diff --git a/tests/mock/event_dispatcher.php b/tests/mock/event_dispatcher.php
index fa8b4a1036..654a08d7f1 100644
--- a/tests/mock/event_dispatcher.php
+++ b/tests/mock/event_dispatcher.php
@@ -22,8 +22,20 @@ class phpbb_mock_event_dispatcher extends \phpbb\event\dispatcher
 	{
 	}
 
-	public function trigger_event($eventName, $data = array())
+	public function trigger_event($eventName, $data = array()): array
 	{
-		return array();
+		// Ensure tests never hard-exit when phpBB calls exit_handler()
+		if ($eventName === 'core.exit_handler')
+		{
+			// Set the override flag so exit_handler() returns instead of exit;
+			if (is_array($data))
+			{
+				$data['exit_handler_override'] = true;
+			}
+			return (array) $data;
+		}
+
+		// Default behaviour of the mock: return the input data unchanged
+		return (array) $data;
 	}
 }