diff --git a/lib/internal/test_runner/runner.js b/lib/internal/test_runner/runner.js
index 7443502848f930..a14cc97ce8690c 100644
--- a/lib/internal/test_runner/runner.js
+++ b/lib/internal/test_runner/runner.js
@@ -32,8 +32,7 @@ const { spawn } = require('child_process');
 const { finished } = require('internal/streams/end-of-stream');
 const { resolve } = require('path');
 const { DefaultDeserializer, DefaultSerializer } = require('v8');
-// TODO(aduh95): switch to internal/readline/interface when backporting to Node.js 16.x is no longer a concern.
-const { createInterface } = require('readline');
+const { Interface } = require('internal/readline/interface');
 const { deserializeError } = require('internal/error_serdes');
 const { Buffer } = require('buffer');
 const { FilesWatcher } = require('internal/watch_mode/files_watcher');
@@ -354,7 +353,7 @@ function runTestFile(path, filesWatcher, opts) {
       subtest.parseMessage(data);
     });
 
-    const rl = createInterface({ __proto__: null, input: child.stderr });
+    const rl = new Interface({ __proto__: null, input: child.stderr });
     rl.on('line', (line) => {
       if (isInspectorMessage(line)) {
         process.stderr.write(line + '\n');