diff --git a/lua/neotest-busted/init.lua b/lua/neotest-busted/init.lua
index 4e720d8..b40a704 100644
--- a/lua/neotest-busted/init.lua
+++ b/lua/neotest-busted/init.lua
@@ -380,23 +380,11 @@ function BustedNeotestAdapter.discover_positions(path)
         arguments: (arguments (_) @test.name (function_definition))
     ) (#match? @func_name "^it$")) @test.definition
 
-    ;; pending blocks constrained to have a describe as a parent
+    ;; pending blocks
     ((function_call
-        name: (identifier) @func_name1 (#match? @func_name1 "^describe$")
-        arguments: (arguments
-            (_) @namespace.name
-            (function_definition
-            parameters: (parameters)
-            body: (block
-                ((function_call
-                    name: (identifier) @func_name2
-                    arguments: (arguments (_) @test.name (function_definition)?)
-                ) (#match? @func_name2 "^pending$")
-                ) @test.definition
-            )
-            )
-        )
-    )) @namespace.definition
+        name: (identifier) @func_name
+        arguments: (arguments (string) @test.name)
+    ) (#match? @func_name "^pending$")) @test.definition
 
     ;; custom async blocks
     ((function_call
diff --git a/test_files/expected_pending_tree.lua b/test_files/expected_pending_tree.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d6eb421
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_files/expected_pending_tree.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+local path = "./test_files/pending_spec.lua"
+
+return {
+    {
+        id = path,
+        name = "pending_spec.lua",
+        path = path,
+        range = { 0, 0, 14, 0 },
+        type = "file",
+    },
+    {
+        {
+            id = path .. '::"top-level pending"',
+            name = '"top-level pending"',
+            path = path,
+            range = { 0, 0, 0, 28 },
+            type = "test",
+        },
+    },
+    {
+        {
+            id = path .. '::"pending tests"',
+            name = '"pending tests"',
+            path = path,
+            range = { 2, 0, 13, 4 },
+            type = "namespace",
+        },
+        {
+            {
+                id = path .. '::"pending tests"::"pending 1"',
+                name = '"pending 1"',
+                path = path,
+                range = { 3, 4, 5, 8 },
+                type = "test",
+            },
+            {
+                {
+                    id = path .. '::"pending tests"::"pending 1"::"finish this test later"',
+                    name = '"finish this test later"',
+                    path = path,
+                    range = { 4, 8, 4, 41 },
+                    type = "test",
+                },
+            },
+        },
+        {
+            {
+                id = path .. '::"pending tests"::"pending 2"',
+                name = '"pending 2"',
+                path = path,
+                range = { 7, 4, 10, 8 },
+                type = "test",
+            },
+            {
+                {
+                    id = path .. '::"pending tests"::"pending 2"::"this test does not run"',
+                    name = '"this test does not run"',
+                    path = path,
+                    range = { 8, 8, 9, 12 },
+                    type = "test",
+                },
+            },
+        },
+        {
+            {
+                id = path .. '::"pending tests"::"pending 3"',
+                name = '"pending 3"',
+                path = path,
+                range = { 12, 4, 12, 24 },
+                type = "test",
+            },
+        },
+    },
+}
diff --git a/test_files/pending_spec.lua b/test_files/pending_spec.lua
index 3d30b24..2497058 100644
--- a/test_files/pending_spec.lua
+++ b/test_files/pending_spec.lua
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
+pending("top-level pending")
+
 describe("pending tests", function()
     it("pending 1", function()
         pending("finish this test later")
-        error("this should not run")
     end)
 
     pending("pending 2", function()
         it("this test does not run", function()
-            error("this should not run")
         end)
     end)
 
diff --git a/tests/adapter_discover_positions_spec.lua b/tests/adapter_discover_positions_spec.lua
index f68570c..787d822 100644
--- a/tests/adapter_discover_positions_spec.lua
+++ b/tests/adapter_discover_positions_spec.lua
@@ -28,6 +28,18 @@ describe("adapter.discover_positions", function()
         assert.are.same(cache:size(), 0)
     end)
 
+    async.it("discovers pending tests", function()
+        local positions = adapter.discover_positions("./test_files/pending_spec.lua"):to_list()
+
+        local expected_tree = require("./test_files/expected_pending_tree")
+        assert.are.same(positions, expected_tree)
+
+        ---@diagnostic disable-next-line: undefined-field
+        local cache = adapter.get_parametric_test_cache()
+
+        assert.are.same(cache:size(), 0)
+    end)
+
     async.it("discovers parametric test positions", function()
         local path = "./test_files/parametric_tests_spec.lua"