diff --git a/lisp/emacs-lisp/ert.el b/lisp/emacs-lisp/ert.el
index eb2b2e3e11..66ae31fd51 100644
--- a/lisp/emacs-lisp/ert.el
+++ b/lisp/emacs-lisp/ert.el
@@ -276,13 +276,15 @@ ert--special-operator-p
 (defun ert--expand-should-1 (whole form inner-expander)
   "Helper function for the `should' macro and its variants."
   (let ((form
-         (macroexpand form (append (bound-and-true-p
-                                    byte-compile-macro-environment)
-                                   (cond
-                                    ((boundp 'macroexpand-all-environment)
-                                     macroexpand-all-environment)
-                                    ((boundp 'cl-macro-environment)
-                                     cl-macro-environment))))))
+         (condition-case err
+             (macroexpand-all form (append (bound-and-true-p
+                                            byte-compile-macro-environment)
+                                           (cond
+                                            ((boundp 'macroexpand-all-environment)
+                                             macroexpand-all-environment)
+                                            ((boundp 'cl-macro-environment)
+                                             cl-macro-environment))))
+           (error `(signal ',(car err) ',(cdr err))))))
     (cond
      ((or (atom form) (ert--special-operator-p (car form)))
       (let ((value (cl-gensym "value-")))
@@ -303,8 +305,13 @@ ert--expand-should-1
               (args (cl-gensym "args-"))
               (value (cl-gensym "value-"))
               (default-value (cl-gensym "ert-form-evaluation-aborted-")))
-          `(let ((,fn (function ,fn-name))
-                 (,args (list ,@arg-forms)))
+          `(let* ((,fn (function ,fn-name))
+                  (,args (condition-case err
+                             (list ,@arg-forms)
+                           ;; (ert-test-failed (signal (car err) (cdr err)))
+                           (error (progn (setq ,fn #'signal)
+                                         (list (car err)
+                                               (cdr err)))))))
              (let ((,value ',default-value))
                ,(funcall inner-expander
                          `(setq ,value (apply ,fn ,args))