diff --git a/src/com/android/tradefed/result/proto/ProtoResultParser.java b/src/com/android/tradefed/result/proto/ProtoResultParser.java
index a481cc9..6bda4dd 100644
--- a/src/com/android/tradefed/result/proto/ProtoResultParser.java
+++ b/src/com/android/tradefed/result/proto/ProtoResultParser.java
@@ -318,6 +318,7 @@
                     } catch (IOException e) {
                         CLog.e("Failed to deserialize the invocation exception:");
                         CLog.e(e);
+                        failure.setCause(new RuntimeException(failure.getErrorMessage()));
                     }
                 }
             }