diff --git a/lib/internal/test_runner/harness.js b/lib/internal/test_runner/harness.js
index fbe166b68ee494a..82e417eafda72b5 100644
--- a/lib/internal/test_runner/harness.js
+++ b/lib/internal/test_runner/harness.js
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ function setup(root) {
   const exitHandler = async () => {
     if (root.subtests.length === 0 && (root.hooks.before.length > 0 || root.hooks.after.length > 0)) {
       // Run global before/after hooks in case there are no tests
+      await root.runHook('before', root.getRunArgs());
       await root.run();
     }
     root.postRun(new ERR_TEST_FAILURE(
diff --git a/lib/internal/test_runner/test.js b/lib/internal/test_runner/test.js
index 1c461a07f16bfaf..30ab6f1d24b8e1d 100644
--- a/lib/internal/test_runner/test.js
+++ b/lib/internal/test_runner/test.js
@@ -682,8 +682,10 @@ class Test extends AsyncResource {
     if (name === 'before' || name === 'after') {
       hook.run = runOnce(hook.run, kRunOnceOptions);
     }
-    if (name === 'before' && this.startTime !== null) {
-      // Test has already started, run the hook immediately
+    // If the test has already started, run the hook immediately. Do not run
+    // top level hooks immediately though so that we have a chance to load all
+    // of the tests.
+    if (name === 'before' && this.startTime !== null && this.parent !== null) {
       PromisePrototypeThen(hook.run(this.getRunArgs()), () => {
         if (hook.error != null) {
           this.fail(hook.error);
diff --git a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/global-hooks-with-no-tests.snapshot b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/global-hooks-with-no-tests.snapshot
index 9d622d8f3939bf7..110a8883122698a 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/global-hooks-with-no-tests.snapshot
+++ b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/global-hooks-with-no-tests.snapshot
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-before
 TAP version 13
+before
 after
 1..0
 # tests 0