diff --git a/.changeset/twenty-wombats-switch.md b/.changeset/twenty-wombats-switch.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d53fecc28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/twenty-wombats-switch.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@bigtest/server": patch
+---
+
+ensure bundler errors go right up the stack
diff --git a/packages/server/test/fixtures/exceptions/invalid-test-object.t.js b/packages/server/test/fixtures/exceptions/invalid-test-object.t.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..01dcc41fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/server/test/fixtures/exceptions/invalid-test-object.t.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+module.exports = {
+  description: 'no assertions or children'
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/server/test/fixtures/exceptions/no-default-export.t.js b/packages/server/test/fixtures/exceptions/no-default-export.t.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c327375e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/server/test/fixtures/exceptions/no-default-export.t.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+import { test } from '@bigtest/suite';
+
+export const t = test("No default export");
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/server/test/manifest-builder.test.ts b/packages/server/test/manifest-builder.test.ts
index 4a7ee02b5..1009bc4d3 100644
--- a/packages/server/test/manifest-builder.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/test/manifest-builder.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { describe as suite, beforeEach, it } from 'mocha';
+import { describe, beforeEach, it } from 'mocha';
 import expect from 'expect';
 import path from 'path';
 import rmrf from 'rimraf';
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ const FIXTURES_DIR = path.resolve('test', 'fixtures');
 
 const { mkdir, copyFile, readFile } = fs.promises;
 
-const describe = process.platform === 'win32' ? suite.skip : suite;
+// const describe = process.platform === 'win32' ? suite.skip : suite;
 describe('manifest builder', () => {
   let atom: Slice<OrchestratorState>;
   let resultPath: string;
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ describe('manifest builder', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  describe('importing the manifest with an error adds the error to the state', () => {
+  describe('importing the manifest with a syntax error adds the error to the state', () => {
     beforeEach(async () => {
       await copyFile(path.join(FIXTURES_DIR, 'exceptions', 'error.t.js'), MANIFEST_PATH);
       await actions.fork(atom.slice('bundler').once(({ type }) => type === 'ERRORED'));
@@ -177,9 +177,37 @@ describe('manifest builder', () => {
       // assert is used to type narrow also and does more than just assert
       assertBundlerState(bundlerState.type, {is: 'ERRORED'})
 
-      let error = bundlerState.error;
+      expect(bundlerState.error.message).toEqual('bork')
+    });
+  });
 
-      expect(error.message).toEqual('bork')
+  describe('importing a test with no default export adds the error to the state', () => {
+    beforeEach(async () => {
+      await copyFile(path.join(FIXTURES_DIR, 'exceptions', 'no-default-export.t.js'), MANIFEST_PATH);
+      await actions.fork(atom.slice('bundler').once(({ type }) => type === 'ERRORED'));
     });
-  })
+
+    it('should update the global state with the error detail', () => {
+      let bundlerState = atom.get().bundler;
+
+      assertBundlerState(bundlerState.type, {is: 'ERRORED'})
+
+      expect(bundlerState.error.message).toContain('default export')
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('importing an invalid test object adds the error to the state', () => {
+    beforeEach(async () => {
+      await copyFile(path.join(FIXTURES_DIR, 'exceptions', 'invalid-test-object.t.js'), MANIFEST_PATH);
+      await actions.fork(atom.slice('bundler').once(({ type }) => type === 'ERRORED'));
+    });
+
+    it('should update the global state with the error detail', () => {
+      let bundlerState = atom.get().bundler;
+
+      assertBundlerState(bundlerState.type, {is: 'ERRORED'})
+
+      expect(bundlerState.error.message).toContain('Test contains no assertions or children')
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/suite/src/validate-test.ts b/packages/suite/src/validate-test.ts
index 84892a648..7fa2faec6 100644
--- a/packages/suite/src/validate-test.ts
+++ b/packages/suite/src/validate-test.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,15 @@ export class TestValidationError extends Error {
   }
 }
 
+const every = Array.prototype.every;
+const some = Array.prototype.some;
+
+function validateTestKeys (test: Test, keys: (keyof Test)[], validationFn: typeof some | typeof every): boolean {
+  // the disable comment below is because eslint is not recognising k as used in !!test?.[k].
+  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars
+  return validationFn.call(keys, (k: keyof Test) => !!test?.[k]);
+}
+
 function findDuplicates<T>(array: T[], callback: (value: T) => void) {
   let ledger = new Set();
   for(let element of array) {
@@ -50,6 +59,14 @@ export function validateTest(test: Test): true {
       throw new TestValidationError(`Invalid Test: is too deeply nested, maximum allowed depth of nesting is ${MAXIMUM_DEPTH}\n\nTest: ${path.join(' → ')}`, file)
     }
 
+    if ( validateTestKeys(test, ['description'], every) === false) {
+      throw new TestValidationError(`Invalid Test: Test contains no description.\n\nDoes the test file contain a default export? Test: ${path.join(' → ')}`, file);
+    }
+
+    if ( validateTestKeys(test, ['assertions', 'children'], some) === false) {
+      throw new TestValidationError(`Invalid Test: Test contains no assertions or children.\n\nTest: ${path.join(' → ')}`, test.path);
+    }
+
     findDuplicates(test.assertions.map((a) => a.description), (duplicate) => {
       throw new TestValidationError(`Invalid Test: contains duplicate assertion: ${JSON.stringify(duplicate)}\n\nTest: ${path.join(' → ')}`, file)
     });
@@ -64,5 +81,6 @@ export function validateTest(test: Test): true {
 
     return true;
   }
+
   return validateTestInner(test, [test.description], test.path);
 }