diff --git a/lib/internal/modules/esm/utils.js b/lib/internal/modules/esm/utils.js
index 2799af0f8dd492..99061e62976e7c 100644
--- a/lib/internal/modules/esm/utils.js
+++ b/lib/internal/modules/esm/utils.js
@@ -75,17 +75,15 @@ function initializeDefaultConditions() {
   const userConditions = getOptionValue('--conditions');
   const noAddons = getOptionValue('--no-addons');
   const addonConditions = noAddons ? [] : ['node-addons'];
-
+  const moduleConditions = getOptionValue('--experimental-require-module') ? ['module-sync'] : [];
   defaultConditions = ObjectFreeze([
     'node',
     'import',
+    ...moduleConditions,
     ...addonConditions,
     ...userConditions,
   ]);
   defaultConditionsSet = new SafeSet(defaultConditions);
-  if (getOptionValue('--experimental-require-module')) {
-    defaultConditionsSet.add('module-sync');
-  }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/test/fixtures/es-module-loaders/loader-with-custom-condition.mjs b/test/fixtures/es-module-loaders/loader-with-custom-condition.mjs
index 3aefed51d57d3e..90c55fa576bb3c 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/es-module-loaders/loader-with-custom-condition.mjs
+++ b/test/fixtures/es-module-loaders/loader-with-custom-condition.mjs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ export async function resolve(specifier, context, defaultResolve) {
 
   deepStrictEqual([...context.conditions].sort(), [
     'import',
+    'module-sync',
     'node',
     'node-addons',
   ]);