diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/runtime/moduleRunner/errorCatcher.ts b/packages/vitest/src/runtime/moduleRunner/errorCatcher.ts
index 59fc279f3db1..9568051695d1 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/runtime/moduleRunner/errorCatcher.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/runtime/moduleRunner/errorCatcher.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 import type { WorkerGlobalState } from '../../types/worker'
 import { serializeValue } from '@vitest/utils/serialize'
 
+// Store globals in case tests overwrite them
+const processListeners = process.listeners.bind(process)
+const processOn = process.on.bind(process)
+const processOff = process.off.bind(process)
+
 const dispose: (() => void)[] = []
 
 export function listenForErrors(state: () => WorkerGlobalState): void {
@@ -10,7 +15,7 @@ export function listenForErrors(state: () => WorkerGlobalState): void {
   function catchError(err: any, type: string, event: 'uncaughtException' | 'unhandledRejection') {
     const worker = state()
 
-    const listeners = process.listeners(event as 'uncaughtException')
+    const listeners = processListeners(event as 'uncaughtException')
     // if there is another listener, assume that it's handled by user code
     // one is Vitest's own listener
     if (listeners.length > 1) {
@@ -32,11 +37,11 @@ export function listenForErrors(state: () => WorkerGlobalState): void {
   const uncaughtException = (e: Error) => catchError(e, 'Uncaught Exception', 'uncaughtException')
   const unhandledRejection = (e: Error) => catchError(e, 'Unhandled Rejection', 'unhandledRejection')
 
-  process.on('uncaughtException', uncaughtException)
-  process.on('unhandledRejection', unhandledRejection)
+  processOn('uncaughtException', uncaughtException)
+  processOn('unhandledRejection', unhandledRejection)
 
   dispose.push(() => {
-    process.off('uncaughtException', uncaughtException)
-    process.off('unhandledRejection', unhandledRejection)
+    processOff('uncaughtException', uncaughtException)
+    processOff('unhandledRejection', unhandledRejection)
   })
 }
diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/runtime/workers/init.ts b/packages/vitest/src/runtime/workers/init.ts
index e8ecd6c5227a..537ec713acc0 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/runtime/workers/init.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/runtime/workers/init.ts
@@ -50,9 +50,20 @@ export function init(worker: Options): void {
           return
         }
 
+        try {
+          process.env.VITEST_POOL_ID = String(message.poolId)
+          process.env.VITEST_WORKER_ID = String(message.context.workerId)
+        }
+        catch (error) {
+          return send({
+            type: 'testfileFinished',
+            __vitest_worker_response__,
+            error: serializeError(error),
+            usedMemory: reportMemory ? memoryUsage().heapUsed : undefined,
+          })
+        }
+
         isRunning = true
-        process.env.VITEST_POOL_ID = String(message.poolId)
-        process.env.VITEST_WORKER_ID = String(message.context.workerId)
 
         try {
           runPromise = entrypoint.run(message.context, worker)
@@ -85,9 +96,20 @@ export function init(worker: Options): void {
           return
         }
 
+        try {
+          process.env.VITEST_POOL_ID = String(message.poolId)
+          process.env.VITEST_WORKER_ID = String(message.context.workerId)
+        }
+        catch (error) {
+          return send({
+            type: 'testfileFinished',
+            __vitest_worker_response__,
+            error: serializeError(error),
+            usedMemory: reportMemory ? memoryUsage().heapUsed : undefined,
+          })
+        }
+
         isRunning = true
-        process.env.VITEST_POOL_ID = String(message.poolId)
-        process.env.VITEST_WORKER_ID = String(message.context.workerId)
 
         try {
           runPromise = entrypoint.collect(message.context, worker)