diff --git a/compiler/rustc_mir_transform/src/coverage/query.rs b/compiler/rustc_mir_transform/src/coverage/query.rs
index e65a5fdd5e7f1..df151f8cca35e 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_mir_transform/src/coverage/query.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_mir_transform/src/coverage/query.rs
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ fn coverage_attr_on(tcx: TyCtxt<'_>, def_id: LocalDefId) -> bool {
             Some([item]) if item.has_name(sym::on) => return true,
             Some(_) | None => {
                 // Other possibilities should have been rejected by `rustc_parse::validate_attr`.
-                tcx.dcx().span_bug(attr.span, "unexpected value of coverage attribute");
+                // Use `span_delayed_bug` to avoid an ICE in failing builds (#127880).
+                tcx.dcx().span_delayed_bug(attr.span, "unexpected value of coverage attribute");
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/tests/crashes/127880.rs b/tests/crashes/127880.rs
deleted file mode 100644
index 6c625eac6914a..0000000000000
--- a/tests/crashes/127880.rs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-//@ known-bug: #127880
-//@ compile-flags: -Cinstrument-coverage
-
-#[coverage]
-fn main() {}
diff --git a/tests/run-make/coverage-attr-ice/127880.rs b/tests/run-make/coverage-attr-ice/127880.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..9a14f5a4b6110
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/run-make/coverage-attr-ice/127880.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#[coverage]
+fn main() {}
diff --git a/tests/run-make/coverage-attr-ice/rmake.rs b/tests/run-make/coverage-attr-ice/rmake.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..d396cf97a4760
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/run-make/coverage-attr-ice/rmake.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+use run_make_support::rustc;
+
+// Illegal `#[coverage(..)]` attributes should not cause an ICE in non-check
+// builds with `-Cinstrument-coverage`.
+// Regression test for <https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/127880>.
+//
+// This currently can't be a UI test, because there's no way to force a
+// non-check build of a UI test that would also fail a check build.
+
+fn main() {
+    rustc()
+        .edition("2021")
+        .arg("-Cinstrument-coverage")
+        .input("127880.rs")
+        .run_fail()
+        // The build should fail cleanly, but not ICE.
+        .assert_exit_code(1)
+        .assert_stderr_contains("error: malformed `coverage` attribute input");
+}