diff --git a/packages/gatsby-remark-code-repls/package.json b/packages/gatsby-remark-code-repls/package.json
index 92efdda9892f1..7703115645b27 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby-remark-code-repls/package.json
+++ b/packages/gatsby-remark-code-repls/package.json
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
     "@babel/runtime": "^7.0.0",
     "lz-string": "^1.4.4",
     "normalize-path": "^2.1.1",
-    "recursive-readdir-synchronous": "^0.0.3",
+    "recursive-readdir": "^2.2.2",
     "unist-util-map": "^1.0.3",
     "urijs": "^1.19.0"
   },
diff --git a/packages/gatsby-remark-code-repls/src/__tests__/gatsby-node.js b/packages/gatsby-remark-code-repls/src/__tests__/gatsby-node.js
index 76f6d1b1a0e55..be21fb86b260e 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby-remark-code-repls/src/__tests__/gatsby-node.js
+++ b/packages/gatsby-remark-code-repls/src/__tests__/gatsby-node.js
@@ -4,10 +4,17 @@ jest.mock(`fs`, () => {
     readFileSync: jest.fn(),
   }
 })
-jest.mock(`recursive-readdir-synchronous`, () => jest.fn())
+jest.mock(`recursive-readdir`, () => jest.fn())
+jest.mock(`gatsby-cli/lib/reporter`, () => {
+  return {
+    panic: jest.fn(),
+  }
+})
 
 const fs = require(`fs`)
-const recursiveReaddir = require(`recursive-readdir-synchronous`)
+const readdir = require(`recursive-readdir`)
+
+const reporter = require(`gatsby-cli/lib/reporter`)
 
 const {
   OPTION_DEFAULT_HTML,
@@ -20,6 +27,7 @@ const createPagesParams = {
   actions: {
     createPage,
   },
+  reporter,
 }
 
 describe(`gatsby-remark-code-repls`, () => {
@@ -30,20 +38,17 @@ describe(`gatsby-remark-code-repls`, () => {
     fs.readFileSync.mockReset()
     fs.readFileSync.mockReturnValue(`const foo = "bar";`)
 
-    recursiveReaddir.mockReset()
-    recursiveReaddir.mockReturnValue([`file.js`])
+    readdir.mockReset()
+    readdir.mockResolvedValue([`file.js`])
 
     createPage.mockReset()
   })
 
   describe(`gatsby-node`, () => {
-    it(`should iterate over all JavaScript files in the examples directory`, () => {
-      recursiveReaddir.mockReturnValue([
-        `root-file.js`,
-        `path/to/nested/file.jsx`,
-      ])
+    it(`should iterate over all JavaScript files in the examples directory`, async () => {
+      readdir.mockResolvedValue([`root-file.js`, `path/to/nested/file.jsx`])
 
-      createPages(createPagesParams)
+      await createPages(createPagesParams)
 
       expect(fs.readFileSync).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
       expect(fs.readFileSync).toHaveBeenCalledWith(`root-file.js`, `utf8`)
@@ -53,52 +58,51 @@ describe(`gatsby-remark-code-repls`, () => {
       )
     })
 
-    it(`should ignore non JavaScript files in the examples directory`, () => {
-      recursiveReaddir.mockReturnValue([`javascript.js`, `not-javascript.html`])
+    it(`should ignore non JavaScript files in the examples directory`, async () => {
+      readdir.mockResolvedValue([`javascript.js`, `not-javascript.html`])
 
-      createPages(createPagesParams)
+      await createPages(createPagesParams)
 
       expect(fs.readFileSync).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
       expect(fs.readFileSync).toHaveBeenCalledWith(`javascript.js`, `utf8`)
     })
 
-    it(`should error if provided an invalid examples directory`, () => {
+    it(`should error if provided an invalid examples directory`, async () => {
       fs.existsSync.mockReturnValue(false)
 
-      expect(() => createPages(createPagesParams)).toThrow(
-        `Invalid REPL directory specified: "REPL/"`
-      )
+      try {
+        await createPages(createPagesParams)
+      } catch (err) {
+        expect(err).toEqual(Error(`Invalid REPL directory specified: "REPL/"`))
+      }
     })
 
-    it(`should warn about an empty examples directory`, () => {
-      recursiveReaddir.mockReturnValue([])
+    it(`should warn about an empty examples directory`, async () => {
+      readdir.mockResolvedValue([])
 
       spyOn(console, `warn`) // eslint-disable-line no-undef
 
-      createPages(createPagesParams)
+      await createPages(createPagesParams)
 
       expect(console.warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         `Specified REPL directory "REPL/" contains no files`
       )
     })
 
