diff --git a/driver/src/main/java/org/neo4j/driver/internal/DriverFactory.java b/driver/src/main/java/org/neo4j/driver/internal/DriverFactory.java
index 0d2bde136f..7c8f6bbcc7 100644
--- a/driver/src/main/java/org/neo4j/driver/internal/DriverFactory.java
+++ b/driver/src/main/java/org/neo4j/driver/internal/DriverFactory.java
@@ -61,14 +61,16 @@
 
 public class DriverFactory
 {
+    public static final String NO_ROUTING_CONTEXT_ERROR_MESSAGE = "Routing parameters are not supported with scheme 'bolt'. Given URI: ";
+
     public final Driver newInstance( URI uri, AuthToken authToken, RoutingSettings routingSettings,
                                      RetrySettings retrySettings, Config config, SecurityPlan securityPlan )
     {
         return newInstance( uri, authToken, routingSettings, retrySettings, config, null, securityPlan );
     }
 
-    public final Driver newInstance ( URI uri, AuthToken authToken, RoutingSettings routingSettings,
-            RetrySettings retrySettings, Config config,  EventLoopGroup eventLoopGroup, SecurityPlan securityPlan )
+    public final Driver newInstance( URI uri, AuthToken authToken, RoutingSettings routingSettings,
+                                     RetrySettings retrySettings, Config config, EventLoopGroup eventLoopGroup, SecurityPlan securityPlan )
     {
         Bootstrap bootstrap;
         boolean ownsEventLoopGroup;
@@ -288,8 +290,7 @@ private static void assertNoRoutingContext( URI uri, RoutingSettings routingSett
         RoutingContext routingContext = routingSettings.routingContext();
         if ( routingContext.isDefined() )
         {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException(
-                    "Routing parameters are not supported with scheme 'bolt'. Given URI: '" + uri + "'" );
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException( NO_ROUTING_CONTEXT_ERROR_MESSAGE + "'" + uri + "'" );
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/testkit-backend/src/main/java/neo4j/org/testkit/backend/messages/requests/NewDriver.java b/testkit-backend/src/main/java/neo4j/org/testkit/backend/messages/requests/NewDriver.java
index f1d24aa79f..85366fbc4c 100644
--- a/testkit-backend/src/main/java/neo4j/org/testkit/backend/messages/requests/NewDriver.java
+++ b/testkit-backend/src/main/java/neo4j/org/testkit/backend/messages/requests/NewDriver.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 import neo4j.org.testkit.backend.TestkitState;
 import neo4j.org.testkit.backend.messages.responses.DomainNameResolutionRequired;
 import neo4j.org.testkit.backend.messages.responses.Driver;
+import neo4j.org.testkit.backend.messages.responses.DriverError;
 import neo4j.org.testkit.backend.messages.responses.ResolverResolutionRequired;
 import neo4j.org.testkit.backend.messages.responses.TestkitErrorResponse;
 import neo4j.org.testkit.backend.messages.responses.TestkitResponse;
@@ -82,7 +83,16 @@ public TestkitResponse process( TestkitState testkitState )
         }
         Optional.ofNullable( data.userAgent ).ifPresent( configBuilder::withUserAgent );
         Optional.ofNullable( data.connectionTimeoutMs ).ifPresent( timeout -> configBuilder.withConnectionTimeout( timeout, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS ) );
-        testkitState.getDrivers().putIfAbsent( id, driver( URI.create( data.uri ), authToken, configBuilder.build(), domainNameResolver ) );
+        org.neo4j.driver.Driver driver;
+        try
+        {
+            driver = driver( URI.create( data.uri ), authToken, configBuilder.build(), domainNameResolver );
+        }
+        catch ( RuntimeException e )
+        {
+            return handleExceptionAsErrorResponse( testkitState, e ).orElseThrow( () -> e );
+        }
+        testkitState.getDrivers().putIfAbsent( id, driver );
         return Driver.builder().data( Driver.DriverBody.builder().id( id ).build() ).build();
     }
 
@@ -137,6 +147,20 @@ private org.neo4j.driver.Driver driver( URI uri, AuthToken authToken, Config con
                 .newInstance( uri, authToken, routingSettings, retrySettings, config, securityPlan );
     }
 
+    private Optional<TestkitResponse> handleExceptionAsErrorResponse( TestkitState testkitState, RuntimeException e )
+    {
+        Optional<TestkitResponse> response = Optional.empty();
+        if ( e instanceof IllegalArgumentException && e.getMessage().startsWith( DriverFactory.NO_ROUTING_CONTEXT_ERROR_MESSAGE ) )
+        {
+            String id = testkitState.newId();
+            String errorType = e.getClass().getName();
+            response = Optional.of(
+                    DriverError.builder().data( DriverError.DriverErrorBody.builder().id( id ).errorType( errorType ).build() ).build()
+            );
+        }
+        return response;
+    }
+
     @Setter
     @Getter
     @NoArgsConstructor