diff --git a/lua/neotest-java/model/junit_result.lua b/lua/neotest-java/model/junit_result.lua
index 851f8d80..30d1c580 100644
--- a/lua/neotest-java/model/junit_result.lua
+++ b/lua/neotest-java/model/junit_result.lua
@@ -44,6 +44,43 @@ end
 ---@field tempname? fun(): string
 local JunitResult = {}
 
+local function failure_message_from_output(output, fallback)
+	if type(output) ~= "string" then
+		return fallback or "<unknown failure>"
+	end
+
+	local first_line = output:match("^%s*([^\n]+)")
+	if not first_line then
+		return fallback or "<unknown failure>"
+	end
+
+	return first_line:match("^[%w%._$]+:%s*(.+)$") or first_line
+end
+
+local function failure_from_node(node)
+	if type(node) ~= "table" then
+		local output = tostring(node)
+		return {
+			failure_message = failure_message_from_output(output),
+			failure_output = output,
+		}
+	end
+
+	if node._attr then
+		return {
+			failure_message = node._attr.message or node._attr.type or "<unknown failure>",
+			failure_output = node[1],
+		}
+	end
+
+	local output = type(node[#node]) == "string" and node[#node] or nil
+	local fallback = type(node[1]) == "string" and node[1]:match('type="([^"]+)"') or nil
+	return {
+		failure_message = failure_message_from_output(output, fallback),
+		failure_output = output,
+	}
+end
+
 ---@param id string
 ---@param tempname? fun(): string
 ---@return neotest.Result
@@ -100,19 +137,16 @@ function JunitResult:status()
 	if failed and not failed._attr then
 		local failures = {}
 		for i, fail in ipairs(failed) do
-			failures[i] = {
-				failure_message = fail._attr.message or fail._attr.type or "<unknown failure>",
-				failure_output = fail[1],
-			}
+			if type(fail) ~= "table" then
+				return FAILED, { failure_from_node(failed) }
+			end
+
+			failures[i] = failure_from_node(fail)
 		end
 		return FAILED, failures
 	end
 	if failed and failed._attr then
-		local fail = {
-			failure_message = failed._attr.message or failed._attr.type or "<unknown failure>",
-			failure_output = failed[1],
-		}
-		return FAILED, { fail }
+		return FAILED, { failure_from_node(failed) }
 	end
 	return PASSED, {}
 end
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_result_builder_spec.lua b/tests/unit/test_result_builder_spec.lua
index 1a831bd1..2d57f5fb 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_result_builder_spec.lua
+++ b/tests/unit/test_result_builder_spec.lua
@@ -109,6 +109,49 @@ describe("ResultBuilder", function()
 		)
 	end)
 
+	it("builds failed results when assertion message contains a greater-than character", function()
+		--given
+		local file_path = Path("MyTest.java")
+		local report_file = [=[
+				<testsuite>
+					<testcase name="firstTestMethod()" classname="com.example.ExampleTest" time="0.001">
+						<failure message="expected: &lt;0.2> but was: &lt;0.3>" type="org.opentest4j.AssertionFailedError"><![CDATA[org.opentest4j.AssertionFailedError: expected: <0.2> but was: <0.3>
+	at com.example.ExampleTest.firstTestMethod(ExampleTest.java:42)
+]]></failure>
+					</testcase>
+				</testsuite>
+		]=]
+
+		local tree = TREES.TWO_TESTS_IN_FILE(file_path)
+		local scan_dir = function(dir)
+			assert(dir == DEFAULT_SPEC.context.reports_dir, "should scan in spec.context.reports_dir")
+			return { file_path }
+		end
+		local read_file = function()
+			return report_file
+		end
+
+		local expected = {
+			["com.example.ExampleTest#firstTestMethod()"] = {
+				errors = { { message = "expected: <0.2> but was: <0.3>", line = 41 } },
+				short = "expected: <0.2> but was: <0.3>",
+				status = "failed",
+				output = TEMPNAME,
+			},
+		}
+
+		--then
+		eq(
+			expected,
+			ResultBuilder({
+				scan_dir = scan_dir,
+				read_file = read_file,
+				remove_file = remove_file,
+				tempname_fn = fake_tempname,
+			}).build_results(DEFAULT_SPEC, SUCCESSFUL_RESULT, tree)
+		)
+	end)
+
 	it("builds the results for a test that has an error at start", function()
 		--given
 		local report_file = [[