<p>Emulsion Treated Base (ETB) is a base stabilization technique in which aggregates are coated with a bituminous emulsion, imparting flexibility to the material. In conventional pavement design, ETB is assumed to fail primarily through permanent deformation, and therefore the provision of a crack relief layer is generally not considered necessary. However, when designers have flexibility in selecting the proportions of constituent materials, certain ETB combinations may exhibit a tendency to fail through cracking rather than rutting. This study evaluates the factors influencing the cracking resistance of ETB mixes using fracture energy and post-peak slope as key performance indicators. Results indicate that fracture energy increases with higher emulsion content, active filler content, incorporation of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement material (RAP) and greater compaction effort, suggesting improved particle bonding. Conversely, the post-peak slope increases with higher cement content and compaction effort, indicating a greater susceptibility to cracking. It was observed that ETB mixes with 50% RAP and higher emulsion content are more prone to rutting, while mixes with higher cement content and compaction effort are more likely to crack. The study recommends that ETB mixes prone to cracking should be designed based on fatigue criteria, and the inclusion of a crack relief layer should be considered in such cases.</p>