diff --git a/tokio/src/runtime/blocking/mod.rs b/tokio/src/runtime/blocking/mod.rs
index 88bdcfd6421..c42924be77d 100644
--- a/tokio/src/runtime/blocking/mod.rs
+++ b/tokio/src/runtime/blocking/mod.rs
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@ cfg_trace! {
 mod schedule;
 mod shutdown;
 mod task;
-#[cfg(all(test, not(tokio_wasm)))]
-pub(crate) use schedule::NoopSchedule;
 pub(crate) use task::BlockingTask;
 
 use crate::runtime::Builder;
diff --git a/tokio/src/runtime/blocking/pool.rs b/tokio/src/runtime/blocking/pool.rs
index 9c536141996..e9f6b66e0fc 100644
--- a/tokio/src/runtime/blocking/pool.rs
+++ b/tokio/src/runtime/blocking/pool.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 use crate::loom::sync::{Arc, Condvar, Mutex};
 use crate::loom::thread;
-use crate::runtime::blocking::schedule::NoopSchedule;
+use crate::runtime::blocking::schedule::BlockingSchedule;
 use crate::runtime::blocking::{shutdown, BlockingTask};
 use crate::runtime::builder::ThreadNameFn;
 use crate::runtime::task::{self, JoinHandle};
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ struct Shared {
 }
 
 pub(crate) struct Task {
-    task: task::UnownedTask<NoopSchedule>,
+    task: task::UnownedTask<BlockingSchedule>,
     mandatory: Mandatory,
 }
 
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ impl From<SpawnError> for io::Error {
 }
 
 impl Task {
-    pub(crate) fn new(task: task::UnownedTask<NoopSchedule>, mandatory: Mandatory) -> Task {
+    pub(crate) fn new(task: task::UnownedTask<BlockingSchedule>, mandatory: Mandatory) -> Task {
         Task { task, mandatory }
     }
 
@@ -379,7 +379,8 @@ impl Spawner {
         #[cfg(not(all(tokio_unstable, feature = "tracing")))]
         let _ = name;
 
-        let (task, handle) = task::unowned(fut, NoopSchedule, id);
+        let (task, handle) = task::unowned(fut, BlockingSchedule::new(rt), id);
+
         let spawned = self.spawn_task(Task::new(task, is_mandatory), rt);
         (handle, spawned)
     }
diff --git a/tokio/src/runtime/blocking/schedule.rs b/tokio/src/runtime/blocking/schedule.rs
index 54252241d94..edf775be8be 100644
--- a/tokio/src/runtime/blocking/schedule.rs
+++ b/tokio/src/runtime/blocking/schedule.rs
@@ -1,15 +1,52 @@
+#[cfg(feature = "test-util")]
+use crate::runtime::scheduler;
 use crate::runtime::task::{self, Task};
+use crate::runtime::Handle;
 
-/// `task::Schedule` implementation that does nothing. This is unique to the
-/// blocking scheduler as tasks scheduled are not really futures but blocking
-/// operations.
+/// `task::Schedule` implementation that does nothing (except some bookkeeping
+/// in test-util builds). This is unique to the blocking scheduler as tasks
+/// scheduled are not really futures but blocking operations.
 ///
 /// We avoid storing the task by forgetting it in `bind` and re-materializing it
-/// in `release.
-pub(crate) struct NoopSchedule;
+/// in `release`.
+pub(crate) struct BlockingSchedule {
+    #[cfg(feature = "test-util")]
+    handle: Handle,
+}
+
+impl BlockingSchedule {
+    #[cfg_attr(not(feature = "test-util"), allow(unused_variables))]
+    pub(crate) fn new(handle: &Handle) -> Self {
+        #[cfg(feature = "test-util")]
+        {
+            match &handle.inner {
+                scheduler::Handle::CurrentThread(handle) => {
+                    handle.driver.clock.inhibit_auto_advance();
+                }
+                #[cfg(all(feature = "rt-multi-thread", not(tokio_wasi)))]
+                scheduler::Handle::MultiThread(_) => {}
+            }
+        }
+        BlockingSchedule {
+            #[cfg(feature = "test-util")]
+            handle: handle.clone(),
+        }
+    }
+}
 
