diff --git a/packages/runner/src/context.ts b/packages/runner/src/context.ts
index ef5ada1c6213..a4fe8436d42f 100644
--- a/packages/runner/src/context.ts
+++ b/packages/runner/src/context.ts
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ export function withTimeout<T extends (...args: any[]) => any>(
   // this function name is used to filter error in test/cli/test/fails.test.ts
   return (function runWithTimeout(...args: T extends (...args: infer A) => any ? A : never) {
     return Promise.race([
-      fn(...args),
       new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
         const timer = setTimeout(() => {
           clearTimeout(timer)
@@ -52,6 +51,9 @@ export function withTimeout<T extends (...args: any[]) => any>(
         // `unref` might not exist in browser
         timer.unref?.()
       }),
+      Promise.resolve(fn(...args)).then((result) => {
+        return new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 0, result))
+      }),
     ]) as Awaitable<void>
   }) as T
 }
diff --git a/test/cli/fixtures/fails/test-timeout.test.ts b/test/cli/fixtures/fails/test-timeout.test.ts
index 010697ce7e51..afb5b6658c86 100644
--- a/test/cli/fixtures/fails/test-timeout.test.ts
+++ b/test/cli/fixtures/fails/test-timeout.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,13 @@ test('hi', async () => {
   await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000))
 }, 10)
 
+test('timeout on long synchronous task', async () => {
+  const start = Date.now();
+
+  while (Date.now() < start + 20) {
+  }
+}, 15)
+
 suite('suite timeout', {
   timeout: 100,
 }, () => {
diff --git a/test/cli/test/__snapshots__/fails.test.ts.snap b/test/cli/test/__snapshots__/fails.test.ts.snap
index 8b6c55f29a16..778b78138863 100644
--- a/test/cli/test/__snapshots__/fails.test.ts.snap
+++ b/test/cli/test/__snapshots__/fails.test.ts.snap
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ exports[`should fail test-timeout.test.ts > test-timeout.test.ts 1`] = `
 "Error: Test timed out in 20ms.
 Error: Test timed out in 200ms.
 Error: Test timed out in 100ms.
+Error: Test timed out in 15ms.
 Error: Test timed out in 10ms."
 `;
 
diff --git a/test/reporters/tests/merge-reports.test.ts b/test/reporters/tests/merge-reports.test.ts
index df5fcd885e4e..9dc10dd84fbc 100644
--- a/test/reporters/tests/merge-reports.test.ts
+++ b/test/reporters/tests/merge-reports.test.ts
@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@ test('merge reports', async () => {
 
     stdout | first.test.ts > test 1-2
     beforeEach
+
+    stdout | first.test.ts > test 1-2
     test 1-2
 
      ❯ first.test.ts (2 tests | 1 failed) <time>