diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/MessageRendering.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/MessageRendering.scala
index 44006634dda5..43475053e983 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/MessageRendering.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/MessageRendering.scala
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ trait MessageRendering {
     * @return (lines before error, lines after error, line numbers offset)
     */
   def sourceLines(pos: SourcePosition, diagnosticLevel: String)(implicit ctx: Context): (List[String], List[String], Int) = {
+    assert(pos.exists && pos.source.file.exists)
     var maxLen = Int.MinValue
     def render(offsetAndLine: (Int, String)): String = {
       val (offset, line) = offsetAndLine
@@ -113,7 +114,9 @@ trait MessageRendering {
     */
   def posStr(pos: SourcePosition, diagnosticLevel: String, message: Message)(implicit ctx: Context): String =
     if (pos.exists) hl(diagnosticLevel)({
-      val file = s"${pos.source.file.toString}:${pos.line + 1}:${pos.column}"
+      val file =
+        if (pos.source.file.exists) s"${pos.source.file.toString}:${pos.line + 1}:${pos.column}"
+        else s"${pos.source.file.toString}: offset ${pos.start} (missing source file)"
       val errId =
         if (message.errorId ne ErrorMessageID.NoExplanationID) {
           val errorNumber = message.errorId.errorNumber()
@@ -145,7 +148,7 @@ trait MessageRendering {
     val sb = mutable.StringBuilder.newBuilder
     val posString = posStr(pos, diagnosticLevel, msg)
     if (posString.nonEmpty) sb.append(posString).append(EOL)
-    if (pos.exists) {
+    if (pos.exists && pos.source.file.exists) {
       val (srcBefore, srcAfter, offset) = sourceLines(pos, diagnosticLevel)
       val marker = columnMarker(pos, offset, diagnosticLevel)
       val err = errorMsg(pos, msg.msg, offset)
diff --git a/project/scripts/cmdTests b/project/scripts/cmdTests
index 1704fe749d14..93384739a345 100755
--- a/project/scripts/cmdTests
+++ b/project/scripts/cmdTests
@@ -32,6 +32,18 @@ clear_out "$OUT"
 "$SBT" ";dotc -d $OUT/out.jar $SOURCE; dotc -decompile -classpath $OUT/out.jar -color:never $MAIN" > "$tmp"
 grep -qe "def main(args: scala.Array\[scala.Predef.String\]): scala.Unit =" "$tmp"
 
+# check that missing source file does not crash message rendering
+echo "testing that missing source file does not crash message rendering"
+clear_out "$OUT"
+clear_out "$OUT1"
+cp tests/neg/i6371/A_1.scala $OUT/A.scala
+cp tests/neg/i6371/B_2.scala $OUT/B.scala
+"$SBT" "dotc $OUT/A.scala -d $OUT1"
+rm $OUT/A.scala
+"$SBT" "dotc -classpath $OUT1 -d $OUT1 $OUT/B.scala" > "$tmp" 2>&1 || echo "ok"
+grep -qe "A.scala: offset 63 (missing source file)" "$tmp"
+
+
 ## Disabled because of flakeyness, should be changed to not depend on sbt
 # echo "running Vulpix meta test"
 # tmp=$(mktemp)
diff --git a/tests/neg/i6371/A_1.scala b/tests/neg/i6371/A_1.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9c7553af54ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/neg/i6371/A_1.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+object A {
+  inline def foo(a: Any): Unit = a match {
+    case _: Int => // error
+    case _ =>
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/neg/i6371/B_2.scala b/tests/neg/i6371/B_2.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..fcc88d22da42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/neg/i6371/B_2.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+object B {
+  A.foo("aa")
+}