-impl task::Schedule for NoopSchedule {
+impl task::Schedule for BlockingSchedule {
     fn release(&self, _task: &Task<Self>) -> Option<Task<Self>> {
+        #[cfg(feature = "test-util")]
+        {
+            match &self.handle.inner {
+                scheduler::Handle::CurrentThread(handle) => {
+                    handle.driver.clock.allow_auto_advance();
+                    handle.driver.unpark();
+                }
+                #[cfg(all(feature = "rt-multi-thread", not(tokio_wasi)))]
+                scheduler::Handle::MultiThread(_) => {}
+            }
+        }
         None
     }
 
diff --git a/tokio/src/runtime/tests/loom_blocking.rs b/tokio/src/runtime/tests/loom_blocking.rs
index 89de85e4362..5c4aeae39c5 100644
--- a/tokio/src/runtime/tests/loom_blocking.rs
+++ b/tokio/src/runtime/tests/loom_blocking.rs
@@ -73,6 +73,27 @@ fn spawn_mandatory_blocking_should_run_even_when_shutting_down_from_other_thread
     });
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn spawn_blocking_when_paused() {
+    use std::time::Duration;
+    loom::model(|| {
+        let rt = crate::runtime::Builder::new_current_thread()
+            .enable_time()
+            .start_paused(true)
+            .build()
+            .unwrap();
+        let handle = rt.handle();
+        let _enter = handle.enter();
+        let a = crate::task::spawn_blocking(|| {});
+        let b = crate::task::spawn_blocking(|| {});
+        rt.block_on(crate::time::timeout(Duration::from_millis(1), async move {
+            a.await.expect("blocking task should finish");
+            b.await.expect("blocking task should finish");
+        }))
+        .expect("timeout should not trigger");
+    });
+}
+
 fn mk_runtime(num_threads: usize) -> Runtime {
     runtime::Builder::new_multi_thread()
         .worker_threads(num_threads)
diff --git a/tokio/src/runtime/tests/loom_queue.rs b/tokio/src/runtime/tests/loom_queue.rs
index 8d4e1d384e2..fc93bf3e4a2 100644
--- a/tokio/src/runtime/tests/loom_queue.rs
+++ b/tokio/src/runtime/tests/loom_queue.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-use crate::runtime::blocking::NoopSchedule;
 use crate::runtime::scheduler::multi_thread::queue;
 use crate::runtime::task::Inject;
+use crate::runtime::tests::NoopSchedule;
 use crate::runtime::MetricsBatch;
 
 use loom::thread;
diff --git a/tokio/src/runtime/tests/mod.rs b/tokio/src/runtime/tests/mod.rs
index 1c67dfefb32..4e7c2453f25 100644
--- a/tokio/src/runtime/tests/mod.rs
+++ b/tokio/src/runtime/tests/mod.rs
@@ -2,11 +2,29 @@
 // other code when running loom tests.
 #![cfg_attr(loom, warn(dead_code, unreachable_pub))]
 
+use self::noop_scheduler::NoopSchedule;
 use self::unowned_wrapper::unowned;
 
+mod noop_scheduler {
+    use crate::runtime::task::{self, Task};
+
+    /// `task::Schedule` implementation that does nothing, for testing.
+    pub(crate) struct NoopSchedule;
+
+    impl task::Schedule for NoopSchedule {
+        fn release(&self, _task: &Task<Self>) -> Option<Task<Self>> {
+            None
+        }
+
+        fn schedule(&self, _task: task::Notified<Self>) {
+            unreachable!();
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 mod unowned_wrapper {
-    use crate::runtime::blocking::NoopSchedule;
     use crate::runtime::task::{Id, JoinHandle, Notified};
+    use crate::runtime::tests::NoopSchedule;
 
     #[cfg(all(tokio_unstable, feature = "tracing"))]
     pub(crate) fn unowned<T>(task: T) -> (Notified<NoopSchedule>, JoinHandle<T::Output>)
diff --git a/tokio/src/runtime/tests/task.rs b/tokio/src/runtime/tests/task.rs
index 173e5b0b23f..a79c0f50d15 100644
--- a/tokio/src/runtime/tests/task.rs
+++ b/tokio/src/runtime/tests/task.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-use crate::runtime::blocking::NoopSchedule;
 use crate::runtime::task::{self, unowned, Id, JoinHandle, OwnedTasks, Schedule, Task};
+use crate::runtime::tests::NoopSchedule;
 use crate::util::TryLock;
 
 use std::collections::VecDeque;
diff --git a/tokio/src/runtime/time/mod.rs b/tokio/src/runtime/time/mod.rs
index 240f8f16e6d..f81cab8cc35 100644
--- a/tokio/src/runtime/time/mod.rs
+++ b/tokio/src/runtime/time/mod.rs
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ impl Driver {
             let handle = rt_handle.time();
             let clock = &handle.time_source.clock;
 
-            if clock.is_paused() {
+            if clock.can_auto_advance() {
                 self.park.park_timeout(rt_handle, Duration::from_secs(0));
 
                 // If the time driver was woken, then the park completed
diff --git a/tokio/src/time/clock.rs b/tokio/src/time/clock.rs
index 0343c4f4cf0..cd11a67527f 100644
--- a/tokio/src/time/clock.rs
+++ b/tokio/src/time/clock.rs
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ cfg_test_util! {
 
