diff --git a/lib/browser/api/web-contents.ts b/lib/browser/api/web-contents.ts
index 7fcd5dec3f04e..070db86390554 100644
--- a/lib/browser/api/web-contents.ts
+++ b/lib/browser/api/web-contents.ts
@@ -366,11 +366,6 @@ WebContents.prototype.loadURL = function (url, options) {
         resolveAndCleanup();
       }
     };
-    const failListener = (event: Electron.Event, errorCode: number, errorDescription: string, validatedURL: string, isMainFrame: boolean) => {
-      if (!error && isMainFrame) {
-        error = { errorCode, errorDescription, url: validatedURL };
-      }
-    };
 
     let navigationStarted = false;
     let browserInitiatedInPageNavigation = false;
@@ -392,6 +387,14 @@ WebContents.prototype.loadURL = function (url, options) {
         navigationStarted = true;
       }
     };
+    const failListener = (event: Electron.Event, errorCode: number, errorDescription: string, validatedURL: string, isMainFrame: boolean) => {
+      if (!error && isMainFrame) {
+        error = { errorCode, errorDescription, url: validatedURL };
+      }
+      if (!navigationStarted && isMainFrame) {
+        finishListener();
+      }
+    };
     const stopLoadingListener = () => {
       // By the time we get here, either 'finish' or 'fail' should have fired
       // if the navigation occurred. However, in some situations (e.g. when
diff --git a/spec/api-web-contents-spec.ts b/spec/api-web-contents-spec.ts
index 12f1c623fd421..4f6185dd4ce73 100644
--- a/spec/api-web-contents-spec.ts
+++ b/spec/api-web-contents-spec.ts
@@ -519,6 +519,10 @@ describe('webContents module', () => {
       await expect(w.loadURL('file:non-existent')).to.eventually.be.rejected();
       await expect(w.loadURL('file:non-existent')).to.eventually.be.rejected();
     });
+
+    it('invalid URL load rejects', async () => {
+      await expect(w.loadURL('invalidURL')).to.eventually.be.rejected();
+    });
   });
 
   describe('getFocusedWebContents() API', () => {