diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/node/core.ts b/packages/vitest/src/node/core.ts
index 9383ee21eea3..4c12f14e947f 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/node/core.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/node/core.ts
@@ -145,10 +145,8 @@ export class Vitest {
     return coreWorkspace
   }
 
-  public getCoreWorkspaceProject() {
-    if (!this.coreWorkspace)
-      throw new Error('Core workspace project is not initialized')
-    return this.coreWorkspace
+  public getCoreWorkspaceProject(): WorkspaceProject | null {
+    return this.coreWorkspace || null
   }
 
   private async resolveWorkspace(options: UserConfig, cliOptions: UserConfig) {
@@ -687,10 +685,13 @@ export class Vitest {
 
   async close() {
     if (!this.closingPromise) {
+      const closePromises = this.projects.map(w => w.close())
+      // close the core workspace server only once
+      if (this.coreWorkspace && !this.projects.includes(this.coreWorkspace))
+        closePromises.push(this.server.close())
       this.closingPromise = Promise.allSettled([
         this.pool?.close(),
-        this.server.close(),
-        ...this.projects.map(w => w.close()),
+        ...closePromises,
       ].filter(Boolean)).then((results) => {
         results.filter(r => r.status === 'rejected').forEach((err) => {
           this.logger.error('error during close', (err as PromiseRejectedResult).reason)
diff --git a/test/global-setup/globalSetup/another-vite-instance.ts b/test/global-setup/globalSetup/another-vite-instance.ts
index 74522166f0b1..e533e6e76fc4 100644
--- a/test/global-setup/globalSetup/another-vite-instance.ts
+++ b/test/global-setup/globalSetup/another-vite-instance.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import { createServer } from 'vite'
 import { resolve } from 'pathe'
 
+let teardownHappened = false
+
 export async function setup() {
   const server = await createServer({
     root: resolve(__dirname, '..'),
@@ -11,6 +13,9 @@ export async function setup() {
 
   await server.listen(9988)
   return async () => {
+    if (teardownHappened)
+      throw new Error('teardown called twice')
+    teardownHappened = true
     await server.close()
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/global-setup/globalSetup/default-export.js b/test/global-setup/globalSetup/default-export.js
index 225646c9a0b4..9d670a5153a3 100644
--- a/test/global-setup/globalSetup/default-export.js
+++ b/test/global-setup/globalSetup/default-export.js
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ async function sleep(n) {
   return new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, n))
 }
 
+let teardownHappened = false
+
 export default async function () {
   // setup something eg start a server, db or whatever
   // const server = await start()
@@ -10,6 +12,9 @@ export default async function () {
   await sleep(25)
 
   return async () => {
+    if (teardownHappened)
+      throw new Error('teardown called twice')
+    teardownHappened = true
     // tear it down here
     // await server.close()
     await sleep(25)
diff --git a/test/global-setup/globalSetup/named-exports.js b/test/global-setup/globalSetup/named-exports.js
index 51cb771afc35..aa25a731026c 100644
--- a/test/global-setup/globalSetup/named-exports.js
+++ b/test/global-setup/globalSetup/named-exports.js
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ async function sleep(n) {
   return new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, n))
 }
 
+let teardownHappened = false
+
 // let start
 
 export async function setup() {
@@ -13,6 +15,9 @@ export async function setup() {
 }
 
 export async function teardown() {
+  if (teardownHappened)
+    throw new Error('teardown called twice')
+  teardownHappened = true
   // tear it down here
   // await server.close()
   await sleep(25)
diff --git a/test/global-setup/globalSetup/ts-with-imports.ts b/test/global-setup/globalSetup/ts-with-imports.ts
index e1ac09dfd6ba..860ab957a475 100644
--- a/test/global-setup/globalSetup/ts-with-imports.ts
+++ b/test/global-setup/globalSetup/ts-with-imports.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 import { startServer } from './server'
 
+let teardown = false
+
 export default async function () {
   const server = await startServer('0.0.0.0', 9876)
-  return async () => new Promise<void>(resolve => server.close(() => resolve()))
+  return async () => {
+    if (teardown)
+      throw new Error('teardown called twice')
+    teardown = true
+    return new Promise<void>(resolve => server.close(() => resolve()))
+  }
 }