diff --git a/lib/lint/file.js b/lib/lint/file.js
index 68dcca80..6baf25fb 100644
--- a/lib/lint/file.js
+++ b/lib/lint/file.js
@@ -252,6 +252,7 @@ export class LintFile {
     #path;
     #fullPath;
     #useDefaults;
+    #originalData;
     #data;
     #type;
     #hash;
@@ -301,7 +302,7 @@ export class LintFile {
         this.#fullPath = this.path;
 
         // read file content
-        this.#data = await this.#file.text( "utf8" );
+        this.#originalData = this.#data = await this.#file.text( "utf8" );
 
         // detect type
         {
@@ -563,7 +564,7 @@ export class LintFile {
         }
     }
 
-    async #runEslint ( { configs, editorConfig } ) {
+    async #runEslint ( { configs, editorConfig, fatalError } ) {
         if ( !this.#type?.eslint ) return result( 200 );
 
         const fullPath = this.#fullPath;
@@ -627,7 +628,17 @@ export class LintFile {
             "warnIgnored": true,
         } );
 
-        if ( report[ 0 ].output != null ) this.#data = report[ 0 ].output;
+        // fatal error
+        if ( !fatalError && report[ 0 ].output == null ) {
+
+            // repeat with the original data
+            this.#data = this.#originalData;
+
+            return this.#runEslint( { configs, editorConfig, "fatalError": true } );
+        }
+        else if ( report[ 0 ].output ) {
+            this.#data = report[ 0 ].output;
+        }
 
         // append log
         var log = "",