diff --git a/packages/toolkit/src/createAsyncThunk.ts b/packages/toolkit/src/createAsyncThunk.ts
index f384ab9af2..7f93fe2792 100644
--- a/packages/toolkit/src/createAsyncThunk.ts
+++ b/packages/toolkit/src/createAsyncThunk.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import type { Dispatch, UnknownAction } from 'redux'
+import type { Action, Dispatch, UnknownAction } from 'redux'
 import type {
   PayloadAction,
   ActionCreatorWithPreparedPayload,
@@ -114,6 +114,10 @@ export const miniSerializeError = (value: any): SerializedError => {
   return { message: String(value) }
 }
 
+export class DispatchError {
+  constructor(public readonly cause: unknown) {}
+}
+
 export type AsyncThunkConfig = {
   state?: unknown
   dispatch?: Dispatch
@@ -617,16 +621,20 @@ export const createAsyncThunk = /* @__PURE__ */ (() => {
               }
               abortController.signal.addEventListener('abort', abortHandler)
             })
-            dispatch(
-              pending(
-                requestId,
-                arg,
-                options?.getPendingMeta?.(
-                  { requestId, arg },
-                  { getState, extra },
-                ),
-              ) as any,
-            )
+            try {
+              dispatch(
+                pending(
+                  requestId,
+                  arg,
+                  options?.getPendingMeta?.(
+                    { requestId, arg },
+                    { getState, extra },
+                  ),
+                ) as any,
+              )
+            } catch (err) {
+              throw new DispatchError(err)
+            }
             finalAction = await Promise.race([
               abortedPromise,
               Promise.resolve(
@@ -658,6 +666,9 @@ export const createAsyncThunk = /* @__PURE__ */ (() => {
               }),
             ])
           } catch (err) {
+            if (err instanceof DispatchError) {
+              throw err.cause
+            }
             finalAction =
               err instanceof RejectWithValue
                 ? rejected(null, requestId, arg, err.payload, err.meta)
diff --git a/packages/toolkit/src/query/tests/matchers.test.tsx b/packages/toolkit/src/query/tests/matchers.test.tsx
index 5b26740e98..1c0b6c6432 100644
--- a/packages/toolkit/src/query/tests/matchers.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/toolkit/src/query/tests/matchers.test.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import {
   hookWaitFor,
   setupApiStore,
 } from '@internal/tests/utils/helpers'
+import type { UnknownAction } from '@reduxjs/toolkit'
 import { createSlice } from '@reduxjs/toolkit'
 import { createApi, fetchBaseQuery } from '@reduxjs/toolkit/query/react'
 import { act, renderHook } from '@testing-library/react'
@@ -239,3 +240,34 @@ test('inferred types', () => {
     },
   })
 })
+
+describe('errors in reducers are not swallowed', () => {
+  const faultyStoreFor = (matcher: (action: UnknownAction) => boolean) =>
+    setupApiStore(api, {
+      ...actionsReducer,
+      faultyReducer(state = null, action: UnknownAction) {
+        if (matcher(action)) {
+          throw new Error('reducer error')
+        }
+        return state
+      },
+    })
+  test('pending action reducer errors should be thrown', async () => {
+    const storeRef = faultyStoreFor(api.endpoints.querySuccess.matchPending)
+    await expect(
+      storeRef.store.dispatch(querySuccess2.initiate({} as any)),
+    ).rejects.toThrow('reducer error')
+  })
+  test('fulfilled action reducer errors should be thrown', async () => {
+    const storeRef = faultyStoreFor(api.endpoints.querySuccess.matchFulfilled)
+    await expect(
+      storeRef.store.dispatch(querySuccess2.initiate({} as any)),
+    ).rejects.toThrow('reducer error')
+  })
+  test('rejected action reducer errors should be thrown', async () => {
+    const storeRef = faultyStoreFor(api.endpoints.queryFail.matchRejected)
+    await expect(
+      storeRef.store.dispatch(queryFail.initiate({} as any)),
+    ).rejects.toThrow('reducer error')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/toolkit/src/tests/createAsyncThunk.test.ts b/packages/toolkit/src/tests/createAsyncThunk.test.ts
index ef6ae71838..c344e99878 100644
--- a/packages/toolkit/src/tests/createAsyncThunk.test.ts
+++ b/packages/toolkit/src/tests/createAsyncThunk.test.ts
@@ -991,3 +991,42 @@ describe('meta', () => {
     expect(thunk.fulfilled.type).toBe('a/fulfilled')
   })
 })
+
+describe('reducer errors will be rethrown', () => {
+  const asyncThunk = createAsyncThunk('test', async (shouldThrow: boolean) => {
+    await delay(100)
+    if (shouldThrow) {
+      throw new Error('Error in reducer')
+    }
+    return 'Success'
+  })
+  const faultStoreForType = (type: 'pending' | 'fulfilled' | 'rejected') =>
+    configureStore({
+      reducer(state = null, action) {
+        // obviously reducers shouldn't ever throw - but legitimate errors do happen, with typos for example
+        if (asyncThunk[type].match(action)) {
+          throw new Error('Error in reducer')
+        }
+        return state
+      },
+    })
+  // TODO: this breaks our promise that not unwrapping will never throw - do we care?
+  it('rethrows errors found when dispatching pending action', async () => {
+    const store = faultStoreForType('pending')
+    await expect(store.dispatch(asyncThunk(false))).rejects.toThrowError(
+      'Error in reducer',
+    )
+  })
+  it('rethrows errors found when dispatching fulfilled action', async () => {
+    const store = faultStoreForType('fulfilled')
+    await expect(store.dispatch(asyncThunk(false))).rejects.toThrowError(
+      'Error in reducer',
+    )
+  })
+  it('rethrows errors found when dispatching rejected action', async () => {
+    const store = faultStoreForType('rejected')
+    await expect(store.dispatch(asyncThunk(true))).rejects.toThrowError(
+      'Error in reducer',
+    )
+  })
+})