diff --git a/lib/PhpParser/Lexer/Emulative.php b/lib/PhpParser/Lexer/Emulative.php
index 054cc734..8993144d 100644
--- a/lib/PhpParser/Lexer/Emulative.php
+++ b/lib/PhpParser/Lexer/Emulative.php
@@ -85,6 +85,10 @@ class Emulative extends Lexer {
             return;
         }
 
+        if ($errorHandler === null) {
+            $errorHandler = new ErrorHandler\Throwing();
+        }
+
         $this->patches = [];
         foreach ($emulators as $emulator) {
             $code = $emulator->preprocessCode($code, $this->patches);
diff --git a/test/PhpParser/LexerTest.php b/test/PhpParser/LexerTest.php
index 2d6b8c92..4538280c 100644
--- a/test/PhpParser/LexerTest.php
+++ b/test/PhpParser/LexerTest.php
@@ -47,6 +47,14 @@ class LexerTest extends \PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase {
         ];
     }
 
+    public function testDefaultErrorHandler() {
+        $this->expectException(Error::class);
+        $this->expectExceptionMessage('Unterminated comment on line 1');
+        $lexer = $this->getLexer();
+        $lexer->startLexing("<?php readonly /*");
+        $lexer->getNextToken();
+    }
+
     /**
      * @dataProvider provideTestLex
      */