diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/integrations/chai/jest-expect.ts b/packages/vitest/src/integrations/chai/jest-expect.ts
index df1bd4c35b4a..96a3291cff0c 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/integrations/chai/jest-expect.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/integrations/chai/jest-expect.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import c from 'picocolors'
 import type { EnhancedSpy } from '../spy'
 import { isMockFunction } from '../spy'
 import { addSerializer } from '../snapshot/port/plugins'
+import { toString } from '../utils'
 import type { Constructable, Test } from '../../types'
 import { assertTypes } from '../../utils'
 import { unifiedDiff } from '../../node/diff'
@@ -550,6 +551,10 @@ export const JestChaiExpect: ChaiPlugin = (chai, utils) => {
     utils.flag(this, 'promise', 'resolves')
     utils.flag(this, 'error', new Error('resolves'))
     const obj = utils.flag(this, 'object')
+
+    if (typeof obj?.then !== 'function')
+      throw new TypeError(`You must provide a Promise to expect() when using .resolves, not '${typeof obj}'.`)
+
     const proxy: any = new Proxy(this, {
       get: (target, key, receiver) => {
         const result = Reflect.get(target, key, receiver)
@@ -564,7 +569,7 @@ export const JestChaiExpect: ChaiPlugin = (chai, utils) => {
               return result.call(this, ...args)
             },
             (err: any) => {
-              throw new Error(`promise rejected "${err}" instead of resolving`)
+              throw new Error(`promise rejected "${toString(err)}" instead of resolving`)
             },
           )
         }
@@ -579,6 +584,10 @@ export const JestChaiExpect: ChaiPlugin = (chai, utils) => {
     utils.flag(this, 'error', new Error('rejects'))
     const obj = utils.flag(this, 'object')
     const wrapper = typeof obj === 'function' ? obj() : obj // for jest compat
+
+    if (typeof wrapper?.then !== 'function')
+      throw new TypeError(`You must provide a Promise to expect() when using .rejects, not '${typeof wrapper}'.`)
+
     const proxy: any = new Proxy(this, {
       get: (target, key, receiver) => {
         const result = Reflect.get(target, key, receiver)
@@ -589,7 +598,7 @@ export const JestChaiExpect: ChaiPlugin = (chai, utils) => {
         return async (...args: any[]) => {
           return wrapper.then(
             (value: any) => {
-              throw new Error(`promise resolved "${value}" instead of rejecting`)
+              throw new Error(`promise resolved "${toString(value)}" instead of rejecting`)
             },
             (err: any) => {
               utils.flag(this, 'object', err)
diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/integrations/utils.ts b/packages/vitest/src/integrations/utils.ts
index cc9da21c0dca..dbf0ee9f1f93 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/integrations/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/integrations/utils.ts
@@ -5,3 +5,12 @@ export function getRunningMode() {
 export function isWatchMode() {
   return getRunningMode() === 'watch'
 }
+
+export function toString(value: any) {
+  try {
+    return `${value}`
+  }
+  catch (_error) {
+    return 'unknown'
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/core/test/jest-expect.test.ts b/test/core/test/jest-expect.test.ts
index bcd0cca4a0ef..9d22d1d964a6 100644
--- a/test/core/test/jest-expect.test.ts
+++ b/test/core/test/jest-expect.test.ts
@@ -437,6 +437,19 @@ describe('async expect', () => {
     await expect((async () => 'true')()).resolves.not.toBe('true22')
   })
 
+  it('throws an error on .resolves when the argument is not a promise', () => {
+    expect.assertions(2)
+
+    const expectedError = new TypeError('You must provide a Promise to expect() when using .resolves, not \'number\'.')
+
+    try {
+      expect(1).resolves.toEqual(2)
+    }
+    catch (error) {
+      expect(error).toEqual(expectedError)
+    }
+  })
+
   it.fails('failed to resolve', async () => {
     await expect((async () => {
       throw new Error('err')
@@ -471,6 +484,26 @@ describe('async expect', () => {
   it.fails('failed to reject', async () => {
     await expect((async () => 'test')()).rejects.toBe('test')
   })
+
+  it('throws an error on .rejects when the argument (or function result) is not a promise', () => {
+    expect.assertions(4)
+
+    const expectedError = new TypeError('You must provide a Promise to expect() when using .rejects, not \'number\'.')
+
+    try {
+      expect(1).rejects.toEqual(2)
+    }
+    catch (error) {
+      expect(error).toEqual(expectedError)
+    }
+
+    try {
+      expect(() => 1).rejects.toEqual(2)
+    }
+    catch (error) {
+      expect(error).toEqual(expectedError)
+    }
+  })
 })
 
 it('timeout', () => new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 500)))