@@ -1166,8 +1166,8 @@ function run(options = kEmptyObject) {
               topLevelTestCount,
               root.subtests.length,
             );
-            if (topLevelTestCount === root.subtests.length) {
-              // This file had no tests in it. Add the placeholder test.
+            if (threw || topLevelTestCount === root.subtests.length) {
+              // This file failed to load or had no tests in it. Add the placeholder test.
               const subtest = root.createSubtest(Test, testFile, kEmptyObject, undefined, {
                 __proto__: null,
                 loc: [1, 1, resolve(testFile)],
 
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import { test } from 'node:test';
+
+test('registered before the error', () => {});
+null.x;
+test('never registered', () => {});
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+'use strict';
+const common = require('../common');
+const assert = require('node:assert');
+const fixtures = require('../common/fixtures');
+const { run } = require('node:test');
+
+const testFile = fixtures.path('test-runner', 'throws-after-test.mjs');
+const testRun = run({
+  files: [testFile],
+  isolation: 'none'
+});
+
+testRun.on('test:pass', common.mustCall((test) => {
+  assert.strictEqual(test.name, 'registered before the error');
+}));
+
+testRun.on('test:fail', common.mustCall((test) => {
+  assert.strictEqual(test.name, testFile);
+  assert.match(test.details.error.toString(), /TypeError: Cannot read properties of null/);
+}));