-    it(`should create redirect pages for the code in each example file`, () => {
-      recursiveReaddir.mockReturnValue([
-        `root-file.js`,
-        `path/to/nested/file.jsx`,
-      ])
+    it(`should create redirect pages for the code in each example file`, async () => {
+      readdir.mockResolvedValue([`root-file.js`, `path/to/nested/file.jsx`])
 
-      createPages(createPagesParams)
+      await createPages(createPagesParams)
 
       expect(createPage).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
       expect(createPage.mock.calls[0][0].path).toContain(`root-file`)
       expect(createPage.mock.calls[1][0].path).toContain(`path/to/nested/file`)
     })
 
-    it(`should use a default redirect template`, () => {
-      recursiveReaddir.mockReturnValue([`file.js`])
+    it(`should use a default redirect template`, async () => {
+      readdir.mockResolvedValue([`file.js`])
 
-      createPages(createPagesParams)
+      await createPages(createPagesParams)
 
       expect(createPage).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
       expect(createPage.mock.calls[0][0].component).toContain(
@@ -106,27 +110,43 @@ describe(`gatsby-remark-code-repls`, () => {
       )
     })
 
-    it(`should use a specified redirect template override`, () => {
-      recursiveReaddir.mockReturnValue([`file.js`])
+    it(`should use a specified redirect template override`, async () => {
+      readdir.mockResolvedValue([`file.js`])
 
-      createPages(createPagesParams, { redirectTemplate: `foo/bar.js` })
+      await createPages(createPagesParams, { redirectTemplate: `foo/bar.js` })
 
       expect(createPage).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
       expect(createPage.mock.calls[0][0].component).toContain(`foo/bar.js`)
     })
 
-    it(`should error if an invalid redirect template is specified`, () => {
+    it(`should error if an invalid redirect template is specified`, async () => {
       fs.existsSync.mockImplementation(path => path !== `foo/bar.js`)
 
-      expect(() =>
-        createPages(createPagesParams, { redirectTemplate: `foo/bar.js` })
-      ).toThrow(`Invalid REPL redirectTemplate specified`)
+      try {
+        await createPages(createPagesParams, { redirectTemplate: `foo/bar.js` })
+      } catch (err) {
+        expect(err).toEqual(
+          Error(`Invalid REPL redirectTemplate specified: "foo/bar.js"`)
+        )
+      }
+    })
+
+    it(`should propagate any Error from recursive-readdir`, async () => {
+      const error = TypeError(`glob pattern string required`)
+
+      readdir.mockRejectedValue(error)
+
+      try {
+        await createPages(createPagesParams)
+      } catch (err) {
+        expect(err).toBe(error)
+      }
     })
 
-    it(`should not load any external packages by default`, () => {
-      recursiveReaddir.mockReturnValue([`file.js`])
+    it(`should not load any external packages by default`, async () => {
+      readdir.mockResolvedValue([`file.js`])
 
-      createPages(createPagesParams)
+      await createPages(createPagesParams)
 
       const { js_external } = JSON.parse(
         createPage.mock.calls[0][0].context.payload
@@ -135,10 +155,10 @@ describe(`gatsby-remark-code-repls`, () => {
       expect(js_external).toBe(``)
     })
 
-    it(`should load custom externals if specified`, () => {
-      recursiveReaddir.mockReturnValue([`file.js`])
+    it(`should load custom externals if specified`, async () => {
+      readdir.mockResolvedValue([`file.js`])
 
-      createPages(createPagesParams, { externals: [`foo.js`, `bar.js`] })
+      await createPages(createPagesParams, { externals: [`foo.js`, `bar.js`] })
 
       const { js_external } = JSON.parse(
         createPage.mock.calls[0][0].context.payload
@@ -148,10 +168,10 @@ describe(`gatsby-remark-code-repls`, () => {
       expect(js_external).toContain(`bar.js`)
     })
 
-    it(`should inject the required prop-types for the Codepen prefill API`, () => {
-      recursiveReaddir.mockReturnValue([`file.js`])
+    it(`should inject the required prop-types for the Codepen prefill API`, async () => {
+      readdir.mockResolvedValue([`file.js`])
 
-      createPages(createPagesParams)
+      await createPages(createPagesParams)
 
       const { action, payload } = createPage.mock.calls[0][0].context
 
@@ -159,20 +179,20 @@ describe(`gatsby-remark-code-repls`, () => {
       expect(payload).toBeTruthy()
     })
 
-    it(`should render default HTML for index page if no override specified`, () => {
-      recursiveReaddir.mockReturnValue([`file.js`])
+    it(`should render default HTML for index page if no override specified`, async () => {
+      readdir.mockResolvedValue([`file.js`])
 
