diff --git a/autotest-external.sh b/autotest-external.sh
index a6ca077ebb..1f1ca330ac 100755
--- a/autotest-external.sh
+++ b/autotest-external.sh
@@ -210,16 +210,19 @@ EOF
 				rm -rf "coverage-external-html-$1-$name"
 				mkdir "coverage-external-html-$1-$name"
 				"$PHPUNIT" --configuration phpunit-autotest-external.xml --log-junit "autotest-external-results-$1-$name.xml" --coverage-clover "autotest-external-clover-$1-$name.xml" --coverage-html "coverage-external-html-$1-$name" "$FILES_EXTERNAL_BACKEND_PATH/$testToRun"
-				RESULT=$?
 			else
 				echo "No coverage"
 				"$PHPUNIT" --configuration phpunit-autotest-external.xml --log-junit "autotest-external-results-$1-$name.xml" "$FILES_EXTERNAL_BACKEND_PATH/$testToRun"
-				RESULT=$?
 			fi
 		else
 		    DOEXIT=1
 		fi
 
+		if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then
+		    echo "Error during phpunit execution ... terminating"
+		    exit 1
+		fi
+
 		# calculate stop file
 		stopFile=`echo "$startFile" | sed 's/start/stop/'`
 		echo "stop: $stopFile"