diff --git a/lib/cppcheck.cpp b/lib/cppcheck.cpp
index 7d198f582f3..e644001aedd 100644
--- a/lib/cppcheck.cpp
+++ b/lib/cppcheck.cpp
@@ -659,8 +659,23 @@ unsigned int CppCheck::check(const std::string &path, const std::string &content
     return checkFile(Path::simplifyPath(path), emptyString, &iss);
 }
 
+void CppCheck::fileNotFoundError(const std::string& filename)
+{
+    mErrorLogger.reportErr(ErrorMessage({ErrorMessage::FileLocation(filename, 0, 0)},
+                                        filename,
+                                        Severity::error,
+                                        "File not found",
+                                        "fileNotFound",
+                                        Certainty::normal));
+    mExitCode = 1;
+}
+
 unsigned int CppCheck::check(const ImportProject::FileSettings &fs)
 {
+    if (!Path::isFile(fs.filename)) {
+        fileNotFoundError(fs.filename);
+        return mExitCode;
+    }
     CppCheck temp(mErrorLogger, mUseGlobalSuppressions, mExecuteCommand);
     temp.mSettings = mSettings;
     if (!temp.mSettings.userDefines.empty())
@@ -1715,6 +1730,7 @@ void CppCheck::getErrorMessages(ErrorLogger &errorlogger)
     cppcheck.purgedConfigurationMessage(emptyString,emptyString);
     cppcheck.mTooManyConfigs = true;
     cppcheck.tooManyConfigsError(emptyString,0U);
+    cppcheck.fileNotFoundError("missing.c");
     // TODO: add functions to get remaining error messages
 
     // call all "getErrorMessages" in all registered Check classes
diff --git a/lib/cppcheck.h b/lib/cppcheck.h
index fbe73eea1a8..a5374dba45b 100644
--- a/lib/cppcheck.h
+++ b/lib/cppcheck.h
@@ -152,6 +152,9 @@ class CPPCHECKLIB CppCheck : ErrorLogger {
     /** @brief There has been an internal error => Report information message */
     void internalError(const std::string &filename, const std::string &msg);
 
+    /** If check is called with a file that does not exist, this critical error message should be reported */
+    void fileNotFoundError(const std::string& filename);
+
     /**
      * @brief Check a file using stream
      * @param filename file name
diff --git a/lib/errorlogger.cpp b/lib/errorlogger.cpp
index c13dee7e7d9..baf9579fba2 100644
--- a/lib/errorlogger.cpp
+++ b/lib/errorlogger.cpp
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 const std::set<std::string> ErrorLogger::mCriticalErrorIds{
     "cppcheckError",
     "cppcheckLimit",
+    "fileNotFound",
     "internalAstError",
     "instantiationError",
     "internalError",
diff --git a/test/cli/test-proj2.py b/test/cli/test-proj2.py
index 868d832ddf0..e152a819723 100644
--- a/test/cli/test-proj2.py
+++ b/test/cli/test-proj2.py
@@ -153,3 +153,13 @@ def test_gui_project_loads_absolute_vs_solution_2():
     ret, stdout, stderr = cppcheck(['--project=test.cppcheck'])
     assert ret == 0, stdout
     assert stderr == ERR_A + ERR_B
+
+def test_vs_project_missing_file():
+    with open('proj2/proj2.vcxproj', 'rt') as fin:
+        s = fin.read()
+        with open('proj2/test.vcxproj', 'wt') as fout:
+            fout.write(s.replace('a.c', 'a_missing.c'))
+    ret, stdout, stderr = cppcheck(['--project=proj2/test.vcxproj', '--file-filter=*/a*'], status_report=True)
+    assert 'proj2/a/a_missing.c:0:0: error: File not found [fileNotFound]' in stderr 
+    assert 'There was critical errors' in stdout
+    os.remove('proj2/test.vcxproj')
diff --git a/test/cli/testutils.py b/test/cli/testutils.py
index 1e53c65db48..d58212c0607 100644
--- a/test/cli/testutils.py
+++ b/test/cli/testutils.py
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ def lookup_cppcheck_exe():
 
 
 # Run Cppcheck with args
-def cppcheck(args, env=None):
+def cppcheck(args, env=None, status_report=False):
     exe = lookup_cppcheck_exe()
     assert exe is not None, 'no cppcheck binary found'
 
@@ -72,6 +72,6 @@ def cppcheck(args, env=None):
     comm = p.communicate()
     stdout = comm[0].decode(encoding='utf-8', errors='ignore').replace('\r\n', '\n')
     stderr = comm[1].decode(encoding='utf-8', errors='ignore').replace('\r\n', '\n')
-    if stdout.find('\nActive checkers:') > 0:
+    if (not status_report) and stdout.find('\nActive checkers:') > 0:
         stdout = stdout[:1 + stdout.find('\nActive checkers:')]
     return p.returncode, stdout, stderr
diff --git a/test/testcppcheck.cpp b/test/testcppcheck.cpp
index 60726a425ea..2a2899644f3 100644
--- a/test/testcppcheck.cpp
+++ b/test/testcppcheck.cpp
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ class TestCppcheck : public TestFixture {
 
     void run() override {
         TEST_CASE(getErrorMessages);
+        TEST_CASE(testMissingSourceFile);
     }
 
     void getErrorMessages() const {
@@ -76,6 +77,14 @@ class TestCppcheck : public TestFixture {
         ASSERT(foundPurgedConfiguration);
         ASSERT(foundTooManyConfigs);
     }
+
+    void testMissingSourceFile() {
+        CppCheck cppcheck(*this, false, nullptr);
+        ImportProject::FileSettings fileSettings;
+        fileSettings.filename = "missing.cpp";
+        cppcheck.check(fileSettings);
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[missing.cpp:0]: (error) File not found\n", errout.str());
+    }
 };
 
 REGISTER_TEST(TestCppcheck)