diff --git a/easybuild/framework/easyblock.py b/easybuild/framework/easyblock.py
index f6077dd5ce..a684b74347 100644
--- a/easybuild/framework/easyblock.py
+++ b/easybuild/framework/easyblock.py
@@ -2736,7 +2736,10 @@ def _test_step(self):
         try:
             self.test_step()
         except RunShellCmdError as err:
-            self.report_test_failure(err)
+            err.print()
+            ec_path = os.path.basename(self.cfg.path)
+            error_msg = f"shell command '{err.cmd_name} ...' failed in test step for {ec_path}"
+            self.report_test_failure(error_msg)
 
     def stage_install_step(self):
         """
diff --git a/test/framework/toy_build.py b/test/framework/toy_build.py
index 6ba47d3587..d6f3f9e7ce 100644
--- a/test/framework/toy_build.py
+++ b/test/framework/toy_build.py
@@ -4124,6 +4124,22 @@ def test_toy_build_info_msg(self):
         regex = re.compile(pattern, re.M)
         self.assertTrue(regex.search(stdout), "Pattern '%s' should be found in: %s" % (regex.pattern, stdout))
 
+    def test_toy_failing_test_step(self):
+        """
+        Test behaviour when test step fails, using toy easyconfig.
+        """
+        test_ecs = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'easyconfigs', 'test_ecs')
+        toy_ec = os.path.join(test_ecs, 't', 'toy', 'toy-0.0.eb')
+
+        test_ec_txt = read_file(toy_ec)
+        test_ec_txt += '\nruntest = "false"'
+        test_ec = os.path.join(self.test_prefix, 'test.eb')
+        write_file(test_ec, test_ec_txt)
+
+        error_pattern = "shell command 'false \.\.\.' failed in test step"
+        self.assertErrorRegex(EasyBuildError, error_pattern, self.run_test_toy_build_with_output,
+                              ec_file=test_ec, raise_error=True)
+
     def test_eb_crash(self):
         """
         Test behaviour when EasyBuild crashes, for example due to a buggy hook