diff --git a/lib/message.cc b/lib/message.cc
index 1a9eaffe..8e43a393 100644
--- a/lib/message.cc
+++ b/lib/message.cc
@@ -1143,7 +1143,12 @@ notmuch_message_get_filename (notmuch_message_t *message)
 notmuch_filenames_t *
 notmuch_message_get_filenames (notmuch_message_t *message)
 {
-    _notmuch_message_ensure_filename_list (message);
+    try {
+	_notmuch_message_ensure_filename_list (message);
+    } catch (Xapian::Error &error) {
+	LOG_XAPIAN_EXCEPTION (message, error);
+	return NULL;
+    }
 
     return _notmuch_filenames_create (message, message->filename_list);
 }
diff --git a/lib/notmuch.h b/lib/notmuch.h
index 5c17ec7c..e544aafd 100644
--- a/lib/notmuch.h
+++ b/lib/notmuch.h
@@ -1448,6 +1448,8 @@ notmuch_message_get_filename (notmuch_message_t *message);
  *
  * Each filename in the iterator is an absolute filename, (the initial
  * component will match notmuch_database_get_path() ).
+ *
+ * This function returns NULL if it triggers a Xapian exception.
  */
 notmuch_filenames_t *
 notmuch_message_get_filenames (notmuch_message_t *message);
diff --git a/test/T560-lib-error.sh b/test/T560-lib-error.sh
index 8d9b4cc0..ce3526a4 100755
--- a/test/T560-lib-error.sh
+++ b/test/T560-lib-error.sh
@@ -422,7 +422,6 @@ EOF
 test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT
 
 test_begin_subtest "Handle getting all message filenames from closed database"
-test_subtest_known_broken
 cat c_head2 - c_tail <<'EOF' | test_C ${MAIL_DIR}
     {
         notmuch_filenames_t *filenames;