diff --git a/lib/fs.js b/lib/fs.js
index d07cefcaa9cb33..c570a8c9f4fc2e 100644
--- a/lib/fs.js
+++ b/lib/fs.js
@@ -859,20 +859,16 @@ function rmdir(path, options, callback) {
   path = pathModule.toNamespacedPath(getValidatedPath(path));
 
   if (options && options.recursive) {
-    options = validateRmOptions(
-      path,
-      { ...options, force: true },
-      (err, options) => {
-        if (err) {
-          return callback(err);
-        }
-
-        lazyLoadRimraf();
-        return rimraf(path, options, callback);
-      });
+    validateRmOptions(path, { ...options, force: true }, (err, options) => {
+      if (err) {
+        return callback(err);
+      }
 
+      lazyLoadRimraf();
+      return rimraf(path, options, callback);
+    });
   } else {
-    options = validateRmdirOptions(options);
+    validateRmdirOptions(options);
     const req = new FSReqCallback();
     req.oncomplete = callback;
     return binding.rmdir(path, req);
diff --git a/lib/internal/fs/utils.js b/lib/internal/fs/utils.js
index ff2033ed326455..658f764ee22864 100644
--- a/lib/internal/fs/utils.js
+++ b/lib/internal/fs/utils.js
@@ -684,17 +684,13 @@ const validateRmOptions = hideStackFrames((path, options, callback) => {
     );
 
   lazyLoadFs().stat(path, (err, stats) => {
-    if (err && err.code === 'ENOENT') {
-      if (options.force) {
+    if (err) {
+      if (options.force && err.code === 'ENOENT') {
         return callback(null, options);
       }
       return callback(err, options);
     }
 
-    if (err) {
-      return callback(err);
-    }
-
     if (stats.isDirectory() && !options.recursive) {
       return callback(new ERR_FS_EISDIR({
         code: 'EISDIR',