diff --git a/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/horizontal_test.go b/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/horizontal_test.go
index 2d74a8aef9e..b9d89c86204 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/horizontal_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/podautoscaler/horizontal_test.go
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ type testCase struct {
 	testClient        *fake.Clientset
 	testMetricsClient *metricsfake.Clientset
 	testCMClient      *cmfake.FakeCustomMetricsClient
+	testEMClient      *emfake.FakeExternalMetricsClient
 	testScaleClient   *scalefake.FakeScaleClient
 }
 
@@ -582,6 +583,9 @@ func (tc *testCase) setupController(t *testing.T) (*HorizontalController, inform
 	if tc.testCMClient != nil {
 		testCMClient = tc.testCMClient
 	}
+	if tc.testEMClient != nil {
+		testEMClient = tc.testEMClient
+	}
 	if tc.testScaleClient != nil {
 		testScaleClient = tc.testScaleClient
 	}
@@ -1568,6 +1572,16 @@ func TestConditionFailedGetMetrics(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
+		"FailedGetExternalMetric": {
+			{
+				Type: autoscalingv2.ExternalMetricSourceType,
+				External: &autoscalingv2.ExternalMetricSource{
+					MetricSelector: &metav1.LabelSelector{},
+					MetricName:     "qps",
+					TargetValue:    resource.NewMilliQuantity(300, resource.DecimalSI),
+				},
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for reason, specs := range metricsTargets {
@@ -1581,9 +1595,10 @@ func TestConditionFailedGetMetrics(t *testing.T) {
 			reportedCPURequests: []resource.Quantity{resource.MustParse("0.1"), resource.MustParse("0.1"), resource.MustParse("0.1")},
 			useMetricsAPI:       true,
 		}
-		_, testMetricsClient, testCMClient, _, _ := tc.prepareTestClient(t)
+		_, testMetricsClient, testCMClient, testEMClient, _ := tc.prepareTestClient(t)
 		tc.testMetricsClient = testMetricsClient
 		tc.testCMClient = testCMClient
+		tc.testEMClient = testEMClient
 
 		testMetricsClient.PrependReactor("list", "pods", func(action core.Action) (handled bool, ret runtime.Object, err error) {
 			return true, &metricsapi.PodMetricsList{}, fmt.Errorf("something went wrong")
@@ -1591,6 +1606,9 @@ func TestConditionFailedGetMetrics(t *testing.T) {
 		testCMClient.PrependReactor("get", "*", func(action core.Action) (handled bool, ret runtime.Object, err error) {
 			return true, &cmapi.MetricValueList{}, fmt.Errorf("something went wrong")
 		})
+		testEMClient.PrependReactor("list", "*", func(action core.Action) (handled bool, ret runtime.Object, err error) {
+			return true, &emapi.ExternalMetricValueList{}, fmt.Errorf("something went wrong")
+		})
 
 		tc.expectedConditions = []autoscalingv1.HorizontalPodAutoscalerCondition{
 			{Type: autoscalingv1.AbleToScale, Status: v1.ConditionTrue, Reason: "SucceededGetScale"},