diff --git a/.changeset/tidy-days-tease.md b/.changeset/tidy-days-tease.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d9b25a30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/tidy-days-tease.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@defer/client": patch
+---
+
+Re-throw errors for local development
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 2ac3d21e..c79bf948 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -34,20 +34,22 @@ export const deferEnabled = () => !!getEnv("DEFER_TOKEN");
 async function execLocally(
   id: string,
   fn: any,
-  args: any
+  args: any,
+  shouldThrowErrors = false
 ): Promise<client.FetchExecutionResponse> {
   let state: client.ExecutionState = "succeed";
   let originalResult: any;
+  let executionError: Error | undefined;
   try {
     originalResult = await fn(...args);
   } catch (error) {
-    const e = error as Error;
+    executionError = error as Error;
     state = "failed";
     originalResult = {
-      name: e.name,
-      message: e.message,
-      cause: e.cause,
-      stack: e.stack,
+      name: executionError.name,
+      message: executionError.message,
+      cause: executionError.cause,
+      stack: executionError.stack,
     };
   }
 
@@ -62,6 +64,10 @@ async function execLocally(
   const response = { id, state, result };
   __database.set(id, response);
 
+  if (executionError && shouldThrowErrors) {
+    throw executionError;
+  }
+
   return response;
 }
 
@@ -105,7 +111,7 @@ async function enqueue<F extends DeferableFunction>(
 
   const id = randomUUID();
   __database.set(id, { id: id, state: "started" });
-  execLocally(id, originalFunction, functionArguments);
+  execLocally(id, originalFunction, functionArguments, true);
   return { id };
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/awaitResult.spec.ts b/tests/awaitResult.spec.ts
index e77e0d1e..4b36c095 100644
--- a/tests/awaitResult.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/awaitResult.spec.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { awaitResult, defer } from "../src";
+import { DeferError } from "../src/errors";
 import { makeHTTPClient } from "../src/httpClient";
 import { jitter } from "../src/jitter";
 
@@ -61,4 +62,19 @@ describe("awaitResult(deferFn)", () => {
       });
     });
   });
+
+  describe("when Defer is inactive (`DEFER_TOKEN` is unset)", () => {
+    beforeAll(() => {
+      process.env["DEFER_TOKEN"] = "";
+    });
+    it("should rethrow any error as `DeferError`", async () => {
+      const myFunction = async (_str: string) => {
+        throw new Error("my function failed locally!");
+      };
+      const deferred = defer(myFunction);
+      const awaitable = awaitResult(deferred);
+
+      await expect(awaitable("")).rejects.toThrow(DeferError);
+    });
+  });
 });