diff --git a/src/bunfig/arguments.rs b/src/bunfig/arguments.rs
index 897a9a9fe0bb..662643ace673 100644
--- a/src/bunfig/arguments.rs
+++ b/src/bunfig/arguments.rs
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ fn load_global_bunfig(cmd: CommandTag, ctx: Context<'_>) -> Result<(), crate::Er
     Ok(())
 }
 
-pub fn load_config_path(
+fn load_config_path(
     cmd: CommandTag,
     auto_loaded: bool,
     config_path: &ZStr,
@@ -249,3 +249,18 @@ pub fn load_config_with_cmd_args(
 ) -> Result<(), crate::Error> {
     load_config(cmd, args.option(b"--config"), ctx)
 }
+
+/// `bun run`, `bun repl`, the `node` shim and compiled executables load `./bunfig.toml` here.
+pub fn load_cwd_config_or_exit(ctx: Context<'_>) {
+    if ctx.debug.loaded_bunfig {
+        return;
+    }
+    if let Err(err) = load_config_path(
+        CommandTag::RunCommand,
+        true,
+        bun_core::zstr!("bunfig.toml"),
+        ctx,
+    ) {
+        report_bunfig_load_failure(ctx.log, err);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/bunfig/lib.rs b/src/bunfig/lib.rs
index 4786aad2517d..a2c89e6f53e7 100644
--- a/src/bunfig/lib.rs
+++ b/src/bunfig/lib.rs
@@ -12,5 +12,5 @@ pub mod arguments;
 pub mod bunfig;
 pub mod error;
 
-pub use arguments::{load_config, load_config_path, load_config_with_cmd_args};
+pub use arguments::{load_config, load_config_with_cmd_args, load_cwd_config_or_exit};
 pub use error::{Error, Result};
diff --git a/src/runtime/cli/Arguments.rs b/src/runtime/cli/Arguments.rs
index 925b975e07eb..a1018629145d 100644
--- a/src/runtime/cli/Arguments.rs
+++ b/src/runtime/cli/Arguments.rs
@@ -773,7 +773,7 @@ pub(crate) static Bun__Node__UseSystemCA: core::sync::atomic::AtomicBool =
 // their private helpers moved to `bun_bunfig::arguments` so `bun_install` can
 // call them without a tier-6 dependency. Re-export here so existing
 // `crate::cli::arguments::load_config*` callers are unaffected.
-pub use bun_bunfig::arguments::{load_config_path, load_config_with_cmd_args};
+pub use bun_bunfig::arguments::{load_config_with_cmd_args, load_cwd_config_or_exit};
 
 /// node aliases `-pe` to `--print --eval` as a whole token (node_options.cc):
 /// it can't be a short in either runtime, being ambiguous with `-p` carrying
diff --git a/src/runtime/cli/repl_command.rs b/src/runtime/cli/repl_command.rs
index 826be93d3e65..37d198b119da 100644
--- a/src/runtime/cli/repl_command.rs
+++ b/src/runtime/cli/repl_command.rs
@@ -45,15 +45,7 @@ impl ReplCommand {
         ctx: Command::Context<'_>,
         repl: &mut Repl<'r>,
     ) -> Result<(), crate::Error> {
-        // Load bunfig if not already loaded
-        if !ctx.debug.loaded_bunfig {
-            Arguments::load_config_path(
-                Command::Tag::RunCommand,
-                true,
-                bun_core::zstr!("bunfig.toml"),
-                ctx,
-            )?;
-        }
+        Arguments::load_cwd_config_or_exit(ctx);
 
         jsc::initialize(jsc::InitializeOptions {
             eval_mode: true,
diff --git a/src/runtime/cli/run_command.rs b/src/runtime/cli/run_command.rs
index aba13b40f541..865439a04109 100644
--- a/src/runtime/cli/run_command.rs
+++ b/src/runtime/cli/run_command.rs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ use bun_which::which;
 
 use crate::cli;
 use crate::cli::arguments;
-use crate::cli::command::{ContextData, Tag as CommandTag};
+use crate::cli::command::ContextData;
 use crate::cli::shell_completions::ShellCompletions;
 
 bun_core::declare_scope!(RUN_LOG, visible);
@@ -936,14 +936,7 @@ Full documentation is available at <magenta>https://bun.com/docs/cli/run<r>
         entry_path: Box<[u8]>,
         loader: Option<Loader>,
     ) -> crate::Result<()> {
-        if !ctx.debug.loaded_bunfig {
-            arguments::load_config_path(
-                CommandTag::RunCommand,
-                true,
-                bun_core::zstr!("bunfig.toml"),
-                ctx,
-            )?;
-        }
+        arguments::load_cwd_config_or_exit(ctx);
 
