diff --git a/lib/reporters/base.js b/lib/reporters/base.js
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/lib/reporters/base.js
+++ b/lib/reporters/base.js
@@ -116,7 +116,8 @@ exports.list = function(failures){
     // msg
     var err = test.err
       , stack = err.stack
-      , index = stack.indexOf(err.message) + err.message.length
+      , message = err.message || ''
+      , index = stack.indexOf(message) + message.length
       , msg = stack.slice(0, index);
 
     // indent stack trace without msg
Fixed weird reporting when err.message is not present

nodes core "assert" lib will throw without a .message,
for example assert(1 == 2), assert(1 == 2, "something failed")
is fine however