diff --git a/packages/rspack-cli/src/cli.ts b/packages/rspack-cli/src/cli.ts
index 4dab69bff2b5..0b1d6e69015b 100644
--- a/packages/rspack-cli/src/cli.ts
+++ b/packages/rspack-cli/src/cli.ts
@@ -70,7 +70,11 @@ export class RspackCLI {
 				this.getLogger().error(e.message);
 				process.exit(2);
 			} else if (e instanceof Error) {
-				callback?.(e);
+				if (typeof callback === "function") {
+					callback(e);
+				} else {
+					this.getLogger().error(e);
+				}
 				return null;
 			}
 			throw e;
diff --git a/packages/rspack-cli/tests/serve/plugin-apply-error/rspack.config.js b/packages/rspack-cli/tests/serve/plugin-apply-error/rspack.config.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e92bd88bf264
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/rspack-cli/tests/serve/plugin-apply-error/rspack.config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+module.exports = {
+	mode: "development",
+	devtool: false,
+	plugins: [
+		{
+			name: "test-plugin",
+			apply(compiler) {
+				throw new Error("error in plugin");
+			}
+		}
+	],
+	devServer: {}
+};
diff --git a/packages/rspack-cli/tests/serve/plugin-apply-error/serve-plugin-apply-error.test.ts b/packages/rspack-cli/tests/serve/plugin-apply-error/serve-plugin-apply-error.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7aa953cfea71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/rspack-cli/tests/serve/plugin-apply-error/serve-plugin-apply-error.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import { normalizeStderr, runWatch } from "../../utils/test-utils";
+
+describe("should display plugin error", () => {
+	it("display error", async () => {
+		const { stderr } = await runWatch(__dirname, ["serve"], {
+			killString: /Error: /
+		});
+
+		expect(normalizeStderr(stderr)).toContain("error in plugin");
+	});
+});