diff --git a/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/script/WorkflowMetadata.groovy b/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/script/WorkflowMetadata.groovy
index e8c066cea0..af00db5be0 100644
--- a/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/script/WorkflowMetadata.groovy
+++ b/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/script/WorkflowMetadata.groovy
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import nextflow.NextflowMeta
 import nextflow.Session
 import nextflow.config.ConfigBuilder
 import nextflow.config.Manifest
+import nextflow.exception.WorkflowScriptErrorException
 import nextflow.trace.WorkflowStats
 import nextflow.util.Duration
 import org.codehaus.groovy.runtime.InvokerHelper
@@ -392,6 +393,10 @@ class WorkflowMetadata {
             try {
                 action.call()
             }
+            catch (WorkflowScriptErrorException e) {
+                // re-throw it to allow `error` function to be invoked by completion handler
+                throw e
+            }
             catch (Exception e) {
                 log.error("Failed to invoke `workflow.onComplete` event handler", e)
             }
diff --git a/modules/nextflow/src/test/groovy/nextflow/script/WorkflowMetadataTest.groovy b/modules/nextflow/src/test/groovy/nextflow/script/WorkflowMetadataTest.groovy
index 5cda717fff..05e370c612 100644
--- a/modules/nextflow/src/test/groovy/nextflow/script/WorkflowMetadataTest.groovy
+++ b/modules/nextflow/src/test/groovy/nextflow/script/WorkflowMetadataTest.groovy
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import java.time.OffsetDateTime
 
 import nextflow.Const
 import nextflow.Session
+import nextflow.exception.WorkflowScriptErrorException
 import nextflow.trace.TraceRecord
 import nextflow.trace.WorkflowStats
 import nextflow.trace.WorkflowStatsObserver
@@ -171,6 +172,24 @@ class WorkflowMetadataTest extends Specification {
 
     }
 
+    def 'should be able to throw an error from onComplete handler' () {
+
+        given:
+        def session = Spy(Session)
+        session.getStatsObserver() >> Mock(WorkflowStatsObserver) { getStats() >> new WorkflowStats() }
+        
+        def metadata = new WorkflowMetadata(session, null)
+
+        when:
+        metadata.onComplete {
+            throw new WorkflowScriptErrorException('You failed!')
+        }
+        metadata.invokeOnComplete()
+
+        then:
+        thrown(WorkflowScriptErrorException)
+    }
+
     def 'should access workflow script variables onError' () {
 
         given: