diff --git a/avocado/core/runner.py b/avocado/core/runner.py
index 801dfdb1ca565ce6c2084f795d0d65fbafb7c464..ccb374935055e43d06a03b6d7dc40405af53e726 100644
--- a/avocado/core/runner.py
+++ b/avocado/core/runner.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import time
 from . import test
 from . import exceptions
 from . import output
+from . import status
 from .loader import loader
 from .status import mapping
 from ..utils import wait
@@ -394,6 +395,17 @@ class TestRunner(object):
         if ctrl_c_count > 0:
             self.job.log.debug('')
 
+        # Make sure the test status is correct
+        if test_state.get('status') not in status.user_facing_status:
+            test_state['fail_reason'] = ("Test reports unsupported test "
+                                         "status %s.\nOriginal fail_reason: %s"
+                                         "\nOriginal fail_class: %s"
+                                         % (test_state.get('status'),
+                                            test_state.get('fail_reason'),
+                                            test_state.get('fail_class')))
+            test_state['fail_class'] = "RUNNER"
+            test_state['status'] = 'ERROR'
+
         self.result.check_test(test_state)
         if test_state['status'] == "INTERRUPTED":
             summary.add("INTERRUPTED")
diff --git a/selftests/functional/test_basic.py b/selftests/functional/test_basic.py
index 3ac8257d17fa25f199bbd1e239a973e29ca1ad4d..6d139a06ba620fb7862854b045837c9c0e78477c 100644
--- a/selftests/functional/test_basic.py
+++ b/selftests/functional/test_basic.py
@@ -50,6 +50,18 @@ class LocalImportTest(Test):
         self.log.info(hello())
 '''
 
+UNSUPPORTED_STATUS_TEST_CONTENTS = '''
+from avocado import Test
+
+class FakeStatusTest(Test):
+    def run_avocado(self):
+        super(FakeStatusTest, self).run_avocado()
+        self.status = 'not supported'
+
+    def test(self):
+        pass
+'''
+
 
 class RunnerOperationTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
@@ -134,6 +146,22 @@ class RunnerOperationTest(unittest.TestCase):
                     "%s" % (self.tmpdir, mytest))
         process.run(cmd_line)
 
+    def test_unsupported_status(self):
+        os.chdir(basedir)
+        with script.TemporaryScript("fake_status.py",
+                                    UNSUPPORTED_STATUS_TEST_CONTENTS,
+                                    "avocado_unsupported_status") as tst:
+            res = process.run("./scripts/avocado run --sysinfo=off "
+                              "--job-results-dir %s %s --json -"
+                              % (self.tmpdir, tst), ignore_status=True)
+            self.assertEqual(res.exit_status, exit_codes.AVOCADO_TESTS_FAIL)
+            results = json.loads(res.stdout)
+            self.assertEqual(results["tests"][0]["status"], "ERROR",
+                             "%s != %s\n%s" % (results["tests"][0]["status"],
+                                               "ERROR", res))
+            self.assertIn("Original fail_reason: None",
+                          results["tests"][0]["fail_reason"])
+
     def test_runner_tests_fail(self):
         os.chdir(basedir)
         cmd_line = './scripts/avocado run --sysinfo=off --job-results-dir %s passtest failtest passtest' % self.tmpdir