diff --git a/src/node_report.cc b/src/node_report.cc
index dcaa6922070b92..31d857560e00be 100644
--- a/src/node_report.cc
+++ b/src/node_report.cc
@@ -857,9 +857,13 @@ std::string TriggerNodeReport(Isolate* isolate,
   // Determine the required report filename. In order of priority:
   //   1) supplied on API 2) configured on startup 3) default generated
   if (!name.empty()) {
-    THROW_IF_INSUFFICIENT_PERMISSIONS(
-        env, permission::PermissionScope::kFileSystemWrite, name, name);
-    // Filename was specified as API parameter.
+    // we may not always be in a great state when generating a node report
+    // allow for the case where we don't have an env
+    if (env != nullptr) {
+      THROW_IF_INSUFFICIENT_PERMISSIONS(
+          env, permission::PermissionScope::kFileSystemWrite, name, name);
+      // Filename was specified as API parameter.
+    }
     filename = name;
   } else {
     std::string report_filename;