diff --git a/src/Runner.php b/src/Runner.php
index cfd844732f..20c2eddf44 100644
--- a/src/Runner.php
+++ b/src/Runner.php
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 namespace PHP_CodeSniffer;
 
 use Exception;
+use InvalidArgumentException;
 use PHP_CodeSniffer\Exceptions\DeepExitException;
 use PHP_CodeSniffer\Exceptions\RuntimeException;
 use PHP_CodeSniffer\Files\DummyFile;
@@ -688,16 +689,23 @@ public function processFile($file)
             }
 
             if (empty($sniffStack) === false) {
-                if (empty($nextStack) === false
-                    && isset($nextStack['class']) === true
-                    && substr($nextStack['class'], -5) === 'Sniff'
-                ) {
-                    $sniffCode = Common::getSniffCode($nextStack['class']);
-                } else {
+                $sniffCode = '';
+                try {
+                    if (empty($nextStack) === false
+                        && isset($nextStack['class']) === true
+                        && substr($nextStack['class'], -5) === 'Sniff'
+                    ) {
+                        $sniffCode = 'the '.Common::getSniffCode($nextStack['class']).' sniff';
+                    }
+                } catch (InvalidArgumentException $e) {
+                    // Sniff code could not be determined. This may be an abstract sniff class.
+                }
+
+                if ($sniffCode === '') {
                     $sniffCode = substr(strrchr(str_replace('\\', '/', $sniffStack['file']), '/'), 1);
                 }
 
-                $error .= sprintf(PHP_EOL.'The error originated in the %s sniff on line %s.', $sniffCode, $sniffStack['line']);
+                $error .= sprintf(PHP_EOL.'The error originated in %s on line %s.', $sniffCode, $sniffStack['line']);
             }
 
             $file->addErrorOnLine($error, 1, 'Internal.Exception');
diff --git a/tests/Core/Util/Common/GetSniffCodeTest.php b/tests/Core/Util/Common/GetSniffCodeTest.php
index d27593416d..7cf9b16edf 100644
--- a/tests/Core/Util/Common/GetSniffCodeTest.php
+++ b/tests/Core/Util/Common/GetSniffCodeTest.php
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ public static function dataGetSniffCodeThrowsExceptionOnInputWhichIsNotASniffTes
             'Unqualified class name'                                        => ['ClassName'],
             'Fully qualified class name, not enough parts'                  => ['Fully\\Qualified\\ClassName'],
             'Fully qualified class name, doesn\'t end on Sniff or UnitTest' => ['Fully\\Sniffs\\Qualified\\ClassName'],
+            'Fully qualified class name, ends on Sniff, but isn\'t'         => ['Fully\\Sniffs\\AbstractSomethingSniff'],
         ];
 
     }//end dataGetSniffCodeThrowsExceptionOnInputWhichIsNotASniffTestClass()