diff --git a/src/jsc/VirtualMachine.rs b/src/jsc/VirtualMachine.rs
index 962044c4b021..9089e3abbb0a 100644
--- a/src/jsc/VirtualMachine.rs
+++ b/src/jsc/VirtualMachine.rs
@@ -3623,6 +3623,13 @@ impl VirtualMachine {
         self.transpiler.env_mut().get_tls_reject_unauthorized()
     }
 
+    /// The TLS 1.2 list assigned through `tls.DEFAULT_CIPHERS`, `None` when never assigned.
+    pub fn tls_default_ciphers(&self) -> Option<&[u8]> {
+        self.rare_data
+            .as_deref()
+            .and_then(RareData::tls_default_ciphers)
+    }
+
     /// Registers a spawned subprocess with the auto-killer.
     pub fn on_subprocess_spawn(&mut self, process: core::ptr::NonNull<bun_spawn::Process>) {
         self.auto_killer.on_subprocess_spawn(process);
diff --git a/src/runtime/api/bun/SecureContext.rs b/src/runtime/api/bun/SecureContext.rs
index e44ee0dbe2a4..c40516129c02 100644
--- a/src/runtime/api/bun/SecureContext.rs
+++ b/src/runtime/api/bun/SecureContext.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 
 use crate::crypto::boringssl_jsc::err_to_js;
 use crate::socket::uws_jsc::create_bun_socket_error_to_js;
-use crate::socket::{SSLConfig, SSLConfigFromJs};
+use crate::socket::{SSLConfig, SSLConfigFromJs, tls_true_defaults};
 use bun_boringssl_sys as boringssl;
 use bun_core::EncodedSlice;
 use bun_jsc::EncodedSliceJsc as _;
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ impl SecureContext {
 
         // SAFETY: `bun_vm()` returns the live per-global VM pointer; valid for the call.
         let vm = global.bun_vm().as_mut();
-        let config = SSLConfig::from_js(vm, global, opts)?.unwrap_or_else(SSLConfig::zero);
+        let config = SSLConfig::from_js(vm, global, opts)?.unwrap_or_else(|| tls_true_defaults(vm));
         // `defer config.deinit()` — handled by Drop.
 
         SecureContext::create(global, &config)
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ impl SecureContext {
 
         // SAFETY: `bun_vm()` returns the live per-global VM pointer; valid for the call.
         let vm = global.bun_vm().as_mut();
-        let config = SSLConfig::from_js(vm, global, opts)?.unwrap_or_else(SSLConfig::zero);
+        let config = SSLConfig::from_js(vm, global, opts)?.unwrap_or_else(|| tls_true_defaults(vm));
         // `defer config.deinit()` — handled by Drop.
 
         let ctx_opts = config.as_usockets();
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ impl SecureContext {
 
         // SAFETY: `bun_vm()` returns the live per-global VM pointer; valid for the call.
         let vm = global.bun_vm().as_mut();
-        let config = SSLConfig::from_js(vm, global, opts)?.unwrap_or_else(SSLConfig::zero);
+        let config = SSLConfig::from_js(vm, global, opts)?.unwrap_or_else(|| tls_true_defaults(vm));
         // `defer config.deinit()` — handled by Drop.
 
         let ctx_opts = config.as_usockets();
diff --git a/src/runtime/socket/SSLConfig.rs b/src/runtime/socket/SSLConfig.rs
index 3823142abe5f..69a95264e576 100644
--- a/src/runtime/socket/SSLConfig.rs
+++ b/src/runtime/socket/SSLConfig.rs
@@ -252,6 +252,8 @@ impl SSLConfigFromJs for SSLConfig {
             result.ssl_ciphers = zbox_into_raw(&ciphers.to_owned_slice_z());
             result.is_using_default_ciphers = false;
             result.requires_custom_request_ctx = true;
+        } else {
+            apply_default_ciphers(vm, &mut result);
         }
 
         result.client_renegotiation_limit = generated.client_renegotiation_limit;
@@ -271,9 +273,23 @@ impl SSLConfigFromJs for SSLConfig {
 pub fn tls_true_defaults(vm: &VirtualMachine) -> SSLConfig {
     let mut cfg = SSLConfig::zero();
     cfg.reject_unauthorized = vm.get_tls_reject_unauthorized() as i32;
+    apply_default_ciphers(vm, &mut cfg);
     cfg
 }
 
