diff --git a/swh/indexer/indexer.py b/swh/indexer/indexer.py
--- a/swh/indexer/indexer.py
+++ b/swh/indexer/indexer.py
@@ -310,12 +310,11 @@
             A summary Dict of the task's status
 
         """
-        status = "uneventful"
         sha1s = [
             hashutil.hash_to_bytes(id_) if isinstance(id_, str) else id_ for id_ in ids
         ]
         results = []
-        summary: Dict = {}
+        summary: Dict = {"status": "uneventful"}
         try:
             for sha1 in sha1s:
                 try:
@@ -329,17 +328,15 @@
                 res = self.index(sha1, raw_content, **kwargs)
                 if res:  # If no results, skip it
                     results.append(res)
-                    status = "eventful"
+                    summary["status"] = "eventful"
             summary = self.persist_index_computations(results, policy_update)
             self.results = results
         except Exception:
             if not self.catch_exceptions:
                 raise
             self.log.exception("Problem when reading contents metadata.")
-            status = "failed"
-        finally:
-            summary["status"] = status
-            return summary
+            summary["status"] = "failed"
+        return summary
 
 
 class ContentPartitionIndexer(BaseIndexer):
diff --git a/swh/indexer/tests/test_indexer.py b/swh/indexer/tests/test_indexer.py
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swh/indexer/tests/test_indexer.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2020  The Software Heritage developers
+# See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
+# License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
+# See top-level LICENSE file for more information
+
+from typing import Any, Dict, Optional, Union
+
+import pytest
+
+from swh.indexer.indexer import ContentIndexer
+from swh.model.model import Revision
+
+from .utils import BASE_TEST_CONFIG
+
+
+class TestException(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
+class CrashingIndexer(ContentIndexer):
+    USE_TOOLS = False
+
+    def index(
+        self, id: Union[bytes, Dict, Revision], data: Optional[bytes] = None, **kwargs
+    ) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+        pass
+
+    def persist_index_computations(self, results, policy_update) -> Dict[str, int]:
+        raise TestException()
+
+
+def test_catch_exceptions():
+    indexer = CrashingIndexer(config=BASE_TEST_CONFIG)
+
+    assert indexer.run([b"foo"], policy_update=True) == {"status": "failed"}
+
+    indexer.catch_exceptions = False
+
+    with pytest.raises(TestException):
+        indexer.run([b"foo"], policy_update=True)