diff --git a/doc/api/readline.md b/doc/api/readline.md
index 448b109e4d5579..385540908331c2 100644
--- a/doc/api/readline.md
+++ b/doc/api/readline.md
@@ -357,6 +357,7 @@ added: v0.1.98
     the history set this value to `0`. Defaults to `30`. This option makes sense
     only if `terminal` is set to `true` by the user or by an internal `output`
     check, otherwise the history caching mechanism is not initialized at all.
+  * `prompt` - the prompt string to use. Default: `'> '`
 
 The `readline.createInterface()` method creates a new `readline.Interface`
 instance.
@@ -467,9 +468,12 @@ implement a small command-line interface:
 
 ```js
 const readline = require('readline');
-const rl = readline.createInterface(process.stdin, process.stdout);
+const rl = readline.createInterface({
+  input: process.stdin,
+  output: process.stdout,
+  prompt: 'OHAI> '
+});
 
-rl.setPrompt('OHAI> ');
 rl.prompt();
 
 rl.on('line', (line) => {
diff --git a/lib/readline.js b/lib/readline.js
index 46982bca5feaa8..96d7e114891135 100644
--- a/lib/readline.js
+++ b/lib/readline.js
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ function Interface(input, output, completer, terminal) {
 
   EventEmitter.call(this);
   var historySize;
+  let prompt = '> ';
 
   if (arguments.length === 1) {
     // an options object was given
@@ -52,6 +53,9 @@ function Interface(input, output, completer, terminal) {
     completer = input.completer;
     terminal = input.terminal;
     historySize = input.historySize;
+    if (input.prompt !== undefined) {
+      prompt = input.prompt;
+    }
     input = input.input;
   }
 
@@ -88,7 +92,7 @@ function Interface(input, output, completer, terminal) {
     };
   }
 
-  this.setPrompt('> ');
+  this.setPrompt(prompt);
 
   this.terminal = !!terminal;
 
diff --git a/lib/repl.js b/lib/repl.js
index db5754ec041196..01a595984d6cfe 100644
--- a/lib/repl.js
+++ b/lib/repl.js
@@ -385,11 +385,10 @@ function REPLServer(prompt,
     output: self.outputStream,
     completer: complete,
     terminal: options.terminal,
-    historySize: options.historySize
+    historySize: options.historySize,
+    prompt
   });
 
-  self.setPrompt(prompt !== undefined ? prompt : '> ');
-
   this.commands = Object.create(null);
   defineDefaultCommands(this);
 
@@ -408,8 +407,6 @@ function REPLServer(prompt,
     };
   }
 
-  self.setPrompt(self._prompt);
-
   self.on('close', function() {
     self.emit('exit');
   });
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-readline-interface.js b/test/parallel/test-readline-interface.js
index b7f906d7c21686..fcda628acec434 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-readline-interface.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-readline-interface.js
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 'use strict';
-require('../common');
-var assert = require('assert');
-var readline = require('readline');
-var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
-var inherits = require('util').inherits;
+const common = require('../common');
+const assert = require('assert');
+const readline = require('readline');
+const EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
+const inherits = require('util').inherits;
+const Writable = require('stream').Writable;
+const Readable = require('stream').Readable;
 
 function FakeInput() {
   EventEmitter.call(this);
@@ -400,4 +402,29 @@ function isWarned(emitter) {
     });
   });
 
+  {
+    const expected = terminal
+      ? ['\u001b[1G', '\u001b[0J', '$ ', '\u001b[3G']
+      : ['$ '];
+
+    let counter = 0;
+    const output = new Writable({
+      write: common.mustCall((chunk, enc, cb) => {
+        assert.strictEqual(chunk.toString(), expected[counter++]);
+        cb();
+        rl.close();
+      }, expected.length)
+    });
+
+    const rl = readline.createInterface({
+      input: new Readable({ read: () => {} }),
+      output: output,
+      prompt: '$ ',
+      terminal: terminal
+    });
+
+    rl.prompt();
+
+    assert.strictEqual(rl._prompt, '$ ');
+  }
 });