+/// No `ciphers` option means `tls.DEFAULT_CIPHERS`, like Node's configSecureContext.
+fn apply_default_ciphers(vm: &VirtualMachine, cfg: &mut SSLConfig) {
+    let Some(ciphers) = vm.tls_default_ciphers() else {
+        return;
+    };
+    cfg.ssl_ciphers = dupe_z(ciphers);
+    // An empty TLS 1.2 list would leave BoringSSL's built-in one in effect.
+    let tls1_3 = i32::from(bun_boringssl_sys::TLS1_3_VERSION);
+    if ciphers.is_empty() && cfg.ssl_min_version < tls1_3 {
+        cfg.ssl_min_version = tls1_3;
+    }
+}
+
 /// Whether a new TLS socket must enforce `rejectUnauthorized`: close the
 /// connection when the peer certificate fails verification.
 pub fn resolve_reject_unauthorized(
diff --git a/test/js/node/tls/node-tls-server.test.ts b/test/js/node/tls/node-tls-server.test.ts
index 707474890f20..ab8eb1574ea3 100644
--- a/test/js/node/tls/node-tls-server.test.ts
+++ b/test/js/node/tls/node-tls-server.test.ts
@@ -2685,3 +2685,79 @@ describe("pauseOnConnect", () => {
     }
   });
 });
+
+// tls.DEFAULT_CIPHERS is the process-wide cipher policy. Node applies it to
+// every secure context built without an explicit `ciphers`, so a server
+// created after the assignment refuses the suites the policy excludes.
+it("tls.DEFAULT_CIPHERS applies to servers created without a ciphers option", async () => {
+  const script = `
+    import tls from "node:tls";
+    import https from "node:https";
+    import { once } from "node:events";
+    const cert = ${JSON.stringify({ key: cert1.key, cert: cert1.cert })};
+
+    function probe(port, ciphers) {
+      return new Promise(resolve => {
+        const c = tls.connect({ port, host: "127.0.0.1", ciphers, maxVersion: "TLSv1.2", rejectUnauthorized: false });
+        c.on("secureConnect", () => {
+          const name = c.getCipher().name;
+          c.end();
+          resolve("ok:" + name);
+        });
+        c.on("error", e => resolve("err:" + e.code));
+      });
+    }
+    async function listen(server) {
+      server.listen(0, "127.0.0.1");
+      await once(server, "listening");
+      return server;
+    }
+    // The policy in effect when a server starts listening is the one it keeps.
+    tls.DEFAULT_CIPHERS = "ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256";
+    const tlsServer = await listen(tls.createServer(cert, s => s.end("x")));
+    const httpsServer = await listen(https.createServer(cert, (req, res) => res.end("x")));
+    const bunServer = Bun.serve({ port: 0, tls: cert, fetch: () => new Response("x") });
+    tls.DEFAULT_CIPHERS = "TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256";
+    const tls13OnlyServer = await listen(tls.createServer(cert, s => s.end("x")));
+
+    const ports = {
+      tls: tlsServer.address().port,
+      https: httpsServer.address().port,
+      serve: bunServer.port,
+      tls13Only: tls13OnlyServer.address().port,
+    };
+    const results = {};
+    await Promise.all(
+      Object.entries(ports).map(async ([name, port]) => {
+        const [excluded, allowed] = await Promise.all([
+          probe(port, "ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384"),
+          probe(port, "ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256"),
+        ]);
+        results[name] = { excluded, allowed };
+      }),
+    );
+    tlsServer.close();
+    httpsServer.close();
+    tls13OnlyServer.close();
+    await bunServer.stop(true);
+    console.log(JSON.stringify(results));
+  `;
+  await using proc = Bun.spawn({
+    cmd: [bunExe(), "-e", script],
+    env: bunEnv,
+    stdout: "pipe",
+    stderr: "pipe",
+  });
+  const [stdout, stderr, exitCode] = await Promise.all([proc.stdout.text(), proc.stderr.text(), proc.exited]);
+  expect(stderr).toBe("");
+  expect(JSON.parse(stdout.trim())).toEqual({
+    tls: { excluded: "err:ERR_SSL_SSLV3_ALERT_HANDSHAKE_FAILURE", allowed: "ok:ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256" },
+    https: { excluded: "err:ERR_SSL_SSLV3_ALERT_HANDSHAKE_FAILURE", allowed: "ok:ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256" },
+    serve: { excluded: "err:ERR_SSL_SSLV3_ALERT_HANDSHAKE_FAILURE", allowed: "ok:ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256" },
+    tls13Only: {
+      excluded: "err:ERR_SSL_TLSV1_ALERT_PROTOCOL_VERSION",
+      allowed: "err:ERR_SSL_TLSV1_ALERT_PROTOCOL_VERSION",
+    },
+  });
+  expect(exitCode).toBe(0);
+});