diff --git a/django/test/runner.py b/django/test/runner.py
index fe30d2289b..55d902bb09 100644
--- a/django/test/runner.py
+++ b/django/test/runner.py
@@ -419,7 +419,10 @@ def _init_worker(
     start_method = multiprocessing.get_start_method()
 
     if start_method == "spawn":
-        process_setup(*process_setup_args)
+        if process_setup and callable(process_setup):
+            if process_setup_args is None:
+                process_setup_args = ()
+            process_setup(*process_setup_args)
         setup_test_environment()
 
     for alias in connections:
@@ -465,6 +468,7 @@ class ParallelTestSuite(unittest.TestSuite):
 
     # In case someone wants to modify these in a subclass.
     init_worker = _init_worker
+    process_setup_args = ()
     run_subsuite = _run_subsuite
     runner_class = RemoteTestRunner
 
@@ -477,6 +481,14 @@ class ParallelTestSuite(unittest.TestSuite):
         self.serialized_contents = None
         super().__init__()
 
+    def process_setup(self, *args):
+        """
+        Stub method to simplify run() implementation. "self" is never actually
+        passed because a function implementing this method (__func__) is
+        always used, not the method itself.
+        """
+        pass
+
     def run(self, result):
         """
         Distribute test cases across workers.
@@ -496,11 +508,13 @@ class ParallelTestSuite(unittest.TestSuite):
         counter = multiprocessing.Value(ctypes.c_int, 0)
         pool = multiprocessing.Pool(
             processes=self.processes,
-            initializer=self.init_worker,
+            initializer=self.init_worker.__func__,
             initargs=[
                 counter,
                 self.initial_settings,
                 self.serialized_contents,
+                self.process_setup.__func__,
+                self.process_setup_args,
             ],
         )
         args = [
diff --git a/tests/runtests.py b/tests/runtests.py
index b5cea631b0..3bbaf5ada7 100755
--- a/tests/runtests.py
+++ b/tests/runtests.py
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import subprocess
 import sys
 import tempfile
 import warnings
-from functools import partial
 from pathlib import Path
 
 try:
@@ -26,7 +25,7 @@ else:
     from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
     from django.db import connection, connections
     from django.test import TestCase, TransactionTestCase
-    from django.test.runner import _init_worker, get_max_test_processes, parallel_type
+    from django.test.runner import get_max_test_processes, parallel_type
     from django.test.selenium import SeleniumTestCaseBase
     from django.test.utils import NullTimeKeeper, TimeKeeper, get_runner
     from django.utils.deprecation import (
@@ -405,11 +404,8 @@ def django_tests(
             parallel = 1
 
     TestRunner = get_runner(settings)
-    TestRunner.parallel_test_suite.init_worker = partial(
-        _init_worker,
-        process_setup=setup_run_tests,
-        process_setup_args=process_setup_args,
-    )
+    TestRunner.parallel_test_suite.process_setup = setup_run_tests
+    TestRunner.parallel_test_suite.process_setup_args = process_setup_args
     test_runner = TestRunner(
         verbosity=verbosity,
         interactive=interactive,
diff --git a/tests/test_runner/tests.py b/tests/test_runner/tests.py
index c022a6fb86..b3c7cc5a55 100644
--- a/tests/test_runner/tests.py
+++ b/tests/test_runner/tests.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ from django.test import SimpleTestCase, TransactionTestCase, skipUnlessDBFeature
 from django.test.runner import (
     DiscoverRunner,
     Shuffler,
+    _init_worker,
     reorder_test_bin,
     reorder_tests,
     shuffle_tests,
@@ -684,6 +685,46 @@ class NoInitializeSuiteTestRunnerTests(SimpleTestCase):
             )
 
 
+class TestRunnerInitializerTests(SimpleTestCase):
+
+    # Raise an exception to don't actually run tests.
+    @mock.patch.object(
+        multiprocessing, "Pool", side_effect=Exception("multiprocessing.Pool()")
+    )
+    def test_no_initialize_suite_test_runner(self, mocked_pool):
+        class StubTestRunner(DiscoverRunner):
+            def setup_test_environment(self, **kwargs):
+                return
+
+            def setup_databases(self, **kwargs):
+                return
+
+            def run_checks(self, databases):
+                return
+
+            def teardown_databases(self, old_config, **kwargs):
+                return
+
+            def teardown_test_environment(self, **kwargs):
+                return
+
+            def run_suite(self, suite, **kwargs):
+                kwargs = self.get_test_runner_kwargs()
+                runner = self.test_runner(**kwargs)
+                return runner.run(suite)
+
+        runner = StubTestRunner(verbosity=0, interactive=False, parallel=2)
+        with self.assertRaisesMessage(Exception, "multiprocessing.Pool()"):
+            runner.run_tests(
+                [
+                    "test_runner_apps.sample.tests_sample.TestDjangoTestCase",
+                    "test_runner_apps.simple.tests",
+                ]
+            )
+        # Initializer must be a function.
+        self.assertIs(mocked_pool.call_args.kwargs["initializer"], _init_worker)
+
+
 class Ticket17477RegressionTests(AdminScriptTestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         super().setUp()