diff --git a/lib/reporters/base.js b/lib/reporters/base.js
index 8782f64914..8395c7dffd 100644
--- a/lib/reporters/base.js
+++ b/lib/reporters/base.js
@@ -236,10 +236,10 @@ exports.list = function(failures) {
       err = test.err;
     }
     var message;
-    if (err.message && typeof err.message.toString === 'function') {
-      message = err.message + '';
-    } else if (typeof err.inspect === 'function') {
+    if (typeof err.inspect === 'function') {
       message = err.inspect() + '';
+    } else if (err.message && typeof err.message.toString === 'function') {
+      message = err.message + '';
     } else {
       message = '';
     }
diff --git a/test/reporters/base.spec.js b/test/reporters/base.spec.js
index e8e0a782e9..69b31d301d 100644
--- a/test/reporters/base.spec.js
+++ b/test/reporters/base.spec.js
@@ -366,22 +366,24 @@ describe('Base reporter', function() {
     expect(errOut, 'to be', '1) test title:\n     Error\n  foo\n  bar');
   });
 
-  it("should use 'inspect' if 'message' is not set", function() {
-    var err = {
-      showDiff: false,
-      inspect: function() {
-        return 'an error happened';
-      }
+  it("should use 'inspect' if 'inspect' and 'message' are set", function() {
+    var err = new Error('test');
+    err.showDiff = false;
+    err.message = 'error message';
+    err.inspect = function() {
+      return 'Inspect Error';
     };
+
     var test = makeTest(err);
 
     list([test]);
 
     var errOut = stdout.join('\n').trim();
-    expect(errOut, 'to be', '1) test title:\n     an error happened');
+
+    expect(errOut, 'to contain', 'Inspect Error');
   });
 
-  it("should set an empty message if neither 'message' nor 'inspect' is set", function() {
+  it("should set an empty message if neither 'inspect' nor 'message' is set", function() {
     var err = {
       showDiff: false
     };