diff --git a/detox/src/devices/drivers/android/EmulatorDriver.js b/detox/src/devices/drivers/android/EmulatorDriver.js
index 647cb0bb2e..24c022969f 100644
--- a/detox/src/devices/drivers/android/EmulatorDriver.js
+++ b/detox/src/devices/drivers/android/EmulatorDriver.js
@@ -105,7 +105,16 @@ class EmulatorDriver extends AndroidDriver {
   }
 
   async _fixEmulatorConfigIniSkinNameIfNeeded(avdName) {
-    const binaryVersion = _.get(await this.binaryVersion(), 'major', EMU_BIN_STABLE_SKIN_VER - 1);
+    const binaryVersion = _.get(await this.binaryVersion(), 'major');
+    if (!binaryVersion) {
+      log.warn({ event: 'EMU_SKIN_CFG_PATCH' }, [
+        'Failed to detect emulator version! (see previous logs)',
+        'This leaves Detox unable to tell if it should automatically apply this patch-fix: https://stackoverflow.com/a/47265664/453052, which seems to be needed in emulator versions < 28.',
+        'If you feel this is not needed, you can either ignore this message, or otherwise apply the patch manually.',
+      ].join('\n'));
+      return;
+    }
+
     if (binaryVersion >= EMU_BIN_STABLE_SKIN_VER) {
       return;
     }
diff --git a/detox/src/devices/drivers/android/emulator/EmulatorVersionResolver.js b/detox/src/devices/drivers/android/emulator/EmulatorVersionResolver.js
index e9d2666d67..8d1c87eb6d 100644
--- a/detox/src/devices/drivers/android/emulator/EmulatorVersionResolver.js
+++ b/detox/src/devices/drivers/android/emulator/EmulatorVersionResolver.js
@@ -17,7 +17,14 @@ class EmulatorVersionResolver {
   }
 
   async _resolve() {
-    const rawOutput = await this._emulatorExec.exec(new QueryVersionCommand()) || '';
+    let rawOutput;
+    try {
+      rawOutput = await this._emulatorExec.exec(new QueryVersionCommand()) || '';
+    } catch (error) {
+      log.error({ event: EMU_BIN_VERSION_DETECT_EV, success: false, error }, 'Could not detect emulator binary version', error);
+      return null;
+    }
+
     const matches = rawOutput.match(/Android emulator version ([0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]*)/);
     if (!matches) {
       log.warn({ event: EMU_BIN_VERSION_DETECT_EV, success: false }, 'Could not detect emulator binary version, got:', rawOutput);
diff --git a/detox/src/devices/drivers/android/emulator/EmulatorVersionResolver.test.js b/detox/src/devices/drivers/android/emulator/EmulatorVersionResolver.test.js
index 53409ed526..d95eb0d87c 100644
--- a/detox/src/devices/drivers/android/emulator/EmulatorVersionResolver.test.js
+++ b/detox/src/devices/drivers/android/emulator/EmulatorVersionResolver.test.js
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ describe('Emulator binary version', () => {
       child: jest.fn().mockReturnValue({
         debug: jest.fn(),
         warn: jest.fn(),
+        error: jest.fn(),
       }),
     }));
     log = require('../../../../utils/logger').child();
@@ -65,6 +66,25 @@ describe('Emulator binary version', () => {
     expect(version).toEqual(null);
   });
 
+  it('should log in case of a parsing error', async () => {
+    emulatorExec.exec.mockResolvedValue('non-parsable result');
+    await uut.resolve();
+    expect(log.warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith({event: 'EMU_BIN_VERSION_DETECT', success: false}, expect.any(String), 'non-parsable result');
+  });
+
+  it('should return null in case of a version-query failure', async () => {
+    emulatorExec.exec.mockRejectedValue(new Error('some error'));
+    const version = await uut.resolve();
+    expect(version).toEqual(null);
+  });
+
+  it('should log in case of a version-query failure', async () => {
+    const error = new Error('some error');
+    emulatorExec.exec.mockRejectedValue(error);
+    await uut.resolve();
+    expect(log.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith({event: 'EMU_BIN_VERSION_DETECT', success: false, error}, expect.any(String), error);
+  });
+
   it('should cache the version', async () => {
     await uut.resolve();
     const version = await uut.resolve();
@@ -77,10 +97,4 @@ describe('Emulator binary version', () => {
     await uut.resolve();
     expect(log.debug).toHaveBeenCalledWith({event: 'EMU_BIN_VERSION_DETECT', success: true}, expect.any(String), expectedVersion);
   });
-
-  it('should log in case of an error', async () => {
-    emulatorExec.exec.mockResolvedValue('mock result');
-    await uut.resolve();
-    expect(log.warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith({event: 'EMU_BIN_VERSION_DETECT', success: false}, expect.any(String), 'mock result');
-  });
 });