diff --git a/changelog/6181.improvement.rst b/changelog/6181.improvement.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0960f6203
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/6181.improvement.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+The reason for a stopped session, e.g. with ``--maxfail`` / ``-x`` gets reported.
diff --git a/doc/en/usage.rst b/doc/en/usage.rst
index a23cf764a..3b5919363 100644
--- a/doc/en/usage.rst
+++ b/doc/en/usage.rst
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ To stop the testing process after the first (N) failures:
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
-    pytest -x            # stop after first failure
-    pytest --maxfail=2    # stop after two failures
+    pytest -x           # stop after first failure
+    pytest --maxfail=2  # stop after two failures
 
 .. _select-tests:
 
diff --git a/src/_pytest/terminal.py b/src/_pytest/terminal.py
index 59f0fe0f3..14267b208 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/terminal.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/terminal.py
@@ -676,7 +676,7 @@ class TerminalReporter:
                             self._tw.line("{}{}".format(indent + "  ", line.strip()))
 
     @pytest.hookimpl(hookwrapper=True)
-    def pytest_sessionfinish(self, exitstatus):
+    def pytest_sessionfinish(self, session: Session, exitstatus: ExitCode):
         outcome = yield
         outcome.get_result()
         self._tw.line("")
@@ -691,9 +691,13 @@ class TerminalReporter:
             self.config.hook.pytest_terminal_summary(
                 terminalreporter=self, exitstatus=exitstatus, config=self.config
             )
+        if session.shouldfail:
+            self.write_sep("!", session.shouldfail, red=True)
         if exitstatus == ExitCode.INTERRUPTED:
             self._report_keyboardinterrupt()
             del self._keyboardinterrupt_memo
+        elif session.shouldstop:
+            self.write_sep("!", session.shouldstop, red=True)
         self.summary_stats()
 
     @pytest.hookimpl(hookwrapper=True)
diff --git a/testing/test_collection.py b/testing/test_collection.py
index 83345d2c6..f18d36d24 100644
--- a/testing/test_collection.py
+++ b/testing/test_collection.py
@@ -852,11 +852,15 @@ def test_exit_on_collection_with_maxfail_smaller_than_n_errors(testdir):
 
     res = testdir.runpytest("--maxfail=1")
     assert res.ret == 1
-
     res.stdout.fnmatch_lines(
-        ["*ERROR collecting test_02_import_error.py*", "*No module named *asdfa*"]
+        [
+            "collected 1 item / 1 error",
+            "*ERROR collecting test_02_import_error.py*",
+            "*No module named *asdfa*",
+            "*! stopping after 1 failures !*",
+            "*= 1 error in *",
+        ]
     )
-
     res.stdout.no_fnmatch_line("*test_03*")
 
 
@@ -869,7 +873,6 @@ def test_exit_on_collection_with_maxfail_bigger_than_n_errors(testdir):
 
     res = testdir.runpytest("--maxfail=4")
     assert res.ret == 2
-
     res.stdout.fnmatch_lines(
         [
             "collected 2 items / 2 errors",
@@ -877,6 +880,8 @@ def test_exit_on_collection_with_maxfail_bigger_than_n_errors(testdir):
             "*No module named *asdfa*",
             "*ERROR collecting test_03_import_error.py*",
             "*No module named *asdfa*",
+            "*! Interrupted: 2 errors during collection !*",
+            "*= 2 errors in *",
         ]
     )
 
diff --git a/testing/test_terminal.py b/testing/test_terminal.py
index 1bec577b8..d31033197 100644
--- a/testing/test_terminal.py
+++ b/testing/test_terminal.py
@@ -963,7 +963,31 @@ class TestGenericReporting:
         )
         result = testdir.runpytest("--maxfail=2", *option.args)
         result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(
-            ["*def test_1():*", "*def test_2():*", "*2 failed*"]
+            [
+                "*def test_1():*",
+                "*def test_2():*",
+                "*! stopping after 2 failures !*",
+                "*2 failed*",
+            ]
+        )
+
+    def test_maxfailures_with_interrupted(self, testdir):
+        testdir.makepyfile(
+            """
+            def test(request):
+                request.session.shouldstop = "session_interrupted"
+                assert 0
+        """
+        )
+        result = testdir.runpytest("--maxfail=1", "-ra")
+        result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(
+            [
+                "*= short test summary info =*",
+                "FAILED *",
+                "*! stopping after 1 failures !*",
+                "*! session_interrupted !*",
+                "*= 1 failed in*",
+            ]
         )
 
     def test_tb_option(self, testdir, option):