diff --git a/lib/chromedriver.js b/lib/chromedriver.js
index e500c88..f11a6a7 100644
--- a/lib/chromedriver.js
+++ b/lib/chromedriver.js
@@ -527,16 +527,6 @@ export class Chromedriver extends events.EventEmitter {
    * @returns {keyof PROTOCOLS}
    */
   syncProtocol() {
-    if (_.includes(this._onlineStatus?.message, 'OperaDriver')) {
-      this.log.info(
-        `OperaDriver is known to not support ${PROTOCOLS.W3C} protocol, ` +
-        `defaulting to ${PROTOCOLS.MJSONWP}. ` +
-        `See https://github.com/operasoftware/operachromiumdriver/issues/88`
-      );
-      this._desiredProtocol = PROTOCOLS.MJSONWP;
-      return this._desiredProtocol;
-    }
-
     if (this.driverVersion) {
       const coercedVersion = semver.coerce(this.driverVersion);
       if (!coercedVersion || coercedVersion.major < MIN_CD_VERSION_WITH_W3C_SUPPORT) {
@@ -549,15 +539,23 @@ export class Chromedriver extends events.EventEmitter {
       }
     }
 
-    // Check only chromeOptions for now.
-    const chromeOptions = getCapValue(this.capabilities, 'chromeOptions', {});
-    if (chromeOptions.w3c === false) {
+    const isOperaDriver = _.includes(this._onlineStatus?.message, 'OperaDriver');
+    const chromeOptions = getCapValue(this.capabilities, 'chromeOptions');
+    if (_.isPlainObject(chromeOptions) && chromeOptions.w3c === false) {
       this.log.info(
         `The ChromeDriver v. ${this.driverVersion} supports ${PROTOCOLS.W3C} protocol, ` +
           `but ${PROTOCOLS.MJSONWP} one has been explicitly requested`,
       );
       this._desiredProtocol = PROTOCOLS.MJSONWP;
       return this._desiredProtocol;
+    } else if (isOperaDriver) {
+      // OperaDriver needs the W3C protocol to be requested explcitly,
+      // otherwise it defaults to JWP
+      if (_.isPlainObject(chromeOptions)) {
+        chromeOptions.w3c = true;
+      } else {
+        this.capabilities['goog:chromeOptions'].w3c = true;
+      }
     }
 
     this._desiredProtocol = PROTOCOLS.W3C;
diff --git a/lib/protocol-helpers.js b/lib/protocol-helpers.js
index 02352cf..22b6225 100644
--- a/lib/protocol-helpers.js
+++ b/lib/protocol-helpers.js
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ function toW3cCapName (capName) {
  *
  * @param {Record<string,any>} allCaps
  * @param {string} rawCapName
- * @param {any} defaultValue
- * @returns
+ * @param {any} [defaultValue]
+ * @returns {any}
  */
 function getCapValue (allCaps = {}, rawCapName, defaultValue) {
   for (const [capName, capValue] of _.toPairs(allCaps)) {