diff --git a/lib/util.js b/lib/util.js
index c8619d5e3f5360..1fe03f6428c843 100644
--- a/lib/util.js
+++ b/lib/util.js
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ function styleText(format, text, { validateStream = true, stream = process.stdou
   validateString(text, 'text');
   validateBoolean(validateStream, 'options.validateStream');
 
+  let skipColorize;
   if (validateStream) {
     if (
       !isReadableStream(stream) &&
@@ -127,40 +128,28 @@ function styleText(format, text, { validateStream = true, stream = process.stdou
     ) {
       throw new ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE('stream', ['ReadableStream', 'WritableStream', 'Stream'], stream);
     }
-  }
-
-  if (ArrayIsArray(format)) {
-    let left = '';
-    let right = '';
-    for (const key of format) {
-      const formatCodes = inspect.colors[key];
-      if (formatCodes == null) {
-        validateOneOf(key, 'format', ObjectKeys(inspect.colors));
-      }
-      left += escapeStyleCode(formatCodes[0]);
-      right = `${escapeStyleCode(formatCodes[1])}${right}`;
-    }
 
-    return `${left}${text}${right}`;
+    // If the stream is falsy or should not be colorized, set skipColorize to true
+    skipColorize = validateStream && !lazyUtilColors().shouldColorize(stream);
   }
 
-  const formatCodes = inspect.colors[format];
-  if (formatCodes == null) {
-    validateOneOf(format, 'format', ObjectKeys(inspect.colors));
-  }
+  // If the format is not an array, convert it to an array
+  const formatArray = ArrayIsArray(format) ? format : [format];
 
-  // Check colorize only after validating arg type and value
-  if (
-    validateStream &&
-    (
-      !stream ||
-      !lazyUtilColors().shouldColorize(stream)
-    )
-  ) {
-    return text;
+  let left = '';
+  let right = '';
+  for (const key of formatArray) {
+    const formatCodes = inspect.colors[key];
+    // If the format is not a valid style, throw an error
+    if (formatCodes == null) {
+      validateOneOf(key, 'format', ObjectKeys(inspect.colors));
+    }
+    if (skipColorize) continue;
+    left += escapeStyleCode(formatCodes[0]);
+    right = `${escapeStyleCode(formatCodes[1])}${right}`;
   }
 
-  return `${escapeStyleCode(formatCodes[0])}${text}${escapeStyleCode(formatCodes[1])}`;
+  return skipColorize ? text : `${left}${text}${right}`;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-util-styletext.js b/test/parallel/test-util-styletext.js
index 764ce6f1a31c94..68c31eef2e07c8 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-util-styletext.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-util-styletext.js
@@ -95,8 +95,15 @@ if (fd !== -1) {
       ...process.env,
       ...testCase.env
     };
-    const output = util.styleText('red', 'test', { stream: writeStream });
-    assert.strictEqual(output, testCase.expected);
+    {
+      const output = util.styleText('red', 'test', { stream: writeStream });
+      assert.strictEqual(output, testCase.expected);
+    }
+    {
+      // Check that when passing an array of styles, the output behaves the same
+      const output = util.styleText(['red'], 'test', { stream: writeStream });
+      assert.strictEqual(output, testCase.expected);
+    }
     process.env = originalEnv;
   });
 } else {