diff --git a/haskell-load.el b/haskell-load.el
index 3dd70c506..8bdfb0687 100644
--- a/haskell-load.el
+++ b/haskell-load.el
@@ -227,10 +227,12 @@ list of modules where missed IDENT was found."
 
 (defun haskell-process-do-cabal (command)
   "Run a Cabal command."
-  (let ((process (haskell-interactive-process)))
+  (let ((process (ignore-errors
+                   (haskell-interactive-process))))
     (cond
-     ((let ((child (haskell-process-process process)))
-        (not (equal 'run (process-status child))))
+     ((or (eq process nil)
+          (let ((child (haskell-process-process process)))
+            (not (equal 'run (process-status child)))))
       (message "Process is not running, so running directly.")
       (shell-command (concat "cabal " command)
                      (get-buffer-create "*haskell-process-log*")
diff --git a/tests/haskell-load-tests.el b/tests/haskell-load-tests.el
index 227f2e180..7331ecd58 100644
--- a/tests/haskell-load-tests.el
+++ b/tests/haskell-load-tests.el
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 ;;; Code:
 
+(require 'cl)
 (require 'ert)
 (require 'haskell-test-utils)
 
@@ -83,3 +84,14 @@
    (search-forward "import Data.String")
    (haskell-goto-prev-error)
    (should (looking-at-p "Data.Mayb"))))
+
+(ert-deftest do-cabal-no-process ()
+  "Ensure that haskell-process-do-cabal can call cabal directly.
+
+Redefine `shell-command' to just capture the command it's asked
+to execute, and make sure it matches what we expected."
+  (let (shell-call)
+    (flet ((shell-command (command &optional input-buffer output-buffer)
+                          (setq shell-call command)))
+      (haskell-process-do-cabal "help")
+      (should (equal shell-call "cabal help")))))