         /// Instant at which the clock was last unfrozen.
         unfrozen: Option<std::time::Instant>,
+
+        /// Number of `inhibit_auto_advance` calls still in effect.
+        auto_advance_inhibit_count: usize,
     }
 
     /// Pauses time.
@@ -187,6 +190,7 @@ cfg_test_util! {
                     enable_pausing,
                     base: now,
                     unfrozen: Some(now),
+                    auto_advance_inhibit_count: 0,
                 })),
             };
 
@@ -212,9 +216,20 @@ cfg_test_util! {
             inner.unfrozen = None;
         }
 
-        pub(crate) fn is_paused(&self) -> bool {
+        /// Temporarily stop auto-advancing the clock (see `tokio::time::pause`).
+        pub(crate) fn inhibit_auto_advance(&self) {
+            let mut inner = self.inner.lock();
+            inner.auto_advance_inhibit_count += 1;
+        }
+
+        pub(crate) fn allow_auto_advance(&self) {
+            let mut inner = self.inner.lock();
+            inner.auto_advance_inhibit_count -= 1;
+        }
+
+        pub(crate) fn can_auto_advance(&self) -> bool {
             let inner = self.inner.lock();
-            inner.unfrozen.is_none()
+            inner.unfrozen.is_none() && inner.auto_advance_inhibit_count == 0
         }
 
         #[track_caller]
diff --git a/tokio/tests/task_blocking.rs b/tokio/tests/task_blocking.rs
index e5879332d0e..2999758ff36 100644
--- a/tokio/tests/task_blocking.rs
+++ b/tokio/tests/task_blocking.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #![warn(rust_2018_idioms)]
 #![cfg(all(feature = "full", not(tokio_wasi)))] // Wasi doesn't support threads
 
-use tokio::{runtime, task};
+use tokio::{runtime, task, time};
 use tokio_test::assert_ok;
 
 use std::thread;
@@ -226,3 +226,84 @@ fn coop_disabled_in_block_in_place_in_block_on() {
 
     done_rx.recv().unwrap().unwrap();
 }
+
+#[cfg(feature = "test-util")]
+#[tokio::test(start_paused = true)]
+async fn blocking_when_paused() {
+    // Do not auto-advance time when we have started a blocking task that has
+    // not yet finished.
+    time::timeout(
+        Duration::from_secs(3),
+        task::spawn_blocking(|| thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(1))),
+    )
+    .await
+    .expect("timeout should not trigger")
+    .expect("blocking task should finish");
+
+    // Really: Do not auto-advance time, even if the timeout is short and the
+    // blocking task runs for longer than that. It doesn't matter: Tokio time
+    // is paused; system time is not.
+    time::timeout(
+        Duration::from_millis(1),
+        task::spawn_blocking(|| thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(50))),
+    )
+    .await
+    .expect("timeout should not trigger")
+    .expect("blocking task should finish");
+}
+
+#[cfg(feature = "test-util")]
+#[tokio::test(start_paused = true)]
+async fn blocking_task_wakes_paused_runtime() {
+    let t0 = std::time::Instant::now();
+    time::timeout(
+        Duration::from_secs(15),
+        task::spawn_blocking(|| thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(1))),
+    )
+    .await
+    .expect("timeout should not trigger")
+    .expect("blocking task should finish");
+    assert!(
+        t0.elapsed() < Duration::from_secs(10),
+        "completing a spawn_blocking should wake the scheduler if it's parked while time is paused"
+    );
+}
+
+#[cfg(feature = "test-util")]
+#[tokio::test(start_paused = true)]
+async fn unawaited_blocking_task_wakes_paused_runtime() {
+    let t0 = std::time::Instant::now();
+
+    // When this task finishes, time should auto-advance, even though the
+    // JoinHandle has not been awaited yet.
+    let a = task::spawn_blocking(|| {
+        thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(1));
+    });
+
+    crate::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(15)).await;
+    a.await.expect("blocking task should finish");
+    assert!(
+        t0.elapsed() < Duration::from_secs(10),
+        "completing a spawn_blocking should wake the scheduler if it's parked while time is paused"
+    );
+}
+
+#[cfg(feature = "test-util")]
+#[tokio::test(start_paused = true)]
+async fn panicking_blocking_task_wakes_paused_runtime() {
+    let t0 = std::time::Instant::now();
+    let result = time::timeout(
+        Duration::from_secs(15),
+        task::spawn_blocking(|| {
+            thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(1));
+            panic!("blocking task panicked");
+        }),
+    )
+    .await
+    .expect("timeout should not trigger");
+    assert!(result.is_err(), "blocking task should have panicked");
+    assert!(
+        t0.elapsed() < Duration::from_secs(10),
+        "completing a spawn_blocking should wake the scheduler if it's parked while time is paused"
+    );
+}