diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/runtime/collect.ts b/packages/vitest/src/runtime/collect.ts
index 1966071ef..de03c755b 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/runtime/collect.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/runtime/collect.ts
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ function interpretTaskModes(suite: Suite, namePattern?: string | RegExp, onlyMod
 
   // if all subtasks are skipped, mark as skip
   if (suite.mode === 'run') {
-    if (suite.tasks.every(i => i.mode !== 'run'))
+    if (suite.tasks.length && suite.tasks.every(i => i.mode !== 'run'))
       suite.mode = 'skip'
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/runtime/run.ts b/packages/vitest/src/runtime/run.ts
index 195c10e54..6fbf251a3 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/runtime/run.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/runtime/run.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { performance } from 'perf_hooks'
-import type { HookListener, ResolvedConfig, Suite, SuiteHooks, Task, TaskResult, Test } from '../types'
+import type { File, HookListener, ResolvedConfig, Suite, SuiteHooks, Task, TaskResult, Test } from '../types'
 import { vi } from '../integrations/vi'
 import { getSnapshotClient } from '../integrations/snapshot/chai'
 import { getFullName, hasFailed, hasTests, partitionSuiteChildren } from '../utils'
@@ -196,9 +196,17 @@ async function runSuiteChild(c: Task) {
     : runSuite(c)
 }
 
-export async function runSuites(suites: Suite[]) {
-  for (const suite of suites)
-    await runSuite(suite)
+export async function runFiles(files: File[], config: ResolvedConfig) {
+  for (const file of files) {
+    if (!file.tasks.length && !config.passWithNoTests) {
+      file.result = {
+        state: 'fail',
+        error: new Error(`No test suite found in file ${file.filepath}`),
+      }
+    }
+
+    await runSuite(file)
+  }
 }
 
 export async function startTests(paths: string[], config: ResolvedConfig) {
@@ -206,7 +214,7 @@ export async function startTests(paths: string[], config: ResolvedConfig) {
 
   rpc().onCollected(files)
 
-  await runSuites(files)
+  await runFiles(files, config)
 
   takeCoverage()
 
diff --git a/test/fails/fixtures/empty.test.ts b/test/fails/fixtures/empty.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/test/fails/test/__snapshots__/runner.test.ts.snap b/test/fails/test/__snapshots__/runner.test.ts.snap
index 60a1c35db..fc01ca968 100644
--- a/test/fails/test/__snapshots__/runner.test.ts.snap
+++ b/test/fails/test/__snapshots__/runner.test.ts.snap
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 // Vitest Snapshot v1
 
+exports[`should fails > empty.test.ts > empty.test.ts 1`] = `"Error: No test suite found in file /Users/antfu/i/vitest/test/fails/fixtures/empty.test.ts"`;
+
 exports[`should fails > expect.test.ts > expect.test.ts 1`] = `"AssertionError: expected 2 to deeply equal 3"`;
 
 exports[`should fails > hook-timeout.test.ts > hook-timeout.test.ts 1`] = `"Error: Hook timed out in 10ms."`;