-      createPages(createPagesParams, {})
+      await createPages(createPagesParams, {})
 
       const { html } = JSON.parse(createPage.mock.calls[0][0].context.payload)
 
       expect(html).toBe(OPTION_DEFAULT_HTML)
     })
 
-    it(`should support custom, user-defined HTML for index page`, () => {
-      recursiveReaddir.mockReturnValue([`file.js`])
+    it(`should support custom, user-defined HTML for index page`, async () => {
+      readdir.mockResolvedValue([`file.js`])
 
-      createPages(createPagesParams, { html: `<span id="foo"></span>` })
+      await createPages(createPagesParams, { html: `<span id="foo"></span>` })
 
       const { html } = JSON.parse(createPage.mock.calls[0][0].context.payload)
 
diff --git a/packages/gatsby-remark-code-repls/src/gatsby-node.js b/packages/gatsby-remark-code-repls/src/gatsby-node.js
index e17c71e009317..a18e02fb333a7 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby-remark-code-repls/src/gatsby-node.js
+++ b/packages/gatsby-remark-code-repls/src/gatsby-node.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 const fs = require(`fs`)
 const { extname, resolve } = require(`path`)
-const recursiveReaddir = require(`recursive-readdir-synchronous`)
+const readdir = require(`recursive-readdir`)
 const normalizePath = require(`normalize-path`)
 
 const {
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ const {
   OPTION_DEFAULT_REDIRECT_TEMPLATE_PATH,
 } = require(`./constants`)
 
-exports.createPages = (
-  { actions },
+exports.createPages = async (
+  { actions, reporter },
   {
     directory = OPTION_DEFAULT_LINK_TEXT,
     externals = [],
@@ -27,54 +27,60 @@ exports.createPages = (
   const { createPage } = actions
 
   if (!fs.existsSync(directory)) {
-    throw Error(`Invalid REPL directory specified: "${directory}"`)
+    reporter.panic(`Invalid REPL directory specified: "${directory}"`)
   }
 
   if (!fs.existsSync(redirectTemplate)) {
-    throw Error(
+    reporter.panic(
       `Invalid REPL redirectTemplate specified: "${redirectTemplate}"`
     )
   }
 
-  // TODO We could refactor this to use 'recursive-readdir' instead,
-  // And wrap with Promise.all() to execute createPage() in parallel.
-  // I'd need to find a way to reliably test error handling though.
-  const files = recursiveReaddir(directory)
+  try {
+    const files = await readdir(directory)
+    if (files.length === 0) {
+      console.warn(`Specified REPL directory "${directory}" contains no files`)
 
-  if (files.length === 0) {
-    console.warn(`Specified REPL directory "${directory}" contains no files`)
-
-    return
-  }
+      return
+    }
 
-  files.forEach(file => {
-    if (extname(file) === `.js` || extname(file) === `.jsx`) {
-      const slug = file
-        .substring(0, file.length - extname(file).length)
-        .replace(new RegExp(`^${directory}`), `redirect-to-codepen/`)
-      const code = fs.readFileSync(file, `utf8`)
+    files.forEach(file => {
+      if (extname(file) === `.js` || extname(file) === `.jsx`) {
+        const slug = file
+          .substring(0, file.length - extname(file).length)
+          .replace(new RegExp(`^${directory}`), `redirect-to-codepen/`)
+        const code = fs.readFileSync(file, `utf8`)
 
-      // Codepen configuration.
-      // https://blog.codepen.io/documentation/api/prefill/
-      const action = `https://codepen.io/pen/define`
-      const payload = JSON.stringify({
-        editors: `0010`,
-        html,
-        js: code,
-        js_external: externals.join(`;`),
-        js_pre_processor: `babel`,
-        layout: `left`,
-      })
+        // Codepen configuration.
+        // https://blog.codepen.io/documentation/api/prefill/
+        const action = `https://codepen.io/pen/define`
+        const payload = JSON.stringify({
+          editors: `0010`,
+          html,
+          js: code,
+          js_external: externals.join(`;`),
+          js_pre_processor: `babel`,
+          layout: `left`,
+        })
 
-      createPage({
-        path: slug,
-        // Normalize the path so tests pass on Linux + Windows
-        component: normalizePath(resolve(redirectTemplate)),
-        context: {
-          action,
-          payload,
-        },
-      })
-    }
-  })
+        createPage({
+          path: slug,
+          // Normalize the path so tests pass on Linux + Windows
+          component: normalizePath(resolve(redirectTemplate)),
+          context: {
+            action,
+            payload,
+          },
+        })
+      }
+    })
+  } catch (error) {
+    reporter.panic(
+      `
+      Error in gatsby-remark-code-repls plugin: cannot read directory ${directory}.
+      More details can be found in the error reporting below.
+      `,
+      error
+    )
+  }
 }
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index dfb89ddbf34ed..b1cd38aae1e8d 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -12705,11 +12705,6 @@ lpad-align@^1.0.1:
     longest "^1.0.0"
     meow "^3.3.0"
 
