diff --git a/src/domain/javascript/javascriptSourceParser.ts b/src/domain/javascript/javascriptSourceParser.ts
index ce5619ead..630d5e9bf 100644
--- a/src/domain/javascript/javascriptSourceParser.ts
+++ b/src/domain/javascript/javascriptSourceParser.ts
@@ -37,10 +37,19 @@ export const parserPluginsForPath = (sourcePath?: string): ParserPlugin[] => {
     : ["decorators-legacy", typescript];
 };
 
-/** `.mjs` and `.mts` are modules by extension; other paths leave the mode to syntax. */
+/** `.mjs` and `.mts` explicitly select module mode. */
 export const isExplicitModuleSourcePath = (path?: string): boolean =>
   /\.m[jt]s$/iu.test(path ?? "");
 
+const runtimeSourceTypeForPath = (
+  path?: string,
+): "commonjs" | "module" | "unambiguous" =>
+  /\.cjs$/iu.test(path ?? "")
+    ? "commonjs"
+    : isExplicitModuleSourcePath(path)
+      ? "module"
+      : "unambiguous";
+
 export interface RecoveredJavaScriptParse {
   readonly file: ParsedJavaScriptSource;
   /** Errors that apply only if a source of unknown mode is an ES module. */
@@ -58,25 +67,25 @@ export const parseRecoveredJavaScript = (
   sourcePath: string | undefined,
   options: Omit<ParserOptions, "sourceType" | "errorRecovery">,
 ): RecoveredJavaScriptParse => {
-  // `.cjs` is CommonJS by extension, so module-only errors cannot apply.
-  if (/\.cjs$/iu.test(sourcePath ?? ""))
+  const sourceType = runtimeSourceTypeForPath(sourcePath);
+  if (sourceType !== "unambiguous") {
+    const normalizedOptions = { ...options };
+    if (sourceType === "commonjs") {
+      // Babel owns these wrapper semantics in CommonJS mode and rejects
+      // explicit script overrides, including the reference-import options.
+      delete normalizedOptions.allowAwaitOutsideFunction;
+      delete normalizedOptions.allowReturnOutsideFunction;
+      delete normalizedOptions.allowNewTargetOutsideFunction;
+    }
     return {
       file: parse(source, {
-        ...options,
-        sourceType: "script",
-        errorRecovery: true,
-      }),
-      moduleOnlyErrors: [],
-    };
-  if (isExplicitModuleSourcePath(sourcePath))
-    return {
-      file: parse(source, {
-        ...options,
-        sourceType: "module",
+        ...normalizedOptions,
+        sourceType,
         errorRecovery: true,
       }),
       moduleOnlyErrors: [],
     };
+  }
   const file = parse(source, {
     ...options,
     sourceType: "unambiguous",
@@ -98,18 +107,34 @@ export const parseRecoveredJavaScript = (
   };
 };
 
-/** Parse JavaScript or TypeScript once without attaching comments to AST nodes. */
+/** Parse inert JavaScript or TypeScript facts without attaching comments to AST nodes. */
 export const parseJavaScriptSource = (
   source: string,
   sourcePath?: string,
 ): ParsedJavaScriptSource | null => {
   try {
-    return parse(source, {
-      sourceType: "unambiguous",
+    const runtimeSourceType = runtimeSourceTypeForPath(sourcePath);
+    const commonjs = runtimeSourceType === "commonjs";
+    const options = {
       errorRecovery: true,
       attachComment: false,
       plugins: parserPluginsForPath(sourcePath),
+    };
+    const file = parse(source, {
+      ...options,
+      // Inert artifact analysis retains module declarations even in .cjs assets.
+      // Infer their syntax here; reference imports keep filename-mode diagnostics.
+      sourceType: commonjs ? "unambiguous" : runtimeSourceType,
+      allowReturnOutsideFunction: commonjs,
+      allowNewTargetOutsideFunction: commonjs,
     });
+    // Unambiguous mode retains module-only diagnostics after choosing a script.
+    // The .cjs extension establishes wrapper mode, so obtain its own diagnostics.
+    return commonjs &&
+      file.program.sourceType === "script" &&
+      file.errors.length > 0
+      ? parse(source, { ...options, sourceType: "commonjs" })
+      : file;
   } catch (cause: unknown) {
     // Unparseable source is represented by the null return.
     void cause;
diff --git a/tests/boundary/filesystem/referenceSourceTypeScriptExtensions.test.ts b/tests/boundary/filesystem/referenceSourceTypeScriptExtensions.test.ts
index d537a1dca..7b3d8189c 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/filesystem/referenceSourceTypeScriptExtensions.test.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/filesystem/referenceSourceTypeScriptExtensions.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,31 @@ import { expect, it } from "vitest";
 import { createTestTempDirectory } from "../../fixtures/temporaryDirectory.js";
 import { importReferenceSource } from "../../support/referenceSourceResourceScope.js";
 
+it("imports valid CommonJS wrapper syntax without inventing a parse failure", async () => {
+  const root = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-reference-commonjs-mode-");
+  await Promise.all([
+    writeFile(
+      join(root, "main.cjs"),
+      'void new.target; require("./dep.cjs"); return;\n',
+    ),
+    writeFile(join(root, "dep.cjs"), "module.exports = 1;\n"),
+  ]);
+  const imported = await importReferenceSource({
+    root,
+    caller: "native-commonjs-source",
+    policy: { secretPatterns: [] },
+  });
+  if (!imported.ok) throw imported.error;
+  expect(imported.value.parse_failures).toEqual([]);
+  expect(imported.value.relationships).toContainEqual({
+    from_path: "main.cjs",
+    to: "dep.cjs",
+    kind: "requires",
+    resolution: "internal",
+    parse_state: "parsed",
+  });
+});
+
 it.each([
   ["main.ts", "dep.js", "dep.ts"],
   ["main.mts", "dep.mjs", "dep.mts"],
diff --git a/tests/boundary/process/javascriptSourceModes.test.ts b/tests/boundary/process/javascriptSourceModes.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..64c15a2d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/boundary/process/javascriptSourceModes.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import { expect } from "vitest";
+
+import { parseJavaScriptSource } from "../../../src/domain/javascript/javascriptSourceParser.js";
+import { processTest } from "../../support/process/processFixture.js";
+
+for (const source of [
+  "return;",
+  "void new.target;",
+  "var await = 1; return;",
+  "with ({ value: 1 }) { void value; } void new.target;",
+]) {
+  processTest(
+    `accepts Node CommonJS syntax while retaining module errors: ${source}`,
+    async ({ processes }) => {
+      const commonjs = await processes.run(
+        process.execPath,
+        ["--check", "--input-type=commonjs"],
+        { input: source, timeoutMs: 5_000 },
+      );
+      expect(commonjs.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      const module = await processes.run(
+        process.execPath,
+        ["--check", "--input-type=module"],
+        { input: source, timeoutMs: 5_000 },
+      );
+      expect(module.exitCode).not.toBe(0);
+
+      const parsed = parseJavaScriptSource(source, "main.cjs");
+      expect(parsed).not.toBeNull();
+      expect(parsed?.errors).toEqual([]);
+      expect(
+        parseJavaScriptSource(source, "main.mjs")?.errors.length,
+      ).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+      expect(
+        parseJavaScriptSource(source, "main.mts")?.errors.length,
+      ).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    },
+  );
+}