diff --git a/src/cmd/dist/test.go b/src/cmd/dist/test.go
index 4cd696a..8de292d 100644
--- a/src/cmd/dist/test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/dist/test.go
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import (
 	"regexp"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
-	"sync"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -195,7 +194,6 @@ func (t *tester) run() {
 		}
 		dt := dt // dt used in background after this iteration
 		if err := dt.fn(&dt); err != nil {
-			t.runPending(&dt) // in case that hasn't been done yet
 			t.failed = true
 			if t.keepGoing {
 				log.Printf("Failed: %v", err)
@@ -776,11 +774,8 @@ func (t *tester) cgoTest(dt *distTest) error {
 }
 
 // run pending test commands, in parallel, emitting headers as appropriate.
-// When finished, emit header for nextTest, which is going to run after the
+// When finished, emit header for dt, which is going to run after the
 // pending commands are done (and runPending returns).
-// A test should call runPending if it wants to make sure that it is not
-// running in parallel with earlier tests, or if it has some other reason
-// for needing the earlier tests to be done.
 func (t *tester) runPending(nextTest *distTest) {
 	worklist := t.worklist
 	t.worklist = nil
@@ -955,35 +950,20 @@ func (t *tester) raceTest(dt *distTest) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-var runtest struct {
-	sync.Once
-	exe string
-	err error
-}
-
 func (t *tester) testDirTest(dt *distTest, shard, shards int) error {
-	runtest.Do(func() {
-		const exe = "runtest.exe" // named exe for Windows, but harmless elsewhere
-		cmd := t.dirCmd("test", "go", "build", "-o", exe, "run.go")
-		cmd.Env = mergeEnvLists([]string{"GOOS=" + t.gohostos, "GOARCH=" + t.gohostarch, "GOMAXPROCS="}, os.Environ())
-		runtest.exe = filepath.Join(cmd.Dir, exe)
-		if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
-			runtest.err = err
-			return
-		}
-		xatexit(func() {
-			os.Remove(runtest.exe)
-		})
-	})
-	if runtest.err != nil {
-		return runtest.err
+	t.runPending(dt)
+	const runExe = "runtest.exe" // named exe for Windows, but harmless elsewhere
+	cmd := t.dirCmd("test", "go", "build", "-o", runExe, "run.go")
+	cmd.Env = mergeEnvLists([]string{"GOOS=" + t.gohostos, "GOARCH=" + t.gohostarch, "GOMAXPROCS="}, os.Environ())
+	if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
-
-	t.addCmd(dt, "test", runtest.exe,
+	absExe := filepath.Join(cmd.Dir, runExe)
+	defer os.Remove(absExe)
+	return t.dirCmd("test", absExe,
 		fmt.Sprintf("--shard=%d", shard),
 		fmt.Sprintf("--shards=%d", shards),
-	)
-	return nil
+	).Run()
 }
 
 // mergeEnvLists merges the two environment lists such that