diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/impl/DeploymentManager.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/impl/DeploymentManager.java
index 775727748..48c7162c7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/impl/DeploymentManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/impl/DeploymentManager.java
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ public class DeploymentManager {
                   deployment.child = true;
                 } else {
                   // Orphan
-                  deployment.undeploy(null);
+                  deployment.undeploy(event -> promise.fail("Verticle deployment failed.Could not be added as child of parent verticle"));
                   return;
                 }
               }
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/DeploymentTest.java b/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/DeploymentTest.java
index 4d7f74d4b..0a825f419 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/DeploymentTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/DeploymentTest.java
@@ -1234,6 +1234,22 @@ public class DeploymentTest extends VertxTestBase {
     vertx = null;
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testDeployChildOnParentUndeploy() {
+    class ParentVerticle extends AbstractVerticle {
+      @Override
+      public void stop(Promise<Void> stopPromise) {
+        vertx.deployVerticle(ChildVerticle.class.getName())
+          .<Void>mapEmpty()
+          .setHandler(stopPromise);
+      }
+    }
+
+    vertx.deployVerticle(new ParentVerticle(), onSuccess(id ->
+      vertx.undeploy(id, onFailure(u -> testComplete()))));
+    await();
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testUndeployAllFailureInUndeploy() throws Exception {
     int numVerticles = 10;