diff --git a/tests/nimdoc/readme.md b/tests/nimdoc/readme.md
index 64b16c2a5c0b9..40b5841eb3e37 100644
--- a/tests/nimdoc/readme.md
+++ b/tests/nimdoc/readme.md
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
-the html validation is tested by nimdoc/tester.nim
-the runnableExamples + nim doc logic (across backend) is tested here
+## links
+* $nim/nimdoc/tester.nim: tests html validation
+* $nim/tests/nimdoc/: tests `runnableExamples` + `nim doc` logic
diff --git a/tests/magics/trunnableexamples.nim b/tests/nimdoc/trunnableexamples.nim
similarity index 74%
rename from tests/magics/trunnableexamples.nim
rename to tests/nimdoc/trunnableexamples.nim
index e6b2b70f825b5..e3ae6b9cb101f 100644
--- a/tests/magics/trunnableexamples.nim
+++ b/tests/nimdoc/trunnableexamples.nim
@@ -47,6 +47,25 @@ proc fun*() =
     doAssert declared(isAlphaAscii)
     echo "foo7"
 
+when true: # issue #12746
+  # this proc on its own works fine with `nim doc`
+  proc goodProc*() =
+    runnableExamples:
+      try:
+        discard
+      except:
+        # just the general except will work
+        discard
+
+  # FIXED: this proc fails with `nim doc`
+  proc badProc*() =
+    runnableExamples:
+      try:
+        discard
+      except IOError:
+        # specifying Error is culprit
+        discard
+
 # also check for runnableExamples at module scope
 runnableExamples:
   block: