diff --git a/src/cmd/go/go_test.go b/src/cmd/go/go_test.go
index 65b7aa4de2..d720611216 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/go_test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/go_test.go
@@ -599,6 +599,19 @@ func (tg *testgoData) mustNotExist(path string) {
 	}
 }
 
+// mustHaveContent succeeds if filePath is a path to a file,
+// and that file is readable and not empty.
+func (tg *testgoData) mustHaveContent(filePath string) {
+	tg.mustExist(filePath)
+	f, err := os.Stat(filePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		tg.t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if f.Size() == 0 {
+		tg.t.Fatalf("expected %s to have data, but is empty", filePath)
+	}
+}
+
 // wantExecutable fails with msg if path is not executable.
 func (tg *testgoData) wantExecutable(path, msg string) {
 	tg.t.Helper()
@@ -3909,6 +3922,24 @@ func TestBenchTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 	tg.run("test", "-bench", ".", "-timeout", "750ms", "testdata/timeoutbench_test.go")
 }
 
+// Issue 19394
+func TestWriteProfilesOnTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	tg := testgo(t)
+	defer tg.cleanup()
+	tg.tempDir("profiling")
+	tg.tempFile("profiling/timeouttest_test.go", `package timeouttest_test
+import "testing"
+import "time"
+func TestSleep(t *testing.T) { time.Sleep(time.Second) }`)
+	tg.cd(tg.path("profiling"))
+	tg.runFail(
+		"test",
+		"-cpuprofile", tg.path("profiling/cpu.pprof"), "-memprofile", tg.path("profiling/mem.pprof"),
+		"-timeout", "1ms")
+	tg.mustHaveContent(tg.path("profiling/cpu.pprof"))
+	tg.mustHaveContent(tg.path("profiling/mem.pprof"))
+}
+
 func TestLinkXImportPathEscape(t *testing.T) {
 	// golang.org/issue/16710
 	tg := testgo(t)
diff --git a/src/testing/testing.go b/src/testing/testing.go
index 9e519f5cb9..53283796f8 100644
--- a/src/testing/testing.go
+++ b/src/testing/testing.go
@@ -876,6 +876,9 @@ type M struct {
 	tests      []InternalTest
 	benchmarks []InternalBenchmark
 	examples   []InternalExample
+
+	timer     *time.Timer
+	afterOnce sync.Once
 }
 
 // testDeps is an internal interface of functionality that is
@@ -918,22 +921,21 @@ func (m *M) Run() int {
 	parseCpuList()
 
 	m.before()
-	startAlarm()
+	defer m.after()
+	m.startAlarm()
 	haveExamples = len(m.examples) > 0
 	testRan, testOk := runTests(m.deps.MatchString, m.tests)
 	exampleRan, exampleOk := runExamples(m.deps.MatchString, m.examples)
-	stopAlarm()
+	m.stopAlarm()
 	if !testRan && !exampleRan && *matchBenchmarks == "" {
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "testing: warning: no tests to run")
 	}
 	if !testOk || !exampleOk || !runBenchmarks(m.deps.ImportPath(), m.deps.MatchString, m.benchmarks) || race.Errors() > 0 {
 		fmt.Println("FAIL")
-		m.after()
 		return 1
 	}
 
 	fmt.Println("PASS")
-	m.after()
 	return 0
 }
 
@@ -1063,6 +1065,12 @@ func (m *M) before() {
 
 // after runs after all testing.
 func (m *M) after() {
+	m.afterOnce.Do(func() {
+		m.writeProfiles()
+	})
+}
+
+func (m *M) writeProfiles() {
 	if *cpuProfile != "" {
 		m.deps.StopCPUProfile() // flushes profile to disk
 	}
@@ -1139,12 +1147,11 @@ func toOutputDir(path string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s%c%s", *outputDir, os.PathSeparator, path)
 }
 
-var timer *time.Timer
-
 // startAlarm starts an alarm if requested.
-func startAlarm() {
+func (m *M) startAlarm() {
 	if *timeout > 0 {
-		timer = time.AfterFunc(*timeout, func() {
+		m.timer = time.AfterFunc(*timeout, func() {
+			m.after()
 			debug.SetTraceback("all")
 			panic(fmt.Sprintf("test timed out after %v", *timeout))
 		})
@@ -1152,9 +1159,9 @@ func startAlarm() {
 }
 
 // stopAlarm turns off the alarm.
-func stopAlarm() {
+func (m *M) stopAlarm() {
 	if *timeout > 0 {
-		timer.Stop()
+		m.timer.Stop()
 	}
 }