diff --git a/lib/fs.js b/lib/fs.js
index 44d8ded94e8e43..1497c0935a130c 100644
--- a/lib/fs.js
+++ b/lib/fs.js
@@ -1314,23 +1314,23 @@ function mkdir(path, options, callback) {
   if (typeof options === 'function') {
     callback = options;
   } else if (typeof options === 'number' || typeof options === 'string') {
-    mode = options;
+    mode = parseFileMode(options, 'mode');
   } else if (options) {
-    if (options.recursive !== undefined)
+    if (options.recursive !== undefined) {
       recursive = options.recursive;
-    if (options.mode !== undefined)
-      mode = options.mode;
+      validateBoolean(recursive, 'options.recursive');
+    }
+    if (options.mode !== undefined) {
+      mode = parseFileMode(options.mode, 'options.mode');
+    }
   }
   callback = makeCallback(callback);
-  path = getValidatedPath(path);
-
-  validateBoolean(recursive, 'options.recursive');
 
   const req = new FSReqCallback();
   req.oncomplete = callback;
   binding.mkdir(
-    path,
-    parseFileMode(mode, 'mode'),
+    getValidatedPath(path),
+    mode,
     recursive,
     req,
   );