diff --git a/lib/runner.js b/lib/runner.js
index 3199dc921a..23ddaf23b4 100644
--- a/lib/runner.js
+++ b/lib/runner.js
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ Runner.prototype.fail = function(test, err) {
   ++this.failures;
   test.state = 'failed';
 
-  if (!(err instanceof Error)) {
+  if (!(err instanceof Error || err && typeof err.message == 'string')) {
     err = new Error('the ' + type(err) + ' ' + stringify(err) + ' was thrown, throw an Error :)');
   }
 
diff --git a/test/runner.js b/test/runner.js
index a2ce512514..08a5ce3e78 100644
--- a/test/runner.js
+++ b/test/runner.js
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ describe('Runner', function(){
       runner.fail(test, err);
     })
 
-    it('should emit a the error when failed with an Error', function(done){
+    it('should emit a the error when failed with an Error instance', function(done){
       var test = {}, err = new Error('an error message');
       runner.on('fail', function(test, err){
         err.message.should.equal('an error message');
@@ -238,6 +238,15 @@ describe('Runner', function(){
       runner.fail(test, err);
     })
 
+    it('should emit the error when failed with an Error-like object', function(done){
+      var test = {}, err = {message: 'an error message'};
+      runner.on('fail', function(test, err){
+        err.message.should.equal('an error message');
+        done();
+      });
+      runner.fail(test, err);
+    })
+
     it('should emit a helpful message when failed with an Object', function(done){
       var test = {}, err = { x: 1 };
       runner.on('fail', function(test, err){