-lru-cache@2:
-  version "2.7.3"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lru-cache/-/lru-cache-2.7.3.tgz#6d4524e8b955f95d4f5b58851ce21dd72fb4e952"
-  integrity sha1-bUUk6LlV+V1PW1iFHOId1y+06VI=
-
 lru-cache@4.0.0:
   version "4.0.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lru-cache/-/lru-cache-4.0.0.tgz#b5cbf01556c16966febe54ceec0fb4dc90df6c28"
@@ -13234,15 +13229,7 @@ minimalistic-crypto-utils@^1.0.0, minimalistic-crypto-utils@^1.0.1:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/minimalistic-crypto-utils/-/minimalistic-crypto-utils-1.0.1.tgz#f6c00c1c0b082246e5c4d99dfb8c7c083b2b582a"
   integrity sha1-9sAMHAsIIkblxNmd+4x8CDsrWCo=
 
-minimatch@0.3.0:
-  version "0.3.0"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/minimatch/-/minimatch-0.3.0.tgz#275d8edaac4f1bb3326472089e7949c8394699dd"
-  integrity sha1-J12O2qxPG7MyZHIInnlJyDlGmd0=
-  dependencies:
-    lru-cache "2"
-    sigmund "~1.0.0"
-
-"minimatch@2 || 3", minimatch@^3.0.0, minimatch@^3.0.2, minimatch@^3.0.3, minimatch@^3.0.4:
+"minimatch@2 || 3", minimatch@3.0.4, minimatch@^3.0.0, minimatch@^3.0.2, minimatch@^3.0.3, minimatch@^3.0.4:
   version "3.0.4"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/minimatch/-/minimatch-3.0.4.tgz#5166e286457f03306064be5497e8dbb0c3d32083"
   integrity sha512-yJHVQEhyqPLUTgt9B83PXu6W3rx4MvvHvSUvToogpwoGDOUQ+yDrR0HRot+yOCdCO7u4hX3pWft6kWBBcqh0UA==
@@ -16293,13 +16280,6 @@ rechoir@^0.6.2:
   dependencies:
     resolve "^1.1.6"
 
-recursive-readdir-synchronous@^0.0.3:
-  version "0.0.3"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/recursive-readdir-synchronous/-/recursive-readdir-synchronous-0.0.3.tgz#d5e5a096ad56cf9666241c22a30b4f338bb7ed88"
-  integrity sha1-1eWglq1Wz5ZmJBwiowtPM4u37Yg=
-  dependencies:
-    minimatch "0.3.0"
-
 recursive-readdir@2.2.1:
   version "2.2.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/recursive-readdir/-/recursive-readdir-2.2.1.tgz#90ef231d0778c5ce093c9a48d74e5c5422d13a99"
@@ -16307,6 +16287,13 @@ recursive-readdir@2.2.1:
   dependencies:
     minimatch "3.0.3"
 
+recursive-readdir@^2.2.2:
+  version "2.2.2"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/recursive-readdir/-/recursive-readdir-2.2.2.tgz#9946fb3274e1628de6e36b2f6714953b4845094f"
+  integrity sha512-nRCcW9Sj7NuZwa2XvH9co8NPeXUBhZP7CRKJtU+cS6PW9FpCIFoI5ib0NT1ZrbNuPoRy0ylyCaUL8Gih4LSyFg==
+  dependencies:
+    minimatch "3.0.4"
+
 redent@^1.0.0:
   version "1.0.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/redent/-/redent-1.0.0.tgz#cf916ab1fd5f1f16dfb20822dd6ec7f730c2afde"
@@ -17450,11 +17437,6 @@ sift@^6.0.0:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/sift/-/sift-6.0.0.tgz#f93a778e5cbf05a5024ebc391e6b32511a6d1f82"
   integrity sha1-+Tp3jly/BaUCTrw5HmsyURptH4I=
 
-sigmund@~1.0.0:
-  version "1.0.1"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/sigmund/-/sigmund-1.0.1.tgz#3ff21f198cad2175f9f3b781853fd94d0d19b590"
-  integrity sha1-P/IfGYytIXX587eBhT/ZTQ0ZtZA=
-
 signal-exit@^3.0.0, signal-exit@^3.0.2:
   version "3.0.2"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/signal-exit/-/signal-exit-3.0.2.tgz#b5fdc08f1287ea1178628e415e25132b73646c6d"