diff --git a/eftest/src/eftest/output_capture.clj b/eftest/src/eftest/output_capture.clj
index 3bf0182..f162abb 100644
--- a/eftest/src/eftest/output_capture.clj
+++ b/eftest/src/eftest/output_capture.clj
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
 (def ^:dynamic *test-buffer* nil)
 
 (defn read-test-buffer []
-  (String. (.toByteArray *test-buffer*)))
+  (when *test-buffer*
+    (String. (.toByteArray *test-buffer*))))
 
 (def active-buffers (atom #{}))
 
diff --git a/eftest/src/eftest/report/pretty.clj b/eftest/src/eftest/report/pretty.clj
index 26457e7..06ed2fc 100644
--- a/eftest/src/eftest/report/pretty.clj
+++ b/eftest/src/eftest/report/pretty.clj
@@ -32,8 +32,16 @@
 
 (defn- testing-vars-str [{:keys [file line]}]
   (let [test-var (first test/*testing-vars*)]
-    (str (:clojure-frame *fonts*) (-> test-var meta :ns ns-name) "/"
-         (:function-name *fonts*) (-> test-var meta :name) (:reset *fonts*)
+    (str (:clojure-frame *fonts*)
+         (if test-var
+           (-> test-var meta :ns ns-name)
+           "unknown-namespace")
+         "/"
+         (:function-name *fonts*)
+         (if test-var
+           (-> test-var meta :name)
+           "unknown-test")
+         (:reset *fonts*)
          (when (or file line)
            (str " (" (:source *fonts*) file ":" line (:reset *fonts*) ")")))))
 
diff --git a/eftest/test/eftest/report_test.clj b/eftest/test/eftest/report_test.clj
index 6694408..8426c72 100644
--- a/eftest/test/eftest/report_test.clj
+++ b/eftest/test/eftest/report_test.clj
@@ -48,3 +48,21 @@
                 pretty-nil
                 "\n")
            result))))
+
+(deftest report-outside-testing-vars
+  (let [pretty-nil (puget/pprint-str nil {:print-color true
+                                          :print-meta false})]
+    (is (= (str "\nFAIL in unknown-namespace/unknown-test (report_test.clj:10)\nfoo\nexpected: "
+                pretty-nil
+                "\n  actual: "
+                pretty-nil
+                "\n")
+           (with-out-str
+             (binding [*testing-vars* []
+                       pretty/*fonts* {}
+                       *report-counters* (ref *initial-report-counters*)
+                       *test-out* *out*]
+               (pretty/report {:type :fail
+                               :message "foo"
+                               :file "report_test.clj"
+                               :line 10})))))))