diff --git a/spec/suites/TrivialNodeReporterSpec.js b/spec/suites/TrivialNodeReporterSpec.js
index 4935ec1a..35823fdc 100644
--- a/spec/suites/TrivialNodeReporterSpec.js
+++ b/spec/suites/TrivialNodeReporterSpec.js
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 describe("TrivialNodeReporter", function() {
   
 
-  var green = function(str) {
+  function green(str) {
     return '\033[32m' + str + '\033[0m';   //keep these literal.  otherwise the test loses value as a test.
-  };
+  }
   
-  var red = function(str) {
+  function red(str) {
     return '\033[31m' + str + '\033[0m';
-  };
+  }
   
   var newline = "\n";
   
@@ -63,6 +63,19 @@ describe("TrivialNodeReporter", function() {
         );
       });
     
+      it("prints a red dot if the spec fails", function(){
+        var failingSpec = {
+          results: function(){
+            return {passed:function(){return false;}};
+          }
+        };
+        this.reporter.reportSpecResults(failingSpec);
+
+        expect(this.fakeSys.getOutput()).toEqual(
+          red(".")
+        );
+      });
+    
     });
 
   });
diff --git a/src/node/TrivialNodeReporter.js b/src/node/TrivialNodeReporter.js
index 273f1b0f..2768e6fb 100644
--- a/src/node/TrivialNodeReporter.js
+++ b/src/node/TrivialNodeReporter.js
@@ -35,11 +35,16 @@ jasmine.TrivialNodeReporter.prototype._greenStr = function(str) { return this._c
 jasmine.TrivialNodeReporter.prototype._redStr = function(str) { return this._coloredStr("red", str); };
 jasmine.TrivialNodeReporter.prototype._yellowStr = function(str) { return this._coloredStr("yellow", str); };
 
+jasmine.TrivialNodeReporter.prototype._redDot = function(str) { return this.sys.print(this._redStr(".")); };
 jasmine.TrivialNodeReporter.prototype._greenDot = function(str) { return this.sys.print(this._greenStr(".")); };
 jasmine.TrivialNodeReporter.prototype._newLine = function(str) { return this.sys.print("\n"); };
 
 jasmine.TrivialNodeReporter.prototype.reportSpecResults = function(spec) {
-  if (spec.results().passed()) this._greenDot();
+  if (spec.results().passed()) {
+    this._greenDot();
+  } else {
+    this._redDot();
+  }
 };