diff --git a/packages/runner/src/suite.ts b/packages/runner/src/suite.ts
index 4cb428106..301bb962e 100644
--- a/packages/runner/src/suite.ts
+++ b/packages/runner/src/suite.ts
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ function parseArguments<T extends (...args: any[]) => any>(
   optionsOrTest: object | T | number | undefined,
 ) {
   let options: TestOptions = {}
-  let fn: T = (() => {}) as T
+  let fn: T | undefined
 
   // it('', () => {}, { retry: 2 })
   if (typeof optionsOrTest === 'object') {
@@ -329,6 +329,9 @@ function createSuiteCollector(
       annotations: [],
     }
     const handler = options.handler
+    if (task.mode === 'run' && !handler) {
+      task.mode = 'todo'
+    }
     if (
       options.concurrent
       || (!options.sequential && runner.config.sequence.concurrent)
@@ -533,7 +536,7 @@ function createSuite() {
     factoryOrOptions?: SuiteFactory | TestOptions,
     optionsOrFactory?: number | TestOptions | SuiteFactory,
   ) {
-    const mode: RunMode = this.only
+    let mode: RunMode = this.only
       ? 'only'
       : this.skip
         ? 'skip'
@@ -547,6 +550,10 @@ function createSuite() {
       optionsOrFactory,
     )
 
+    if (mode === 'run' && !factory) {
+      mode = 'todo'
+    }
+
     const isConcurrentSpecified = options.concurrent || this.concurrent || options.sequential === false
     const isSequentialSpecified = options.sequential || this.sequential || options.concurrent === false
 
@@ -606,20 +613,20 @@ function createSuite() {
           if (arrayOnlyCases) {
             suite(
               formatTitle(_name, items, idx),
-              () => handler(...items),
+              handler ? () => handler(...items) : undefined,
               options,
             )
           }
           else {
-            suite(formatTitle(_name, items, idx), () => handler(i), options)
+            suite(formatTitle(_name, items, idx), handler ? () => handler(i) : undefined, options)
           }
         }
         else {
           if (arrayOnlyCases) {
-            suite(formatTitle(_name, items, idx), options, () => handler(...items))
+            suite(formatTitle(_name, items, idx), options, handler ? () => handler(...items) : undefined)
           }
           else {
-            suite(formatTitle(_name, items, idx), options, () => handler(i))
+            suite(formatTitle(_name, items, idx), options, handler ? () => handler(i) : undefined)
           }
         }
       })
@@ -648,7 +655,7 @@ function createSuite() {
       const name_ = formatName(name)
       const { options, handler } = parseArguments(optionsOrFn, fnOrOptions)
       cases.forEach((item, idx) => {
-        suite(formatTitle(name_, toArray(item), idx), options, () => handler(item))
+        suite(formatTitle(name_, toArray(item), idx), options, handler ? () => handler(item) : undefined)
       })
     }
   }
@@ -704,20 +711,20 @@ export function createTaskCollector(
           if (arrayOnlyCases) {
             test(
               formatTitle(_name, items, idx),
-              () => handler(...items),
+              handler ? () => handler(...items) : undefined,
               options,
             )
           }
           else {
-            test(formatTitle(_name, items, idx), () => handler(i), options)
+            test(formatTitle(_name, items, idx), handler ? () => handler(i) : undefined, options)
           }
         }
         else {
           if (arrayOnlyCases) {
-            test(formatTitle(_name, items, idx), options, () => handler(...items))
+            test(formatTitle(_name, items, idx), options, handler ? () => handler(...items) : undefined)
           }
           else {
-            test(formatTitle(_name, items, idx), options, () => handler(i))
+            test(formatTitle(_name, items, idx), options, handler ? () => handler(i) : undefined)
           }
         }
       })
@@ -749,9 +756,11 @@ export function createTaskCollector(
       const { options, handler } = parseArguments(optionsOrFn, fnOrOptions)
       cases.forEach((item, idx) => {
         // monkey-patch handler to allow parsing fixture
-        const handlerWrapper = (ctx: any) => handler(item, ctx);
-        (handlerWrapper as any).__VITEST_FIXTURE_INDEX__ = 1;
-        (handlerWrapper as any).toString = () => handler.toString()
+        const handlerWrapper = handler ? (ctx: any) => handler(item, ctx) : undefined
+        if (handlerWrapper) {
+          (handlerWrapper as any).__VITEST_FIXTURE_INDEX__ = 1;
+          (handlerWrapper as any).toString = () => handler!.toString()
+        }
         test(formatTitle(_name, toArray(item), idx), options, handlerWrapper)
       })
     }
diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/runtime/benchmark.ts b/packages/vitest/src/runtime/benchmark.ts
index 0d2d65d5d..d2b340eec 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/runtime/benchmark.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/runtime/benchmark.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@ export const bench: BenchmarkAPI = createBenchmark(function (
   })
   benchFns.set(task, fn)
   benchOptsMap.set(task, options)
+  // vitest runner sets mode to `todo` if handler is not passed down
+  // but we store handler separetly
+  if (!this.todo && task.mode === 'todo') {
+    task.mode = 'run'
+  }
 })
 
 function createBenchmark(
diff --git a/test/browser/fixtures/timeout-hooks/hooks-timeout.test.ts b/test/browser/fixtures/timeout-hooks/hooks-timeout.test.ts
index 7ee586252..c7c51c55b 100644
--- a/test/browser/fixtures/timeout-hooks/hooks-timeout.test.ts
+++ b/test/browser/fixtures/timeout-hooks/hooks-timeout.test.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ describe.runIf(server.provider === 'playwright')('timeouts are failing correctly
       await page.getByTestId('non-existing').click()
     }, 500)
 
