diff --git a/lib/internal/test_runner/harness.js b/lib/internal/test_runner/harness.js
index 36c36f2de14b04d..38dbfde168db896 100644
--- a/lib/internal/test_runner/harness.js
+++ b/lib/internal/test_runner/harness.js
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ function setup(root) {
     createProcessEventHandler('unhandledRejection', root);
   const coverage = configureCoverage(root, globalOptions);
   const exitHandler = async () => {
-    await root.run(new ERR_TEST_FAILURE(
+    root.postRun(new ERR_TEST_FAILURE(
       'Promise resolution is still pending but the event loop has already resolved',
       kCancelledByParent));
 
diff --git a/lib/internal/test_runner/test.js b/lib/internal/test_runner/test.js
index cc7c81cad88c0d7..fc97c8a359f36ca 100644
--- a/lib/internal/test_runner/test.js
+++ b/lib/internal/test_runner/test.js
@@ -643,9 +643,16 @@ class Test extends AsyncResource {
       }
     }
 
-    // Clean up the test. Then, try to report the results and execute any
-    // tests that were pending due to available concurrency.
-    this.postRun(pendingSubtestsError);
+    if (this.parent !== null) {
+      // Clean up the test. Then, try to report the results and execute any
+      // tests that were pending due to available concurrency.
+      //
+      // The root test is skipped here because it is a special case. Its
+      // postRun() method is called when the process is getting ready to exit.
+      // This helps catch any asynchronous activity that occurs after the tests
+      // have finished executing.
+      this.postRun(pendingSubtestsError);
+    }
   }
 
   postRun(pendingSubtestsError) {
@@ -687,6 +694,18 @@ class Test extends AsyncResource {
       this.parent.addReadySubtest(this);
       this.parent.processReadySubtestRange(false);
       this.parent.processPendingSubtests();
+
+      if (this.parent === this.root &&
+          this.root.activeSubtests === 0 &&
+          this.root.pendingSubtests.length === 0 &&
+          this.root.readySubtests.size === 0 &&
+          this.root.hooks.after.length > 0) {
+        // This is done so that any global after() hooks are run. At this point
+        // all of the tests have finished running. However, there might be
+        // ref'ed handles keeping the event loop alive. This gives the global
+        // after() hook a chance to clean them up.
+        this.root.run();
+      }
     } else if (!this.reported) {
       if (!this.passed && failed === 0 && this.error) {
         this.reporter.fail(0, kFilename, this.subtests.length + 1, kFilename, {
diff --git a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/global_after_should_fail_the_test.snapshot b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/global_after_should_fail_the_test.snapshot
index 16693c1a8a964be..e40ea52f7242ebf 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/global_after_should_fail_the_test.snapshot
+++ b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/global_after_should_fail_the_test.snapshot
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ not ok 2 - /test/fixtures/test-runner/output/global_after_should_fail_the_test.j
     *
     *
     *
-    *
   ...
 1..1
 # tests 1