diff --git a/doc/api/globals.md b/doc/api/globals.md
index cd6afed9626f..f7dfc4c59b4d 100644
--- a/doc/api/globals.md
+++ b/doc/api/globals.md
@@ -1401,6 +1401,10 @@ Inside a worker, \[`worker_threads.parentPort`]\[] is the port behind
 `self.postMessage()` and the worker's `message` events, `isMainThread` is
 `false`, and `workerData` is `undefined`.
 
+Because that thread keeps the event loop alive, `Worker` instances can be
+mutated using the non-standard `process.ref(worker)` and `process.unref(worker)`
+methods.
+
 As a rule of thumb, use [`node:worker_threads`][] directly when a program
 needs `workerData`, a custom `env` or `execArgv`, resource limits, stdio
 redirection, the `'online'` and `'exit'` events, or `worker.threadId`;
diff --git a/lib/internal/webworker.js b/lib/internal/webworker.js
index bc7b55ed8ac1..e2a2086f9039 100644
--- a/lib/internal/webworker.js
+++ b/lib/internal/webworker.js
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ const {
 
 const kCurrentlyReceivingPorts =
   SymbolFor('nodejs.internal.kCurrentlyReceivingPorts');
+const kRef = SymbolFor('nodejs.ref');
+const kUnref = SymbolFor('nodejs.unref');
 
 const kCreate = Symbol('kCreate');
 const kInsidePort = Symbol('kInsidePort');
@@ -865,6 +867,17 @@ class Worker extends EventTarget {
     // arguments, and returned the same return value."
     this[kWorker]?.postMessage(message, transfer);
   }
+
+  // The following properties are non-standard, Node.js extensions
+  [kRef]() {
+    validateThisInternalField(this, kWorker, 'Worker');
+    this[kWorker]?.ref();
+  }
+
+  [kUnref]() {
+    validateThisInternalField(this, kWorker, 'Worker');
+    this[kWorker]?.unref();
+  }
 }
 
 ObjectDefineProperties(Worker.prototype, {
diff --git a/test/fixtures/web-worker/echo.js b/test/fixtures/web-worker/echo.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..753c32599775
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/web-worker/echo.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+'use strict';
+
+addEventListener('message', (event) => {
+  postMessage(event.data);
+});
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-webworker-ref-unref.js b/test/parallel/test-webworker-ref-unref.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..cff2bb5d097f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-webworker-ref-unref.js
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+// Flags: --experimental-web-worker
+'use strict';
+
+const common = require('../common');
+const fixtures = require('../common/fixtures');
+const assert = require('assert');
+
+{
+  // Both are no-ops on a worker whose script could not be loaded.
+  const worker = new Worker(fixtures.fileURL('web-worker', 'nonexistent.js').href);
+  worker.addEventListener('error', common.mustCall());
+  process.unref(worker);
+  process.ref(worker);
+}
+
+const worker = new Worker(fixtures.fileURL('web-worker', 'echo.js').href);
+
+worker.addEventListener('error', common.mustNotCall('worker failed'));
+worker.addEventListener('message', common.mustCall(({ data }) => {
+  assert.strictEqual(data, 'hello');
+  worker.terminate();
+}));
+
+process.once('beforeExit', common.mustCall(() => {
+  process.ref(worker);
+  worker.postMessage('hello');
+}));
+
+process.unref(worker);