diff --git a/lib/internal/test_runner/harness.js b/lib/internal/test_runner/harness.js
index 202759bdbfe7ae..5f43e846f29585 100644
--- a/lib/internal/test_runner/harness.js
+++ b/lib/internal/test_runner/harness.js
@@ -225,7 +225,11 @@ function getGlobalRoot() {
 }
 
 async function startSubtest(subtest) {
-  await reportersSetup;
+  if (reportersSetup) {
+    // Only incur the overhead of awaiting the Promise once.
+    await reportersSetup;
+    reportersSetup = undefined;
+  }
 
   const root = getGlobalRoot();
   if (!root.harness.bootstrapComplete) {
diff --git a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/default_output.js b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/default_output.js
index b0392f3737b1d6..3bb85c781ba7b1 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/default_output.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/default_output.js
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ const test = require('node:test');
 test('should pass', () => {});
 test('should fail', () => { throw new Error('fail'); });
 test('should skip', { skip: true }, () => {});
-test('parent', () => {
-  test('should fail', () => { throw new Error('fail'); });
-  test('should pass but parent fail', () => {});
+test('parent', (t) => {
+  t.test('should fail', () => { throw new Error('fail'); });
+  t.test('should pass but parent fail', (t, done) => {
+    setImmediate(done);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/default_output.snapshot b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/default_output.snapshot
index b003f9299c4418..d91db3bd9e54fe 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/default_output.snapshot
+++ b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/default_output.snapshot
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@
     *[39m
     *[39m
     *[39m
+    *[39m
+        *[39m
+    *[39m
+    *[39m
+    *[39m
     *[39m
 
   [31m✖ should pass but parent fail [90m(*ms)[39m[39m
@@ -53,6 +58,11 @@
   *[39m
   *[39m
   *[39m
+  *[39m
+      *[39m
+  *[39m
+  *[39m
+  *[39m
   *[39m
 
 *