-    it('skipped')
+    it('skipped', () => {})
   })
 
   describe('afterEach', () => {
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ describe.runIf(server.provider === 'playwright')('timeouts are failing correctly
       await page.getByTestId('non-existing').click()
     }, 500)
 
-    it('skipped')
+    it('skipped', () => {})
   })
 
   describe('beforeAll', () => {
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ describe.runIf(server.provider === 'playwright')('timeouts are failing correctly
       await page.getByTestId('non-existing').click()
     }, 500)
 
-    it('skipped')
+    it('skipped', () => {})
   })
 
   describe('afterAll', () => {
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ describe.runIf(server.provider === 'playwright')('timeouts are failing correctly
       await page.getByTestId('non-existing').click()
     }, 500)
 
-    it('skipped')
+    it('skipped', () => {})
   })
 
   describe('onTestFinished', () => {
diff --git a/test/cli/fixtures/browser-multiple/basic.test.js b/test/cli/fixtures/browser-multiple/basic.test.js
index 567901243..4093e384a 100644
--- a/test/cli/fixtures/browser-multiple/basic.test.js
+++ b/test/cli/fixtures/browser-multiple/basic.test.js
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 import { test } from 'vitest';
 
-test('passes')
+test('passes', () => {})
diff --git a/test/cli/fixtures/fails/no-assertions.test.ts b/test/cli/fixtures/fails/no-assertions.test.ts
index 2536624ce..a87df3228 100644
--- a/test/cli/fixtures/fails/no-assertions.test.ts
+++ b/test/cli/fixtures/fails/no-assertions.test.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 import { it } from 'vitest'
 
-it('test without assertions')
\ No newline at end of file
+it('test without assertions', () => {})
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/cli/test/group-order.test.ts b/test/cli/test/group-order.test.ts
index 984f283c8..4d5c1d033 100644
--- a/test/cli/test/group-order.test.ts
+++ b/test/cli/test/group-order.test.ts
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@ import { runInlineTests } from '../../test-utils'
 
 test('tests run according to the group order', async () => {
   const { stdout, stderr } = await runInlineTests({
-    'example.1.test.ts': `test('1')`,
-    'example.2.test.ts': `test('2')`,
-    'example.2-2.test.ts': `test('2-2')`,
-    'example.3.test.ts': `test('3')`,
+    'example.1.test.ts': `test('1', () => {})`,
+    'example.2.test.ts': `test('2', () => {})`,
+    'example.2-2.test.ts': `test('2-2', () => {})`,
+    'example.3.test.ts': `test('3', () => {})`,
   }, {
     globals: true,
     // run projects in the opposite order!
diff --git a/test/core/test/task-collector.test.ts b/test/core/test/task-collector.test.ts
index 3b990ed8e..82af9755b 100644
--- a/test/core/test/task-collector.test.ts
+++ b/test/core/test/task-collector.test.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import type { RunnerTestCase, RunnerTestSuite } from 'vitest'
 import { assert, describe, expect, test, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { createTaskCollector, getCurrentSuite } from 'vitest/suite'
 
@@ -49,3 +50,19 @@ describe('collector.extend should preserve handler wrapping', () => {
     expect(flag).toBe(true)
   })
 })
+
+describe('empty tests and suites are todos', () => {
+  describe('suite should be todo')
+  test('test should be todo')
+
+  test('this suite has correct modes', ({ task }) => {
+    const todoSuite = task.suite!.tasks[0] as RunnerTestSuite
+    const todoTest = task.suite!.tasks[0] as RunnerTestCase
+
+    expect(todoSuite.name).toBe('suite should be todo')
+    expect(todoSuite.mode).toBe('todo')
+
+    expect(todoTest.name).toBe('suite should be todo')
+    expect(todoTest.mode).toBe('todo')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/test/reporters/fixtures/long-loading-task.test.ts b/test/reporters/fixtures/long-loading-task.test.ts
index 11aa80554..2109bb44d 100644
--- a/test/reporters/fixtures/long-loading-task.test.ts
+++ b/test/reporters/fixtures/long-loading-task.test.ts
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@ import { test } from 'vitest'
 
 await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 500))
 
-test('works')
+test('works', () => {})
diff --git a/test/watch/test/workspaces.test.ts b/test/watch/test/workspaces.test.ts
index 52c416cb5..20a01cfc6 100644
--- a/test/watch/test/workspaces.test.ts
+++ b/test/watch/test/workspaces.test.ts
@@ -129,8 +129,8 @@ it('adding a new test file matching project specific config triggers re-run', as
 it('editing a setup file inside the project reruns tests', async () => {
   const { fs, vitest } = await runInlineTests({
     'setupFile.js': '',
-    'project-1/basic.test.js': `test("[p1] reruns")`,
-    'project-2/basic.test.js': `test("[p2] doesn\'t rerun")`,
+    'project-1/basic.test.js': `test("[p1] reruns", () => {})`,
+    'project-2/basic.test.js': `test("[p2] doesn\'t rerun", () => {})`,
     'vitest.config.js': {
       test: {
         projects: [