diff --git a/curriculum/test/test-challenges.js b/curriculum/test/test-challenges.js
index f1c7da98a5..f4f05f2d6d 100644
--- a/curriculum/test/test-challenges.js
+++ b/curriculum/test/test-challenges.js
@@ -83,6 +83,11 @@ let page;
 runTests();
 
 async function runTests() {
+  process.on('unhandledRejection', err => {
+    spinner.stop();
+    throw new Error(`unhandledRejection: ${err.name}, ${err.message}`);
+  });
+
   let testLangs = [...supportedLangs];
   if (process.env.TEST_CHALLENGES_FOR_LANGS) {
     const filterLangs = process.env.TEST_CHALLENGES_FOR_LANGS.split(',').map(
diff --git a/tools/challenge-md-parser/index.js b/tools/challenge-md-parser/index.js
index 0f9fc92ea2..5b601b1172 100644
--- a/tools/challenge-md-parser/index.js
+++ b/tools/challenge-md-parser/index.js
@@ -26,10 +26,11 @@ const processor = unified()
   // we need to write a compiler that can create graphql nodes
   .use(html);
 
-exports.parseMarkdown = function parseMarkdown(file) {
+exports.parseMarkdown = function parseMarkdown(filename) {
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) =>
-    processor.process(vfile.readSync(file), function(err, file) {
+    processor.process(vfile.readSync(filename), function(err, file) {
       if (err) {
+        err.message += ' in file ' + filename;
         reject(err);
       }
       delete file.contents;