         // The shell does not need to initialize JSC (saves 1-3ms).
         if strings::has_suffix_comptime(&entry_path, b".sh") {
@@ -1136,13 +1129,8 @@ Full documentation is available at <magenta>https://bun.com/docs/cli/run<r>
 
         // Load bunfig.toml unless disabled by compile flags. Config loading
         // with execArgv is handled earlier in `Command::start` via `init()`.
-        if !ctx.debug.loaded_bunfig && !graph.flags.contains(GraphFlags::DISABLE_AUTOLOAD_BUNFIG) {
-            arguments::load_config_path(
-                CommandTag::RunCommand,
-                true,
-                bun_core::zstr!("bunfig.toml"),
-                ctx,
-            )?;
+        if !graph.flags.contains(GraphFlags::DISABLE_AUTOLOAD_BUNFIG) {
+            arguments::load_cwd_config_or_exit(ctx);
         }
 
         // layering — `Options::graph` is the resolver's trait object
@@ -2326,16 +2314,7 @@ impl RunCommand {
             }
         }
 
-        if !ctx.debug.loaded_bunfig {
-            // `Arguments::load_config_path` — loads global bunfig (if the
-            // command opts in via `read_global_config`) then `bunfig.toml`.
-            let _ = arguments::load_config_path(
-                CommandTag::RunCommand,
-                true,
-                bun_core::zstr!("bunfig.toml"),
-                ctx,
-            );
-        }
+        arguments::load_cwd_config_or_exit(ctx);
 
         // ── try fast run (file exists & not a dir → boot VM) ────────────────
         if try_fast_run && Self::maybe_open_with_bun_js(ctx, target_name) {
diff --git a/test/bundler/bundler_compile_autoload.test.ts b/test/bundler/bundler_compile_autoload.test.ts
index 6b4338c26985..73d3a5128d17 100644
--- a/test/bundler/bundler_compile_autoload.test.ts
+++ b/test/bundler/bundler_compile_autoload.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { describe } from "bun:test";
+import { describe, expect } from "bun:test";
 import { itBundled } from "./expectBundled";
 
 // Not describe.concurrent: the backend:"cli" cases each spawn a full
@@ -152,6 +152,39 @@ console.log("PRELOAD");
     },
   });
 
+  // A bunfig.toml that does not parse stops the executable with the same report as `bun run`.
+  itBundled("compile/AutoloadBunfigDoesNotParse", {
+    compile: true,
+    files: {
+      "/entry.ts": /* js */ `
+        console.log("ENTRY");
+      `,
+    },
+    runtimeFiles: {
+      "/bunfig.toml": `[run]\nbun = "yes"\n`,
+    },
+    run: {
+      exitCode: 1,
+      setCwd: true,
+      // With flags in BUN_OPTIONS the executable loads the config during argument parsing instead.
+      env: { BUN_OPTIONS: "" },
+      validate({ stdout, stderr }) {
+        expect({ stdout, stderr }).toEqual({
+          stdout: "",
+          stderr: [
+            '2 | bun = "yes"',
+            "          ^",
+            "error: Expected boolean",
+            "    at bunfig.toml:2:7",
+            "",
+            "Invalid Bunfig: failed to load bunfig",
+            "",
+          ].join("\n"),
+        });
+      },
+    },
+  });
+
   // Test CLI backend with autoloadDotenv: false
   itBundled("compile/AutoloadDotenvDisabledCLI", {
     compile: {
diff --git a/test/cli/install/bun-run-bunfig.test.ts b/test/cli/install/bun-run-bunfig.test.ts
index f8aecb74304c..ee28f66ed4d4 100644
--- a/test/cli/install/bun-run-bunfig.test.ts
+++ b/test/cli/install/bun-run-bunfig.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
-import { realpathSync } from "fs";
+import { realpathSync, symlinkSync } from "fs";
 import { bunEnv, bunExe, isWindows, tempDir, toTOMLString } from "harness";
 import { join as pathJoin } from "node:path";
 
