diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index eb99cb87318807..c30394031a0b8a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ release.
 </tr>
 <tr>
   <td valign="top">
-<b><a href="doc/changelogs/CHANGELOG_V20.md#20.6.0">20.6.0</a></b><br/>
+<b><a href="doc/changelogs/CHANGELOG_V20.md#20.6.1">20.6.1</a></b><br/>
+<a href="doc/changelogs/CHANGELOG_V20.md#20.6.0">20.6.0</a><br/>
 <a href="doc/changelogs/CHANGELOG_V20.md#20.5.1">20.5.1</a><br/>
 <a href="doc/changelogs/CHANGELOG_V20.md#20.5.0">20.5.0</a><br/>
 <a href="doc/changelogs/CHANGELOG_V20.md#20.4.0">20.4.0</a><br/>
diff --git a/doc/changelogs/CHANGELOG_V20.md b/doc/changelogs/CHANGELOG_V20.md
index a30029285dfa6b..dbd3fd45090926 100644
--- a/doc/changelogs/CHANGELOG_V20.md
+++ b/doc/changelogs/CHANGELOG_V20.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
+<a href="#20.6.1">20.6.1</a><br/>
 <a href="#20.6.0">20.6.0</a><br/>
 <a href="#20.5.1">20.5.1</a><br/>
 <a href="#20.5.0">20.5.0</a><br/>
@@ -43,6 +44,14 @@
   * [io.js](CHANGELOG_IOJS.md)
   * [Archive](CHANGELOG_ARCHIVE.md)
 
+<a id="20.6.1"></a>
+
+## 2023-09-08, Version 20.6.1 (Current), @RafaelGSS
+
+### Commits
+
+* \[[`8acbe6d8e8`](https://github.com/nodejs/node/commit/8acbe6d8e8)] - **esm**: fix loading of CJS modules from ESM (Antoine du Hamel) [#49500](https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/49500)
+
 <a id="20.6.0"></a>
 
 ## 2023-09-04, Version 20.6.0 (Current), @juanarbol prepared by @UlisesGascon
diff --git a/lib/internal/modules/esm/translators.js b/lib/internal/modules/esm/translators.js
index c0125cd84c37c0..80228e895fafcf 100644
--- a/lib/internal/modules/esm/translators.js
+++ b/lib/internal/modules/esm/translators.js
@@ -279,7 +279,8 @@ translators.set('commonjs', async function commonjsStrategy(url, source,
   // obtained by calling the monkey-patchable CJS loader.
   const cjsLoader = source == null ? (module, source, url, filename) => {
     try {
-      module.load(filename);
+      assert(module === CJSModule._cache[filename]);
+      CJSModule._load(filename);
     } catch (err) {
       enrichCJSError(err, source, url);
       throw err;
diff --git a/src/node_version.h b/src/node_version.h
index f5c9406d949c86..e9e4ca7520d762 100644
--- a/src/node_version.h
+++ b/src/node_version.h
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 #define NODE_VERSION_IS_LTS 0
 #define NODE_VERSION_LTS_CODENAME ""
 
-#define NODE_VERSION_IS_RELEASE 0
+#define NODE_VERSION_IS_RELEASE 1
 
 #ifndef NODE_STRINGIFY
 #define NODE_STRINGIFY(n) NODE_STRINGIFY_HELPER(n)
diff --git a/test/es-module/test-esm-recursive-cjs-dependencies.mjs b/test/es-module/test-esm-recursive-cjs-dependencies.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..d75f0fae95df6c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/es-module/test-esm-recursive-cjs-dependencies.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import '../common/index.mjs';
+import { strictEqual } from 'node:assert';
+
+import '../fixtures/recursive-a.cjs';
+
+strictEqual(global.counter, 1);
+delete global.counter;
diff --git a/test/fixtures/recursive-a.cjs b/test/fixtures/recursive-a.cjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..a60c0a635ddf6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/recursive-a.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+'use strict';
+
+global.counter ??= 0;
+global.counter++;
+
+require('./recursive-b.cjs');
diff --git a/test/fixtures/recursive-b.cjs b/test/fixtures/recursive-b.cjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..e9f0b5d0701b69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/recursive-b.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+'use strict';
+
+require('./recursive-a.cjs');