diff --git a/doc/api/crypto.md b/doc/api/crypto.md
index 4dbccff3122d36..a5f3d630afa902 100644
--- a/doc/api/crypto.md
+++ b/doc/api/crypto.md
@@ -2471,11 +2471,16 @@ added: v15.6.0
 
 <!-- YAML
 added: v15.6.0
+changes:
+  - version: REPLACEME
+    pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/41569
+    description: The subject option can now be set to `'default'`.
 -->
 
 * `email` {string}
 * `options` {Object}
-  * `subject` {string} `'always'` or `'never'`. **Default:** `'always'`.
+  * `subject` {string} `'default'`, `'always'`, or `'never'`.
+    **Default:** `'always'`.
   * `wildcards` {boolean} **Default:** `true`.
   * `partialWildcards` {boolean} **Default:** `true`.
   * `multiLabelWildcards` {boolean} **Default:** `false`.
@@ -2485,15 +2490,31 @@ added: v15.6.0
 
 Checks whether the certificate matches the given email address.
 
+If the `'subject'` option is set to `'always'` and if the subject alternative
+name extension either does not exist or does not contain a matching email
+address, the certificate subject is considered.
+
+If the `'subject'` option is set to `'default`', the certificate subject is only
+considered if the subject alternative name extension either does not exist or
+does not contain any email addresses.
+
+If the `'subject'` option is set to `'never'`, the certificate subject is never
+considered, even if the certificate contains no subject alternative names.
+
 ### `x509.checkHost(name[, options])`
 
 <!-- YAML
 added: v15.6.0
+changes:
+  - version: REPLACEME
+    pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/41569
+    description: The subject option can now be set to `'default'`.
 -->
 
 * `name` {string}
 * `options` {Object}
-  * `subject` {string} `'always'` or `'never'`. **Default:** `'always'`.
+  * `subject` {string} `'default'`, `'always'`, or `'never'`.
+    **Default:** `'always'`.
   * `wildcards` {boolean} **Default:** `true`.
   * `partialWildcards` {boolean} **Default:** `true`.
   * `multiLabelWildcards` {boolean} **Default:** `false`.
@@ -2509,6 +2530,18 @@ or it might contain wildcards (e.g., `*.example.com`). Because host name
 comparisons are case-insensitive, the returned subject name might also differ
 from the given `name` in capitalization.
 
+If the `'subject'` option is set to `'always'` and if the subject alternative
+name extension either does not exist or does not contain a matching DNS name,
+the certificate subject is considered.
+
+If the `'subject'` option is set to `'default'`, the certificate subject is only
+considered if the subject alternative name extension either does not exist or
+does not contain any DNS names. This behavior is consistent with [RFC 2818][]
+("HTTP Over TLS").
+
+If the `'subject'` option is set to `'never'`, the certificate subject is never
+considered, even if the certificate contains no subject alternative names.
+
 ### `x509.checkIP(ip[, options])`
 
 <!-- YAML
@@ -5937,6 +5970,7 @@ See the [list of SSL OP Flags][] for details.
 [OpenSSL's SPKAC implementation]: https://www.openssl.org/docs/man1.1.0/apps/openssl-spkac.html
 [RFC 1421]: https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1421.txt
 [RFC 2412]: https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2412.txt
+[RFC 2818]: https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2818.txt
 [RFC 3526]: https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc3526.txt
 [RFC 3610]: https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc3610.txt
 [RFC 4055]: https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc4055.txt
diff --git a/lib/internal/crypto/x509.js b/lib/internal/crypto/x509.js
index 51b0d51b0deeeb..603e3f8fc5872f 100644
--- a/lib/internal/crypto/x509.js
+++ b/lib/internal/crypto/x509.js
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@ function isX509Certificate(value) {
 function getFlags(options = {}) {
   validateObject(options, 'options');
   const {
-    subject = 'always',  // Can be 'always' or 'never'
+    // TODO(tniessen): change the default to 'default'
+    subject = 'always',  // Can be 'default', 'always', or 'never'
     wildcards = true,
     partialWildcards = true,
     multiLabelWildcards = false,
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ function getFlags(options = {}) {
   validateBoolean(multiLabelWildcards, 'options.multiLabelWildcards');
   validateBoolean(singleLabelSubdomains, 'options.singleLabelSubdomains');
   switch (subject) {
+    case 'default': /* Matches OpenSSL's default, no flags. */ break;
     case 'always': flags |= X509_CHECK_FLAG_ALWAYS_CHECK_SUBJECT; break;
     case 'never': flags |= X509_CHECK_FLAG_NEVER_CHECK_SUBJECT; break;
     default:
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-x509-escaping.js b/test/parallel/test-x509-escaping.js
index ba11dde79b0821..99418e4c0bf21c 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-x509-escaping.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-x509-escaping.js
@@ -424,6 +424,15 @@ const { hasOpenSSL3 } = common;
   assert.strictEqual(certX509.subject, `CN=${servername}`);
   assert.strictEqual(certX509.subjectAltName, 'DNS:evil.example.com');
 
+  // The newer X509Certificate API allows customizing this behavior:
+  assert.strictEqual(certX509.checkHost(servername), servername);
+  assert.strictEqual(certX509.checkHost(servername, { subject: 'default' }),
+                     undefined);
+  assert.strictEqual(certX509.checkHost(servername, { subject: 'always' }),
+                     servername);
+  assert.strictEqual(certX509.checkHost(servername, { subject: 'never' }),
+                     undefined);
+
   // Try connecting to a server that uses the self-signed certificate.
   const server = tls.createServer({ key, cert }, common.mustNotCall());
   server.listen(common.mustCall(() => {
@@ -454,6 +463,15 @@ const { hasOpenSSL3 } = common;
   assert.strictEqual(certX509.subject, `CN=${servername}`);
   assert.strictEqual(certX509.subjectAltName, 'IP Address:1.2.3.4');
 
+  // The newer X509Certificate API allows customizing this behavior:
+  assert.strictEqual(certX509.checkHost(servername), servername);
+  assert.strictEqual(certX509.checkHost(servername, { subject: 'default' }),
+                     servername);
+  assert.strictEqual(certX509.checkHost(servername, { subject: 'always' }),
+                     servername);
+  assert.strictEqual(certX509.checkHost(servername, { subject: 'never' }),
+                     undefined);
+
   // Connect to a server that uses the self-signed certificate.
   const server = tls.createServer({ key, cert }, common.mustCall((socket) => {
     socket.destroy();