diff --git a/src/plugins/cppcheck/cppcheckrunner.cpp b/src/plugins/cppcheck/cppcheckrunner.cpp
index 7ee44bbb365..4f9b23646c5 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cppcheck/cppcheckrunner.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cppcheck/cppcheckrunner.cpp
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ void CppcheckRunner::handleDone()
     if (m_process.result() == ProcessResult::FinishedWithSuccess)
         m_tool.finishParsing();
     else
-        Core::MessageManager::writeSilently(m_process.exitMessage());
+        m_tool.finishWithFail(m_process.exitMessage());
 
     m_currentFiles.clear();
     m_process.close();
diff --git a/src/plugins/cppcheck/cppchecktool.cpp b/src/plugins/cppcheck/cppchecktool.cpp
index 5bfcf941a3f..84479a78be5 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cppcheck/cppchecktool.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cppcheck/cppchecktool.cpp
@@ -304,4 +304,12 @@ void CppcheckTool::finishParsing()
     m_progress->reportFinished();
 }
 
+void CppcheckTool::finishWithFail(const QString &exitMessage)
+{
+    if (!exitMessage.isEmpty())
+        Core::MessageManager::writeSilently(exitMessage);
+    QTC_ASSERT(m_progress, return);
+    m_progress->cancelAndFinish();
+}
+
 } // Cppcheck::Internal
diff --git a/src/plugins/cppcheck/cppchecktool.h b/src/plugins/cppcheck/cppchecktool.h
index d14485fd5e8..e8e61efaef9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cppcheck/cppchecktool.h
+++ b/src/plugins/cppcheck/cppchecktool.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ public:
     void parseOutputLine(const QString &line);
     void parseErrorLine(const QString &line);
     void finishParsing();
+    void finishWithFail(const QString &exitMessage);
 
 private:
     void updateArguments();