diff --git a/core/runner.js b/core/runner.js
index 365ec3a7ffa5..819030b71236 100644
--- a/core/runner.js
+++ b/core/runner.js
@@ -199,32 +199,27 @@ class Runner {
         data: sentryContext,
       });
 
-      /** @type {LH.Artifacts} */
-      let artifacts;
       if (settings.auditMode && !settings.gatherMode) {
         // No browser required, just load the artifacts from disk.
         const path = this._getDataSavePath(settings);
-        artifacts = assetSaver.loadArtifacts(path);
-      } else {
-        const runnerStatus = {msg: 'Gather phase', id: 'lh:runner:gather'};
-        log.time(runnerStatus, 'verbose');
-
-        artifacts = await gatherFn({
-          resolvedConfig: options.resolvedConfig,
-        });
-
-        log.timeEnd(runnerStatus);
-
-        // If `gather` is run multiple times before `audit`, the timing entries for each `gather` can pollute one another.
-        // We need to clear the timing entries at the end of gathering.
-        // Set artifacts.Timing again to ensure lh:runner:gather is included.
-        artifacts.Timing = log.takeTimeEntries();
-
-        // -G means save these to disk (e.g. ./latest-run).
-        if (settings.gatherMode) {
-          const path = this._getDataSavePath(settings);
-          await assetSaver.saveArtifacts(artifacts, path);
-        }
+        return assetSaver.loadArtifacts(path);
+      }
+
+      const runnerStatus = {msg: 'Gather phase', id: 'lh:runner:gather'};
+      log.time(runnerStatus, 'verbose');
+
+      const artifacts = await gatherFn({resolvedConfig: options.resolvedConfig});
+      log.timeEnd(runnerStatus);
+
+      // If `gather` is run multiple times before `audit`, the timing entries for each `gather` can pollute one another.
+      // We need to clear the timing entries at the end of gathering.
+      // Set artifacts.Timing again to ensure lh:runner:gather is included.
+      artifacts.Timing = log.takeTimeEntries();
+
+      // -G means save these to disk (e.g. ./latest-run).
+      if (settings.gatherMode) {
+        const path = this._getDataSavePath(settings);
+        await assetSaver.saveArtifacts(artifacts, path);
       }
 
       return artifacts;