diff --git a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/test_impl.go b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/test_impl.go
index a7bf3d5d79a6..bbe98fcf744e 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/test_impl.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/test_impl.go
@@ -667,7 +667,10 @@ type workerStatus struct {
 
 		ttr testToRunRes
 		t   *testImpl
-		c   *clusterImpl
+		// The cluster that the worker is currently operating on. If the worker is
+		// currently running a test, the test is using this cluster. Nil if the
+		// worker does not currently have a cluster.
+		c *clusterImpl
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/test_runner.go b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/test_runner.go
index d6bd91761e1f..47ab22424be8 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/test_runner.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/test_runner.go
@@ -752,6 +752,8 @@ func (r *testRunner) runWorker(
 			c.Save(ctx, "cluster saved since --debug-always set", l)
 		}
 
+		wStatus.SetCluster(c)
+
 		// Prepare the test's logger. Always set this up with real files, using a
 		// temp dir if necessary. This simplifies testing.
 		artifactsRootDir := lopt.artifactsDir
@@ -874,7 +876,6 @@ func (r *testRunner) runWorker(
 
 				c.goCoverDir = t.GoCoverArtifactsDir()
 
-				wStatus.SetCluster(c)
 				wStatus.SetTest(t, testToRun)
 				wStatus.SetStatus("running test")