diff --git a/lib/internal/test_runner/test.js b/lib/internal/test_runner/test.js
index 97d53c097261d7..663d314a016a68 100644
--- a/lib/internal/test_runner/test.js
+++ b/lib/internal/test_runner/test.js
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ function stopTest(timeout, signal) {
 
     disposeFunction = () => {
       abortListener[SymbolDispose]();
-      clearTimeout(timer);
+      timer[SymbolDispose]();
     };
   }
 
@@ -679,7 +679,7 @@ class Test extends AsyncResource {
     this.expectedAssertions = plan;
     this.cancelled = false;
     this.expectFailure = parseExpectFailure(expectFailure) || this.parent?.expectFailure;
-    this.skipped = skip !== undefined && skip !== false;
+    this.skipped = !!skip;
     this.isTodo = (todo !== undefined && todo !== false) || this.parent?.isTodo;
     this.startTime = null;
     this.endTime = null;
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-runner-skip-empty-string.js b/test/parallel/test-runner-skip-empty-string.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..03352ce9a475e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-runner-skip-empty-string.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const common = require('../common');
+const { test } = require('node:test');
+
+test('skip option empty string should not skip', { skip: '' }, common.mustCall());