diff --git a/src/BaseCommand.js b/src/BaseCommand.js
index 7acbde98..9a8e18cb 100644
--- a/src/BaseCommand.js
+++ b/src/BaseCommand.js
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ class BaseCommand extends Command {
   async catch (error) {
     const { flags } = await this.parse(this.prototype)
     aioLogger.error(error) // debug log
-    this.error(flags.verbose ? error.stack : error.message)
+    this.error(flags.verbose && error.stack ? error.stack : error.message)
   }
 
   async init () {
diff --git a/test/BaseCommand.test.js b/test/BaseCommand.test.js
index fda6ac73..be3493d0 100644
--- a/test/BaseCommand.test.js
+++ b/test/BaseCommand.test.js
@@ -302,6 +302,26 @@ test('will change error message when aio app outside of the application root (--
   expect(cmd.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining(errorList.join('\n')))
 })
 
+test('will handle errors without stack traces when using --verbose flag', async () => {
+  const cmd = new TheCommand(['--verbose'])
+  cmd.error = jest.fn()
+  const errorWithoutStack = new Error('fake error')
+  delete errorWithoutStack.stack
+  await cmd.catch(errorWithoutStack)
+
+  expect(cmd.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining('fake error'))
+})
+
+test('will handle errors without stack traces when not using --verbose flag', async () => {
+  const cmd = new TheCommand([])
+  cmd.error = jest.fn()
+  const errorWithoutStack = new Error('fake error')
+  delete errorWithoutStack.stack
+  await cmd.catch(errorWithoutStack)
+
+  expect(cmd.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining('fake error'))
+})
+
 test('pjson', async () => {
   const cmd = new TheCommand([])
   cmd.config = { pjson: { name: 'fake', version: '0' } }