diff --git a/cucumber-core/src/main/java/io/cucumber/core/runtime/Runtime.java b/cucumber-core/src/main/java/io/cucumber/core/runtime/Runtime.java
index 371dd31588..c70fc2f965 100644
--- a/cucumber-core/src/main/java/io/cucumber/core/runtime/Runtime.java
+++ b/cucumber-core/src/main/java/io/cucumber/core/runtime/Runtime.java
@@ -76,10 +76,12 @@ public static Builder builder() {
     }
 
     public void run() {
+        // Parse the features early. Don't proceed when there are lexer errors
+        List<Feature> features = featureSupplier.get();
         context.startTestRun();
         execute(() -> {
             context.runBeforeAllHooks();
-            runFeatures();
+            runFeatures(features);
         });
         execute(context::runAfterAllHooks);
         execute(context::finishTestRun);
@@ -98,8 +100,7 @@ private void execute(Runnable runnable) {
         }
     }
 
-    private void runFeatures() {
-        List<Feature> features = featureSupplier.get();
+    private void runFeatures(List<Feature> features) {
         features.forEach(context::beforeFeature);
         List<Future<?>> executingPickles = features.stream()
                 .flatMap(feature -> feature.getPickles().stream())
diff --git a/cucumber-core/src/test/java/io/cucumber/core/runtime/RuntimeTest.java b/cucumber-core/src/test/java/io/cucumber/core/runtime/RuntimeTest.java
index f552209889..ea4b0ac64b 100644
--- a/cucumber-core/src/test/java/io/cucumber/core/runtime/RuntimeTest.java
+++ b/cucumber-core/src/test/java/io/cucumber/core/runtime/RuntimeTest.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 import io.cucumber.core.exception.CompositeCucumberException;
 import io.cucumber.core.feature.TestFeatureParser;
 import io.cucumber.core.gherkin.Feature;
+import io.cucumber.core.gherkin.FeatureParserException;
 import io.cucumber.core.options.RuntimeOptionsBuilder;
 import io.cucumber.core.runner.StepDurationTimeService;
 import io.cucumber.core.runner.TestBackendSupplier;
@@ -127,6 +128,17 @@ void with_ambiguous_scenarios() {
         assertThat(runtime.exitStatus(), is(equalTo((byte) 0x1)));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void with_parse_error() {
+        Runtime runtime = Runtime.builder()
+                .withFeatureSupplier(() -> {
+                    throw new FeatureParserException("oops");
+                })
+                .build();
+
+        assertThrows(FeatureParserException.class, runtime::run);
+    }
+
     @Test
     void should_pass_if_no_features_are_found() {
         Runtime runtime = Runtime.builder()