diff --git a/.vscode/settings.json b/.vscode/settings.json
index c4951686b125..0b867bdd9628 100644
--- a/.vscode/settings.json
+++ b/.vscode/settings.json
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 {
-  "editor.rulers": [80],
+  "editor.rulers": [
+    80
+  ],
   "files.exclude": {
     "**/.git": true,
     "**/node_modules": true,
     "**/build": true
   },
-  "editor.formatOnSave": true,
+  "editor.formatOnSave": false,
   "flow.useNPMPackagedFlow": true,
   "javascript.validate.enable": false,
   "jest.pathToJest": "yarn jest --",
diff --git a/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/normalize.test.js.snap b/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/normalize.test.js.snap
index 19770435b020..ef754afc331b 100644
--- a/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/normalize.test.js.snap
+++ b/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/normalize.test.js.snap
@@ -67,6 +67,17 @@ exports[`testMatch throws if testRegex and testMatch are both specified 1`] = `
 <red></>"
 `;
 
+exports[`testMatch throws if testRegex is provided an invalid regex string 1`] = `
+"<red><bold><bold>● <bold>Validation Error</>:</>
+<red></>
+<red>Error parsing configuration for <bold>testRegex</>: \\"foo(bar\\" could not be parsed.</>
+<red>Error: Invalid regular expression: /foo(bar/: Unterminated group</>
+<red></>
+<red>  <bold>Configuration Documentation:</></>
+<red>  https://jestjs.io/docs/configuration.html</>
+<red></>"
+`;
+
 exports[`testPathPattern <regexForTestFiles> ignores invalid regular expressions and logs a warning 1`] = `"<red>  Invalid testPattern a( supplied. Running all tests instead.</>"`;
 
 exports[`testPathPattern --testPathPattern ignores invalid regular expressions and logs a warning 1`] = `"<red>  Invalid testPattern a( supplied. Running all tests instead.</>"`;
diff --git a/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/normalize.test.js b/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/normalize.test.js
index 4d69793652ec..ff45c3036203 100644
--- a/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/normalize.test.js
+++ b/packages/jest-config/src/__tests__/normalize.test.js
@@ -878,6 +878,18 @@ describe('testMatch', () => {
     }).toThrowErrorMatchingSnapshot();
   });
 
+  it('throws if testRegex is provided an invalid regex string', () => {
+    expect(() => {
+      normalize(
+        {
+          rootDir: '/root',
+          testRegex: 'foo(bar',
+        },
+        {},
+      );
+    }).toThrowErrorMatchingSnapshot();
+  });
+
   it('normalizes testMatch', () => {
     const {options} = normalize(
       {
diff --git a/packages/jest-config/src/normalize.js b/packages/jest-config/src/normalize.js
index 7db39007304c..0bbd7af6b80b 100644
--- a/packages/jest-config/src/normalize.js
+++ b/packages/jest-config/src/normalize.js
@@ -551,7 +551,19 @@ export default function normalize(options: InitialOptions, argv: Argv) {
         const valueArray = Array.isArray(valueOrEmptyArray)
           ? valueOrEmptyArray
           : [valueOrEmptyArray];
-        value = valueArray.map(replacePathSepForRegex).map(e => new RegExp(e));
+
+        value = valueArray.map(replacePathSepForRegex).map(pattern => {
+          try {
+            return new RegExp(pattern);
+          } catch (err) {
+            throw createConfigError(
+              `Error parsing configuration for ${chalk.bold(
+                key,
+              )}: "${pattern}" could not be parsed.\n` +
+                `Error: ${err.message}`,
+            );
+          }
+        });
         break;
       case 'moduleFileExtensions': {
         value = options[key];