diff --git a/lib/stream.js b/lib/stream.js
index 3dcc81d07d..32bdefe9bc 100644
--- a/lib/stream.js
+++ b/lib/stream.js
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ export const makeAllStream = (spawned, {all}) => {
 
 // On failure, `result.stdout|stderr|all` should contain the currently buffered stream
 const getBufferedData = async (stream, streamPromise) => {
-	if (!stream) {
+	// When `buffer` is `false`, `streamPromise` is `undefined` and there is no buffered data to retrieve
+	if (!stream || streamPromise === undefined) {
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/stream.js b/test/stream.js
index 32c3d0c678..aeceedb0d4 100644
--- a/test/stream.js
+++ b/test/stream.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import fs from 'node:fs';
 import Stream from 'node:stream';
 import test from 'ava';
 import getStream from 'get-stream';
+import {pEvent} from 'p-event';
 import tempfile from 'tempfile';
 import {execa, execaSync} from '../index.js';
 import {setFixtureDir} from './helpers/fixtures-dir.js';
@@ -173,6 +174,11 @@ test('buffer: false > promise rejects when process returns non-zero', async t =>
 	t.is(exitCode, 2);
 });
 
+test('buffer: false > emits end event when promise is rejected', async t => {
+	const subprocess = execa('wrong command', {buffer: false, reject: false});
+	await t.notThrowsAsync(Promise.all([subprocess, pEvent(subprocess.stdout, 'end')]));
+});
+
 test('can use all: true with stdout: ignore', async t => {
 	await t.notThrowsAsync(execa('max-buffer.js', {buffer: false, stdout: 'ignore', all: true}));
 });