@@ -248,3 +248,82 @@ describe.each(["bun run", "bun"])(`%s`, cmd => {
     expect(result.success).toBeTrue();
   });
 });
+
+// These entry points read ./bunfig.toml after argument parsing. A file that does not parse
+// stops them with the same report as `bun <file>` and `bun run --filter`.
+describe.concurrent("bunfig.toml that does not parse", () => {
+  const configs: [problem: string, bunfig: string, stderr: string[]][] = [
+    [
+      "a TOML syntax error",
+      "[install]\nregistry =\n",
+      [
+        "2 | registry =",
+        "              ^",
+        "error: Missing value after '='; values must be on the same line",
+        "    at bunfig.toml:2:11",
+        "",
+        "SyntaxError: failed to load bunfig",
+        "",
+      ],
+    ],
+    [
+      "a value of the wrong type",
+      '[run]\nbun = "yes"\n',
+      [
+        '2 | bun = "yes"',
+        "          ^",
+        "error: Expected boolean",
+        "    at bunfig.toml:2:7",
+        "",
+        "Invalid Bunfig: failed to load bunfig",
+        "",
+      ],
+    ],
+  ];
+  const commands: [command: string, args: string[]][] = [
+    ["bun run <script>", ["run", "hello"]],
+    ["bun <script>", ["hello"]],
+    ["bun run <file>", ["run", "index.js"]],
+    ["bun run ./<file>", ["run", "./index.js"]],
+    ["bun run -", ["run", "-"]], // the script comes from stdin
+    ["bun run --watch <file>", ["run", "--watch", "index.js"]],
+    ["bun run --hot <file>", ["run", "--hot", "index.js"]],
+    ["bun repl", ["repl"]],
+  ];
+
+  async function run(bunfig: string, cmd: (dir: string) => string[]) {
+    using dir = tempDir("bunfig-does-not-parse", {
+      "bunfig.toml": bunfig,
+      "package.json": JSON.stringify({ scripts: { hello: "echo ran" } }),
+      "index.js": `console.log("ran");`,
+    });
+    await using proc = Bun.spawn({
+      cmd: cmd(String(dir)),
+      env: bunEnv,
+      cwd: String(dir),
+      stdin: new Blob([`console.log("ran");`]),
+      stdout: "pipe",
+      stderr: "pipe",
+    });
+    const [stdout, stderr, exitCode] = await Promise.all([proc.stdout.text(), proc.stderr.text(), proc.exited]);
+    return { stdout, stderr, exitCode, signalCode: proc.signalCode };
+  }
+
+  describe.each(configs)("%s", (_, bunfig, expectedStderr) => {
+    const stopped = { stdout: "", stderr: expectedStderr.join("\n"), exitCode: 1, signalCode: null };
+
+    test.each(commands)("stops %s", async (_, args) => {
+      expect(await run(bunfig, () => [bunExe(), ...args])).toEqual(stopped);
+    });
+
+    // Bun runs as node when its executable is named node. A symlink needs privileges on Windows.
+    test.skipIf(isWindows)("stops node <file> when node is bun", async () => {
+      expect(
+        await run(bunfig, dir => {
+          symlinkSync(bunExe(), pathJoin(dir, "node"));
+          return [pathJoin(dir, "node"), "index.js"];
+        }),
+      ).toEqual(stopped);
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/js/bun/util/highlighter.test.ts b/test/js/bun/util/highlighter.test.ts
index 0e4c21d0c734..59fd99854653 100644
--- a/test/js/bun/util/highlighter.test.ts
+++ b/test/js/bun/util/highlighter.test.ts
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ test("bunfig error on a line ending in `${}` does not crash", async () => {
   });
   const [stdout, stderr, exitCode] = await Promise.all([proc.stdout.text(), proc.stderr.text(), proc.exited]);
   expect(stderr).toContain("expected string");
-  expect(stdout).toContain("hi");
-  expect(exitCode).toBe(0);
+  // Printed after the highlighted line, so the highlighter returned.
+  expect(stderr).toContain("failed to load bunfig");
+  expect(stdout).toBe("");
+  expect(exitCode).toBe(1);
 });