diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index b368c5873434..38dce1725d1f 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 #include "node_version.h"
 
 #if HAVE_OPENSSL
+#include <openssl/conf.h>
 #include "ncrypto.h"
 #include "node_crypto.h"
 #if OPENSSL_VERSION_MAJOR >= 3 && !defined(CONF_MFLAGS_IGNORE_MISSING_FILE)
@@ -135,6 +136,7 @@
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <cstring>
 
+#include <fstream>
 #include <string>
 #include <tuple>
 #include <vector>
@@ -1099,6 +1101,17 @@ bool CanEnableWebAssemblyTrapHandler() {
 }
 #endif  // NODE_USE_V8_WASM_TRAP_HANDLER
 
+#if HAVE_OPENSSL && !defined(OPENSSL_IS_BORINGSSL) && OPENSSL_VERSION_MAJOR >= 3
+// Whether the configuration file that OpenSSL uses when none was requested
+// explicitly can be opened for reading.
+static bool DefaultOpenSSLConfIsReadable() {
+  char* path = CONF_get1_default_config_file();
+  if (path == nullptr) return false;
+  auto free_path = OnScopeLeave([&]() { OPENSSL_free(path); });
+  return std::ifstream(path).is_open();
+}
+#endif
+
 static std::shared_ptr<InitializationResultImpl>
 InitializeOncePerProcessInternal(const std::vector<std::string>& args,
                                  ProcessInitializationFlags::Flags flags =
@@ -1229,6 +1242,16 @@ InitializeOncePerProcessInternal(const std::vector<std::string>& args,
     OPENSSL_init_crypto(OPENSSL_INIT_LOAD_CONFIG, settings);
     OPENSSL_INIT_free(settings);
 
+    // CONF_MFLAGS_IGNORE_MISSING_FILE only covers a missing file, not a default
+    // configuration file that exists but cannot be opened, e.g. when /etc/ssl
+    // is not readable by the current user. Loading it was not something the
+    // user asked for, so ignore that failure as well instead of refusing to
+    // start. Refs: https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/62230
+    if (ERR_peek_error() != 0 && conf_file == nullptr &&
+        !DefaultOpenSSLConfIsReadable()) {
+      ERR_clear_error();
+    }
+
     if (ERR_peek_error() != 0) {
       // XXX: ERR_GET_REASON does not return something that is
       // useful as an exit code at all.
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-openssl-unreadable-config.js b/test/parallel/test-openssl-unreadable-config.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f77f337d053f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-openssl-unreadable-config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+'use strict';
+
+// An unreadable default OpenSSL configuration file must not abort startup.
+// Refs: https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/62230
+
+const common = require('../common');
+const assert = require('node:assert');
+const { spawnSync } = require('node:child_process');
+
+if (!common.hasCrypto)
+  common.skip('missing crypto');
+if (!common.isLinux)
+  common.skip('linux only');
+if (process.config.variables.node_shared_openssl)
+  common.skip('shared openssl may read a different configuration file');
+
+// Replace /etc/ssl with an empty tmpfs in a private mount namespace, where
+// openssl.cnf is a symlink loop: opening it then fails with ELOOP instead of
+// ENOENT, which OpenSSL ignores on its own. The namespace goes away with the
+// process, so the host /etc/ssl is left alone.
+const setup = 'mount -t tmpfs tmpfs /etc/ssl && ln -s openssl.cnf /etc/ssl/openssl.cnf';
+
+if (spawnSync('unshare', ['-Urm', 'sh', '-c', setup]).status !== 0)
+  common.skip('cannot set up an unprivileged user and mount namespace');
+
+const child = spawnSync(
+  'unshare',
+  ['-Urm', 'sh', '-c', `${setup} && exec "$0" -p 42`, process.execPath],
+  { encoding: 'utf8' });
+
+assert.strictEqual(child.stderr, '');
+assert.strictEqual(child.status, 0);
+assert.strictEqual(child.stdout.trim(), '42');