diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/analysis/BaseRuleClasses.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/analysis/BaseRuleClasses.java
index 22722a54ccc625..2797298788ae6a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/analysis/BaseRuleClasses.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/analysis/BaseRuleClasses.java
@@ -147,6 +147,8 @@ public static LabelLateBoundDefault<BuildConfiguration> getCoverageOutputGenerat
             return runUnder != null ? runUnder.getLabel() : null;
           });
 
+  public static final String TEST_RUNNER_EXEC_GROUP = "test";
+
   /**
    * A base rule for all test rules.
    */
@@ -154,6 +156,7 @@ public static final class TestBaseRule implements RuleDefinition {
     @Override
     public RuleClass build(RuleClass.Builder builder, RuleDefinitionEnvironment env) {
       return builder
+          .addExecGroup(TEST_RUNNER_EXEC_GROUP)
           .requiresConfigurationFragments(TestConfiguration.class)
           // TestConfiguration only needed to create TestAction and TestProvider
           // Only necessary at top-level and can be skipped if trimmed.
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/analysis/test/TestActionBuilder.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/analysis/test/TestActionBuilder.java
index 89dcd09c239217..ecb2f35a6a1795 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/analysis/test/TestActionBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/analysis/test/TestActionBuilder.java
@@ -14,12 +14,14 @@
 
 package com.google.devtools.build.lib.analysis.test;
 
+import static com.google.devtools.build.lib.analysis.BaseRuleClasses.TEST_RUNNER_EXEC_GROUP;
 import static com.google.devtools.build.lib.packages.BuildType.LABEL;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
 import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.actions.ActionInput;
+import com.google.devtools.build.lib.actions.ActionOwner;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.actions.Artifact;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.actions.ArtifactRoot;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.actions.RunfilesSupplier;
@@ -147,6 +149,11 @@ private boolean isPersistentTestRunner() {
         && persistentTestRunnerRunfiles != null;
   }
 
+  private ActionOwner getOwner() {
+    ActionOwner owner = ruleContext.getActionOwner(TEST_RUNNER_EXEC_GROUP);
+    return owner == null ? ruleContext.getActionOwner() : owner;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Creates a test action and artifacts for the given rule. The test action will use the specified
    * executable and runfiles.
@@ -403,7 +410,7 @@ private TestParams createTestAction(int shards)
         boolean splitCoveragePostProcessing = testConfiguration.splitCoveragePostProcessing();
         TestRunnerAction testRunnerAction =
             new TestRunnerAction(
-                ruleContext.getActionOwner(),
+                getOwner(),
                 inputs,
                 testRunfilesSupplier,
                 testActionExecutable,