diff --git a/lib/internal/v8_prof_polyfill.js b/lib/internal/v8_prof_polyfill.js
index 59e1b8947eed55..7d8d3ff0202d20 100644
--- a/lib/internal/v8_prof_polyfill.js
+++ b/lib/internal/v8_prof_polyfill.js
@@ -48,8 +48,15 @@ const os = {
     }
     let out = cp.spawnSync(name, args).stdout.toString();
     // Auto c++filt names, but not [iItT]
-    if (process.platform === 'darwin' && name === 'nm')
+    if (process.platform === 'darwin' && name === 'nm') {
+      // nm prints an error along the lines of "Run xcodebuild -license" and
+      // exits when Xcode hasn't been properly installed or when its license
+      // hasn't been accepted yet. Basically any mention of xcodebuild in
+      // the output means the nm command is non-functional.
+      const match = out.match(/(?:^|\n)([^\n]*xcodebuild[^\n]*)(?:\n|$)/);
+      if (match) throw new Error(match[1]);
       out = macCppfiltNm(out);
+    }
     return out;
   }
 };