diff --git a/lib/core.js b/lib/core.js
index 5281bc735..120c734e2 100644
--- a/lib/core.js
+++ b/lib/core.js
@@ -65,6 +65,12 @@ exports.runTest = function (name, fn, opt, callback) {
     var start = new Date().getTime();
     var test = types.test(name, start, options, callback);
 
+    // Fail the test gracefully if an exception was thrown from a callback
+    process.removeAllListeners('uncaughtException');
+    process.on('uncaughtException', function (exception) {
+      test.done(exception);
+    });
+
     try {
         fn(test);
     }
diff --git a/lib/types.js b/lib/types.js
index 2cdd1efc8..88398b540 100644
--- a/lib/types.js
+++ b/lib/types.js
@@ -79,12 +79,7 @@ var assertWrapper = function (callback) {
         return function () {
             var message = arguments[arity - 1];
             var a = exports.assertion({method: new_method, message: message});
-            try {
-                assert[assert_method].apply(null, arguments);
-            }
-            catch (e) {
-                a.error = e;
-            }
+            assert[assert_method].apply(null, arguments);
             callback(a);
         };
     };