");
+      while (c != std::string::npos) {
+        report_events.replace(c, 1, "+");
+        c = report_events.find_first_of(",", c + 1);
+      }
+  fprintf(stderr, "filtered events %s \n", report_events.c_str());
     } else {
       // V8 option.  Pass through as-is.
       new_v8_argv[new_v8_argc] = arg;
@@ -3691,11 +3716,6 @@ inline int Start(Isolate* isolate, IsolateData* isolate_data,
 
   env.set_trace_sync_io(trace_sync_io);
 
-#if defined(NODE_REPORT)
-  nodereport::InitializeNodeReport();
-  nodereport::SetEvents(isolate, "fatalerror+signal");
-#endif
-
   {
     SealHandleScope seal(isolate);
     bool more;
diff --git a/test/common/node-report.js b/test/common/node-report.js
index 988314d3b025b2..05763f01b35fa3 100644
--- a/test/common/node-report.js
+++ b/test/common/node-report.js
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 const assert = require('assert');
-const reportCommon = require('../../../deps/node-report/test/common');
+const reportCommon = require('../../deps/node-report/test/common');
 
 exports.findReports = reportCommon.findReports;
 exports.validate = (report, options) => {
   t = {
-    test: (name, f) => f(),
+    match: (actual, re, m) => assert.ok(actual.match(re) != null, m),
+    plan: () => {},
+    test: (name, f) => f(t),
   }
+  console.log(t)
   reportCommon.validate(t, report, options); 
 }
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-node-report-signal.js b/test/parallel/test-node-report-signal.js
index 3d2f331be88d5a..8b9b789eeae7b9 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-node-report-signal.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-node-report-signal.js
@@ -1,10 +1,31 @@
 const common = require('../common');
+const tmpdir = require('../common/tmpdir');
 const assert = require('assert');
+const { execFile } = require('child_process');
 const reportCommon = require('../common/node-report');
 
 if (common.isWindows)
   common.skip('signals not supported on Windows');
-process.kill(process.pid, 'SIGUSR2');
-const report = reportCommon.findReports(process.pid);
-assertStrictEquals(report.length, 1);
+
+if (process.argv.includes('child')) {
+  process.kill(process.pid, 'SIGUSR2');
+  return;
+}
+
+tmpdir.refresh();
+process.chdir(tmpdir.path);
+let cp;
+console.log("running");
+//cp = execFile(process.execPath, ['--report-events', 'signal', __filename, 'child'], { cwd: tmpdir.path }, 
+cp = execFile(process.execPath, ['--report-events', 'signal', __filename, 'child'], { cwd: tmpdir.path }, 
+common.mustCall((err, stdout, stderr) => {
+console.log(cp);
+console.log(stdout);
+console.log(stderr);
+assert.ifError(err);
+const report = reportCommon.findReports(cp.pid);
+assert.strictEqual(report.length, 1);
+reportCommon.validate(report[0], { pid: cp.pid });
+}));
+