diff --git a/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.core.test/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/core/test/CodanTestCase.java b/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.core.test/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/core/test/CodanTestCase.java
index 41af0bf470d..dceab470a8e 100644
--- a/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.core.test/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/core/test/CodanTestCase.java
+++ b/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.core.test/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/core/test/CodanTestCase.java
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@ public class CodanTestCase extends BaseTestCase {
 		removeLeftOverProjects();
 		cproject = createProject(isCpp());
 		tmpDir = cproject.getProject().getLocation().makeAbsolute().toFile();
+		// this make CodanRunner to propagate all exceptions it normally just logs
+		System.setProperty("codan.rethrow", "true"); // test can override setUp and unset this
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/core/CodanCorePlugin.java b/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/core/CodanCorePlugin.java
index 70a583c6c10..968e827a267 100644
--- a/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/core/CodanCorePlugin.java
+++ b/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/core/CodanCorePlugin.java
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ public class CodanCorePlugin extends Plugin {
 	 * @noreference This method is not intended to be referenced by clients.
 	 */
 	public static void log(Throwable e) {
+		if (Boolean.valueOf(System.getProperty("codan.rethrow"))) //$NON-NLS-1$
+			throw new RuntimeException(e);
 		log("Internal Error", e); //$NON-NLS-1$
 	}
 
diff --git a/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/internal/core/CodanRunner.java b/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/internal/core/CodanRunner.java
index 8b23934fe07..4b41a4d921e 100644
--- a/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/internal/core/CodanRunner.java
+++ b/codan/org.eclipse.cdt.codan.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/codan/internal/core/CodanRunner.java
@@ -76,31 +76,29 @@ public class CodanRunner {
 			ICheckerInvocationContext context = new CheckerInvocationContext(resource);
 			try {
 				for (IChecker checker : chegistry) {
-					try {
-						if (monitor.isCanceled())
-							return;
-						if (chegistry.isCheckerEnabled(checker, resource, checkerLaunchMode)) {
-							synchronized (checker) {
-								try {
-									checker.before(resource);
-									CheckersTimeStats.getInstance().checkerStart(checker.getClass().getName());
-									if (checkerLaunchMode == CheckerLaunchMode.RUN_AS_YOU_TYPE) {
-										((IRunnableInEditorChecker) checker).processModel(model, context);
-									} else {
-										checker.processResource(resource, context);
-									}
-								} finally {
-									CheckersTimeStats.getInstance().checkerStop(checker.getClass().getName());
-									checker.after(resource);
+					if (monitor.isCanceled())
+						return;
+					if (chegistry.isCheckerEnabled(checker, resource, checkerLaunchMode)) {
+						synchronized (checker) {
+							try {
+								checker.before(resource);
+								CheckersTimeStats.getInstance().checkerStart(checker.getClass().getName());
+								if (checkerLaunchMode == CheckerLaunchMode.RUN_AS_YOU_TYPE) {
+									((IRunnableInEditorChecker) checker).processModel(model, context);
+								} else {
+									checker.processResource(resource, context);
 								}
+							} catch (OperationCanceledException e) {
+								return;
+							} catch (Throwable e) {
+								CodanCorePlugin.log(e);
+							} finally {
+								CheckersTimeStats.getInstance().checkerStop(checker.getClass().getName());
+								checker.after(resource);
 							}
 						}
-						monitor.worked(1);
-					} catch (OperationCanceledException e) {
-						return;
-					} catch (Throwable e) {
-						CodanCorePlugin.log(e);
 					}
+					monitor.worked(1);
 				}
 			} finally {
 				context.dispose();