diff --git a/subprojects/testing-base/src/main/java/org/gradle/api/internal/tasks/testing/junit/result/JUnitXmlResultWriter.java b/subprojects/testing-base/src/main/java/org/gradle/api/internal/tasks/testing/junit/result/JUnitXmlResultWriter.java
index 5464d387ba4a..5f29f10829c2 100644
--- a/subprojects/testing-base/src/main/java/org/gradle/api/internal/tasks/testing/junit/result/JUnitXmlResultWriter.java
+++ b/subprojects/testing-base/src/main/java/org/gradle/api/internal/tasks/testing/junit/result/JUnitXmlResultWriter.java
@@ -352,6 +352,10 @@ private TestCaseExecution skipped(long classId, long id) {
 
     private Iterable<TestCaseExecution> failures(final long classId, final TestMethodResult methodResult, final FailureType failureType) {
         List<TestFailure> failures = methodResult.getFailures();
+        if (failures.isEmpty()) {
+            // This can happen with a failing engine. For now we just ignore this.
+            return Collections.emptyList();
+        }
         final TestFailure firstFailure = failures.get(0);
         return Iterables.transform(failures, new Function<TestFailure, TestCaseExecution>() {
             @Override
diff --git a/subprojects/testing-base/src/test/groovy/org/gradle/api/internal/tasks/testing/junit/result/JUnitXmlResultWriterSpec.groovy b/subprojects/testing-base/src/test/groovy/org/gradle/api/internal/tasks/testing/junit/result/JUnitXmlResultWriterSpec.groovy
index ade0854a1e03..13b34b3b757b 100644
--- a/subprojects/testing-base/src/test/groovy/org/gradle/api/internal/tasks/testing/junit/result/JUnitXmlResultWriterSpec.groovy
+++ b/subprojects/testing-base/src/test/groovy/org/gradle/api/internal/tasks/testing/junit/result/JUnitXmlResultWriterSpec.groovy
@@ -181,6 +181,19 @@ class JUnitXmlResultWriterSpec extends Specification {
 """
     }
 
+    def "can generate report with failed tests with no exception"() {
+        given:
+        TestClassResult result = new TestClassResult(1, "com.foo.FooTest", startTime)
+        result.add(new TestMethodResult(3, "some failing test", FAILURE, 10, startTime + 40))
+
+        when:
+        def xml = getXml(result)
+        then:
+        new JUnitTestClassExecutionResult(xml, "com.foo.FooTest", "com.foo.FooTest", TestResultOutputAssociation.WITH_SUITE)
+            .assertTestCount(1, 0, 1, 0)
+            .assertTestFailed("some failing test")
+    }
+
     @Unroll
     @Issue("gradle/gradle#11445")
     def "writes #writtenName as class display name when #displayName is specified"() {