diff --git a/doc/api/errors.md b/doc/api/errors.md
index d16149b00bec50..18396f0ef8dfad 100644
--- a/doc/api/errors.md
+++ b/doc/api/errors.md
@@ -2412,6 +2412,12 @@ The `--entry-type=...` flag is not compatible with the Node.js REPL.
 Used when an [ES Module][] loader hook specifies `format: 'dynamic'` but does
 not provide a `dynamicInstantiate` hook.
 
+<a id="ERR_FEATURE_UNAVAILABLE_ON_PLATFORM"></a>
+#### `ERR_FEATURE_UNAVAILABLE_ON_PLATFORM`
+
+Used when a feature that is not available
+to the current platform which is running Node.js is used.
+
 <a id="ERR_STREAM_HAS_STRINGDECODER"></a>
 #### `ERR_STREAM_HAS_STRINGDECODER`
 
diff --git a/doc/api/fs.md b/doc/api/fs.md
index 01d99c80366f45..9ed072ad1e4871 100644
--- a/doc/api/fs.md
+++ b/doc/api/fs.md
@@ -3766,6 +3766,8 @@ The `fs.watch` API is not 100% consistent across platforms, and is
 unavailable in some situations.
 
 The recursive option is only supported on macOS and Windows.
+An `ERR_FEATURE_UNAVAILABLE_ON_PLATFORM` exception will be thrown
+when the option is used on a platform that does not support it.
 
 #### Availability
 
diff --git a/lib/fs.js b/lib/fs.js
index 40453bc15c1efb..5e132fe43cfb72 100644
--- a/lib/fs.js
+++ b/lib/fs.js
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ const {
     ERR_FS_FILE_TOO_LARGE,
     ERR_INVALID_ARG_VALUE,
     ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE,
-    ERR_INVALID_CALLBACK
+    ERR_INVALID_CALLBACK,
+    ERR_FEATURE_UNAVAILABLE_ON_PLATFORM
   },
   uvException
 } = require('internal/errors');
@@ -129,6 +130,7 @@ let FileReadStream;
 let FileWriteStream;
 
 const isWindows = process.platform === 'win32';
+const isOSX = process.platform === 'darwin';
 
 
 function showTruncateDeprecation() {
@@ -1359,7 +1361,8 @@ function watch(filename, options, listener) {
 
   if (options.persistent === undefined) options.persistent = true;
   if (options.recursive === undefined) options.recursive = false;
-
+  if (options.recursive && !(isOSX || isWindows))
+    throw new ERR_FEATURE_UNAVAILABLE_ON_PLATFORM('watch recursively');
   if (!watchers)
     watchers = require('internal/fs/watchers');
   const watcher = new watchers.FSWatcher();
diff --git a/lib/internal/errors.js b/lib/internal/errors.js
index 5b80092ee312de..d90ea08d4dce13 100644
--- a/lib/internal/errors.js
+++ b/lib/internal/errors.js
@@ -803,6 +803,10 @@ E('ERR_FALSY_VALUE_REJECTION', function(reason) {
   this.reason = reason;
   return 'Promise was rejected with falsy value';
 }, Error);
+E('ERR_FEATURE_UNAVAILABLE_ON_PLATFORM',
+  'The feature %s is unavailable on the current platform' +
+  ', which is being used to run Node.js',
+  TypeError);
 E('ERR_FS_FILE_TOO_LARGE', 'File size (%s) is greater than 2 GB', RangeError);
 E('ERR_FS_INVALID_SYMLINK_TYPE',
   'Symlink type must be one of "dir", "file", or "junction". Received "%s"',
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-fs-watch-recursive.js b/test/parallel/test-fs-watch-recursive.js
index 4985ece0e0ec15..70b413814e78f4 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-fs-watch-recursive.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-fs-watch-recursive.js
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@
 
 const common = require('../common');
 
-if (!(common.isOSX || common.isWindows))
-  common.skip('recursive option is darwin/windows specific');
 
 const assert = require('assert');
 const path = require('path');
@@ -20,6 +18,11 @@ const testsubdir = fs.mkdtempSync(testDir + path.sep);
 const relativePathOne = path.join(path.basename(testsubdir), filenameOne);
 const filepathOne = path.join(testsubdir, filenameOne);
 
+if (!common.isOSX && !common.isWindows) {
+  assert.throws(() => { fs.watch(testDir, { recursive: true }); },
+                { code: 'ERR_FEATURE_UNAVAILABLE_ON_PLATFORM' });
+  return;
+}
 const watcher = fs.watch(testDir, { recursive: true });
 
 let watcherClosed = false;