diff --git a/lib/logger.js b/lib/logger.js
index 25f54be..32600e9 100644
--- a/lib/logger.js
+++ b/lib/logger.js
@@ -9,16 +9,23 @@ const configuration = require("./configuration");
 const stackReg = /at (?:(.+)\s+\()?(?:(.+?):(\d+)(?::(\d+))?|([^)]+))\)?/;
 
 function defaultParseCallStack(data, skipIdx = 4) {
-  const stacklines = data.stack.split("\n").slice(skipIdx);
-  const lineMatch = stackReg.exec(stacklines[0]);
-  if (lineMatch && lineMatch.length === 6) {
-    return {
-      functionName: lineMatch[1],
-      fileName: lineMatch[2],
-      lineNumber: parseInt(lineMatch[3], 10),
-      columnNumber: parseInt(lineMatch[4], 10),
-      callStack: stacklines.join("\n")
-    };
+  try {
+    const stacklines = data.stack.split("\n").slice(skipIdx);
+    const lineMatch = stackReg.exec(stacklines[0]);
+    /* istanbul ignore else */
+    if (lineMatch && lineMatch.length === 6) {
+      return {
+        functionName: lineMatch[1],
+        fileName: lineMatch[2],
+        lineNumber: parseInt(lineMatch[3], 10),
+        columnNumber: parseInt(lineMatch[4], 10),
+        callStack: stacklines.join("\n")
+      };
+    }
+  }
+  catch (err) {
+    // will never get error unless nodejs has breaking changes to Error
+    console.error('log4js.logger - defaultParseCallStack error', err); // eslint-disable-line no-console
   }
   return null;
 }
diff --git a/test/tap/logger-test.js b/test/tap/logger-test.js
index 476f965..1a16710 100644
--- a/test/tap/logger-test.js
+++ b/test/tap/logger-test.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ const callsites = require("callsites");
 const levels = require("../../lib/levels");
 
 const events = [];
+const messages = [];
 const Logger = sandbox.require("../../lib/logger", {
   requires: {
     "./levels": levels,
@@ -16,6 +17,14 @@ const Logger = sandbox.require("../../lib/logger", {
         events.push(evt);
       }
     }
+  },
+  globals: {
+    console: {
+      ...console,
+      error(msg) {
+        messages.push(msg);
+      }
+    }
   }
 });
 
@@ -219,6 +228,23 @@ test("../../lib/logger", batch => {
     }
   );
 
+  batch.test("parseCallStack function coverage", t => {
+    const logger = new Logger("stack");
+    logger.useCallStack = true;
+
+    let results;
+
+    results = logger.parseCallStack(new Error());
+    t.ok(results);
+    t.equal(messages.length, 0, "should not have error");
+
+    results = logger.parseCallStack("");
+    t.notOk(results);
+    t.equal(messages.length, 1, "should have error");
+
+    t.end();
+  });
+
   batch.test("should correctly change the parseCallStack function", t => {
     const logger = new Logger("stack");
     const parseFunction = function() {