diff --git a/core/pax-exam-extender-service/src/main/java/org/ops4j/pax/exam/raw/extender/intern/DelayedFailureTestInvoker.java b/core/pax-exam-extender-service/src/main/java/org/ops4j/pax/exam/raw/extender/intern/DelayedFailureTestInvoker.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1d1d429c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/pax-exam-extender-service/src/main/java/org/ops4j/pax/exam/raw/extender/intern/DelayedFailureTestInvoker.java
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2014 Ion Savin.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or
+ * implied.
+ *
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.ops4j.pax.exam.raw.extender.intern;
+
+import org.ops4j.pax.exam.ProbeInvoker;
+import org.ops4j.pax.exam.TestContainerException;
+
+/**
+ * This test invoker is an in-place replacement for an actual
+ * invoker for which the initialization failed. It will re-throw
+ * the cause of the initialization failure when called.
+ */
+public class DelayedFailureTestInvoker implements ProbeInvoker {
+   private final Throwable cause;
+   private String message;
+
+   public DelayedFailureTestInvoker(String message, Throwable cause) {
+      this.message = message;
+      this.cause = cause;
+   }
+
+   @Override
+   public void call(Object... args) {
+      throw new TestContainerException(message, cause);
+   }
+}
diff --git a/core/pax-exam-extender-service/src/main/java/org/ops4j/pax/exam/raw/extender/intern/Parser.java b/core/pax-exam-extender-service/src/main/java/org/ops4j/pax/exam/raw/extender/intern/Parser.java
index bd62cf437..382e07e59 100644
--- a/core/pax-exam-extender-service/src/main/java/org/ops4j/pax/exam/raw/extender/intern/Parser.java
+++ b/core/pax-exam-extender-service/src/main/java/org/ops4j/pax/exam/raw/extender/intern/Parser.java
@@ -78,7 +78,14 @@ private ProbeInvoker createInvoker(BundleContext ctx, String expr) {
             props.put("driver", invokerType);
             ProbeInvokerFactory factory = ServiceLookup.getService(ctx, ProbeInvokerFactory.class,
                 props);
-            return factory.createProbeInvoker(ctx, expr);
+
+            ProbeInvoker invoker;
+            try {
+               invoker = factory.createProbeInvoker(ctx, expr);
+            } catch (Throwable cause) {
+               invoker = new DelayedFailureTestInvoker("Probe invoker creation failed.", cause);
+            }
+            return invoker;
         }
     }