diff --git a/lib/internal/test_runner/harness.js b/lib/internal/test_runner/harness.js
index 88b028749b2d82..3680776a1071a7 100644
--- a/lib/internal/test_runner/harness.js
+++ b/lib/internal/test_runner/harness.js
@@ -126,11 +126,16 @@ function setup(root) {
     }
   };
 
+  const terminationHandler = () => {
+    exitHandler();
+    process.exit();
+  }
+
   process.on('uncaughtException', exceptionHandler);
   process.on('unhandledRejection', rejectionHandler);
   process.on('beforeExit', exitHandler);
-  process.on('SIGINT', exitHandler);
-  process.on('SIGTERM', exitHandler);
+  process.on('SIGINT', terminationHandler);
+  process.on('SIGTERM', terminationHandler);
 
   root.reporter.pipe(process.stdout);
   root.reporter.version();
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-runner-exit-code.js b/test/parallel/test-runner-exit-code.js
index 187ab24c4893dc..12a4764858174e 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-runner-exit-code.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-runner-exit-code.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 require('../common');
 const assert = require('assert');
 const { spawnSync } = require('child_process');
+const { setTimeout } = require('timers/promises');
 
 if (process.argv[2] === 'child') {
   const test = require('node:test');
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ if (process.argv[2] === 'child') {
   } else if (process.argv[3] === 'never_ends') {
     assert.strictEqual(process.argv[3], 'never_ends');
     test('never ending test', () => {
-      return new Promise(() => {});
+      return setTimeout(100_000_000);
     });
     process.kill(process.pid, 'SIGINT');
   }