diff --git a/packages/babel-cli/package.json b/packages/babel-cli/package.json
index e292d75a50..1661052543 100644
--- a/packages/babel-cli/package.json
+++ b/packages/babel-cli/package.json
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@
     "source-map": "^0.5.0"
   },
   "optionalDependencies": {
-    "chokidar": "^2.1.8"
+    "chokidar": "^3.4.0",
+    "chokidarAt2": "https://registry.npmjs.org/chokidar/-/chokidar-2.1.8.tgz"
   },
   "peerDependencies": {
     "@babel/core": "^7.0.0-0"
diff --git a/packages/babel-cli/src/babel/util.js b/packages/babel-cli/src/babel/util.js
index 868382232d..e105a1f438 100644
--- a/packages/babel-cli/src/babel/util.js
+++ b/packages/babel-cli/src/babel/util.js
@@ -116,7 +116,10 @@ process.on("uncaughtException", function (err) {
 
 export function requireChokidar(): Object {
   try {
-    return require("chokidar");
+    // todo(babel 8): revert `chokidarAt2` hack
+    return parseInt(process.version) >= 8
+      ? require("chokidar")
+      : require("chokidarAt2");
   } catch (err) {
     console.error(
       "The optional dependency chokidar failed to install and is required for " +
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 82d8bb96ad..8c7ff84720 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ __metadata:
   dependencies:
     "@babel/core": "workspace:^7.11.6"
     "@babel/helper-fixtures": "workspace:^7.10.5"
-    chokidar: ^2.1.8
+    chokidar: ^3.4.0
+    chokidarAt2: "https://registry.npmjs.org/chokidar/-/chokidar-2.1.8.tgz"
     commander: ^4.0.1
     convert-source-map: ^1.1.0
     fs-readdir-recursive: ^1.1.0
@@ -51,6 +52,8 @@ __metadata:
   dependenciesMeta:
     chokidar:
       optional: true
+    chokidarAt2:
+      optional: true
   bin:
     babel: ./bin/babel.js
     babel-external-helpers: ./bin/babel-external-helpers.js
@@ -5236,6 +5239,16 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"anymatch@npm:~3.1.1":
+  version: 3.1.1
+  resolution: "anymatch@npm:3.1.1"
+  dependencies:
+    normalize-path: ^3.0.0
+    picomatch: ^2.0.4
+  checksum: cf61bbaf7f34d9f94dd966230b7a7f8f1f24e3e2185540741a2561118e108206d85101ee2fc9876cd756475dbe6573d84d91115c3abdbf53a64e26a5f1f06b67
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "append-buffer@npm:^1.0.2":
   version: 1.0.2
   resolution: "append-buffer@npm:1.0.2"
@@ -5834,6 +5847,13 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"binary-extensions@npm:^2.0.0":
+  version: 2.1.0
+  resolution: "binary-extensions@npm:2.1.0"
+  checksum: 12bee2817930b211b88f6de5da2edb64f924ffde79e01516fcb17005a39e75374fae1ce1a9c58b52557a4d81eb6eb7a804cbe7170ea3a553919a7ce0053e2e4f
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "bindings@npm:^1.5.0":
   version: 1.5.0
   resolution: "bindings@npm:1.5.0"
@@ -5885,7 +5905,7 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
-"braces@npm:^3.0.1":
+"braces@npm:^3.0.1, braces@npm:~3.0.2":
   version: 3.0.2
   resolution: "braces@npm:3.0.2"
   dependencies:
@@ -6458,6 +6478,48 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"chokidar@npm:^3.4.0":
+  version: 3.4.2
+  resolution: "chokidar@npm:3.4.2"
+  dependencies:
+    anymatch: ~3.1.1
+    braces: ~3.0.2
+    fsevents: ~2.1.2
+    glob-parent: ~5.1.0
+    is-binary-path: ~2.1.0
+    is-glob: ~4.0.1
+    normalize-path: ~3.0.0
+    readdirp: ~3.4.0
+  dependenciesMeta:
+    fsevents:
+      optional: true
+  checksum: a394c13d28f3a7df6c3d8ca80791599523c654a9e08bec2bb6d0f44a6d74c61f9b46cd871401b8694e57e909055280adad898b93f4269d53b8b0e0c02f02dc12
