diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/exceptions.rb b/Library/Homebrew/exceptions.rb
index 6f2f332b8b9b8..2ae9494b99c1e 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/exceptions.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/exceptions.rb
@@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ def initialize(cmd, status:, output: nil, secrets: [])
 
     reason = if exitstatus
       "exited with #{exitstatus}"
-    elsif (uncaught_signal = status.termsig)
+    elsif (uncaught_signal = status&.termsig)
       "was terminated by uncaught signal #{Signal.signame(uncaught_signal)}"
     else
       raise ArgumentError, "Status neither has `exitstatus` nor `termsig`."