diff --git a/src/cli/test_command.zig b/src/cli/test_command.zig
index cfe25b0479..ac6a86bdf7 100644
--- a/src/cli/test_command.zig
+++ b/src/cli/test_command.zig
@@ -1599,13 +1599,13 @@ pub const TestCommand = struct {
 
                 if (files.len > 1) {
                     for (files[0 .. files.len - 1]) |file_name| {
-                        TestCommand.run(reporter, vm, file_name.slice(), allocator, false) catch {};
+                        TestCommand.run(reporter, vm, file_name.slice(), allocator, false) catch |err| handleTopLevelTestErrorBeforeJavaScriptStart(err);
                         reporter.jest.default_timeout_override = std.math.maxInt(u32);
                         Global.mimalloc_cleanup(false);
                     }
                 }
 
-                TestCommand.run(reporter, vm, files[files.len - 1].slice(), allocator, true) catch {};
+                TestCommand.run(reporter, vm, files[files.len - 1].slice(), allocator, true) catch |err| handleTopLevelTestErrorBeforeJavaScriptStart(err);
             }
         };
 
@@ -1769,3 +1769,12 @@ pub const TestCommand = struct {
         }
     }
 };
+
+fn handleTopLevelTestErrorBeforeJavaScriptStart(err: anyerror) noreturn {
+    if (comptime Environment.isDebug) {
+        if (err != error.ModuleNotFound) {
+            Output.debugWarn("Unhandled error: {s}\n", .{@errorName(err)});
+        }
+    }
+    Global.exit(1);
+}
diff --git a/test/cli/test/bun-test.test.ts b/test/cli/test/bun-test.test.ts
index 71400823a9..d4d2e83a19 100644
--- a/test/cli/test/bun-test.test.ts
+++ b/test/cli/test/bun-test.test.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,16 @@ import { mkdirSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
 import { dirname, join, resolve } from "node:path";
 
 describe("bun test", () => {
+  test("running a non-existent absolute file path is a 1 exit code", () => {
+    const spawn = Bun.spawnSync({
+      cmd: [bunExe(), "test", join(import.meta.dirname, "non-existent.test.ts")],
+      env: bunEnv,
+      stdin: "ignore",
+      stdout: "inherit",
+      stderr: "inherit",
+    });
+    expect(spawn.exitCode).toBe(1);
+  });
   test("can provide no arguments", () => {
     const stderr = runTest({
       args: [],