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
+"chokidarAt2@https://registry.npmjs.org/chokidar/-/chokidar-2.1.8.tgz":
+  version: 2.1.8
+  resolution: "chokidarAt2@https://registry.npmjs.org/chokidar/-/chokidar-2.1.8.tgz"
+  dependencies:
+    anymatch: ^2.0.0
+    async-each: ^1.0.1
+    braces: ^2.3.2
+    fsevents: ^1.2.7
+    glob-parent: ^3.1.0
+    inherits: ^2.0.3
+    is-binary-path: ^1.0.0
+    is-glob: ^4.0.0
+    normalize-path: ^3.0.0
+    path-is-absolute: ^1.0.0
+    readdirp: ^2.2.1
+    upath: ^1.1.1
+  dependenciesMeta:
+    fsevents:
+      optional: true
+  checksum: 2aeaf411e6345533ff18ab8452212959f5594732f5f51ec0ac3f91cd9b8cab029ccfbe53d979519a0e4199ca005eed5d01869ea55d03bba1f836e9cca5b15fdc
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "chownr@npm:^1.1.1, chownr@npm:^1.1.2":
   version: 1.1.3
   resolution: "chownr@npm:1.1.3"
@@ -9042,6 +9104,15 @@ fsevents@~2.1.2:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"glob-parent@npm:~5.1.0":
+  version: 5.1.1
+  resolution: "glob-parent@npm:5.1.1"
+  dependencies:
+    is-glob: ^4.0.1
+  checksum: 2af6e196fba4071fb07ba261366e446ba2b320e6db0a2069cf8e12117c5811abc6721f08546148048882d01120df47e56aa5a965517a6e5ba19bfeb792655119
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "glob-stream@npm:^6.1.0":
   version: 6.1.0
   resolution: "glob-stream@npm:6.1.0"
@@ -9857,6 +9928,15 @@ fsevents@~2.1.2:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"is-binary-path@npm:~2.1.0":
+  version: 2.1.0
+  resolution: "is-binary-path@npm:2.1.0"
+  dependencies:
+    binary-extensions: ^2.0.0
+  checksum: 49a1446a3cf3719e91a061f0e52add18fd065325c652c277519a2ad333440dc8b449076a893277a46940ef16f05a908716667ca8f986b28c677b9acb11e10a36
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "is-buffer@npm:^1.1.0, is-buffer@npm:^1.1.5":
   version: 1.1.6
   resolution: "is-buffer@npm:1.1.6"
@@ -10007,7 +10087,7 @@ fsevents@~2.1.2:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
-"is-glob@npm:^4.0.0, is-glob@npm:^4.0.1":
+"is-glob@npm:^4.0.0, is-glob@npm:^4.0.1, is-glob@npm:~4.0.1":
   version: 4.0.1
   resolution: "is-glob@npm:4.0.1"
   dependencies:
@@ -12267,7 +12347,7 @@ fsevents@~2.1.2:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
-"normalize-path@npm:^3.0.0":
+"normalize-path@npm:^3.0.0, normalize-path@npm:~3.0.0":
   version: 3.0.0
   resolution: "normalize-path@npm:3.0.0"
   checksum: 215a701b471948884193628f3e38910353abf445306b519c42c2a30144b8beb8ca0a684da97bfc2ee11eb168c35c776d484274da4bd8f213d2b22f70579380ee
@@ -13082,7 +13162,7 @@ fsevents@~2.1.2:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
-"picomatch@npm:^2.0.5, picomatch@npm:^2.2.2":
+"picomatch@npm:^2.0.4, picomatch@npm:^2.0.5, picomatch@npm:^2.2.1, picomatch@npm:^2.2.2":
   version: 2.2.2
   resolution: "picomatch@npm:2.2.2"
   checksum: 20fa75e0a58b39d83425b3db68744d5f6f361fd4fd66ec7745d884036d502abba0d553a637703af79939b844164b13e60eea339ccb043d7fbd74c3da2592b864
@@ -13723,6 +13803,15 @@ fsevents@~2.1.2:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"readdirp@npm:~3.4.0":
+  version: 3.4.0
+  resolution: "readdirp@npm:3.4.0"
+  dependencies:
+    picomatch: ^2.2.1
+  checksum: 0159f43eb0a90cf4fde5989b607e0a6bef4e6332dc8648f1b50fbc013f1158e1d021bcfd6dad1dc2895da2bb14cdac408239d047e3d61a01dd3a44376e6ec1f1
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "realpath-native@npm:^1.1.0":
   version: 1.1.0
   resolution: "realpath-native@npm:1.1.0"