diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs
index 748b92d4b..0fc84cf88 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs
@@ -107,6 +107,11 @@ pub fn evaluate_file(
     trace!("parsing file: {}", file_path_str);
     let block = parse(&mut working_set, Some(file_path_str), &file, false);
 
+    if let Some(err) = working_set.parse_errors.first() {
+        report_error(&working_set, err);
+        std::process::exit(1);
+    }
+
     for block in &mut working_set.delta.blocks {
         if block.signature.name == "main" {
             block.signature.name = source_filename.to_string_lossy().to_string();
diff --git a/tests/eval/mod.rs b/tests/eval/mod.rs
index 9d7492389..f3af92376 100644
--- a/tests/eval/mod.rs
+++ b/tests/eval/mod.rs
@@ -6,3 +6,13 @@ fn source_file_relative_to_file() {
 
     assert!(actual.err.contains("redefined"));
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn run_file_parse_error() {
+    let actual = nu!(
+        cwd: "tests/fixtures/eval",
+        "nu script.nu"
+    );
+
+    assert!(actual.err.contains("unknown type"));
+}
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/eval/script.nu b/tests/fixtures/eval/script.nu
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b67e2e363
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/eval/script.nu
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+def main [] {
+  somefunc "foo"
+}
+
+def somefunc [
+  somearg: unknown_type
+] {
+  echo $somearg
+}