diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/test/test.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/test/test.go
index a13070a91e..0ac5666620 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/test/test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/test/test.go
@@ -1067,7 +1067,7 @@ func builderTest(b *work.Builder, ctx context.Context, pkgOpts load.PackageOpts,
 			Package:    p,
 			IgnoreFail: true, // run (prepare output) even if build failed
 		}
-		if writeCoverMetaAct != nil {
+		if writeCoverMetaAct != nil && build.Actor != nil {
 			// There is no real "run" for this package (since there
 			// are no tests), but if coverage is turned on, we can
 			// collect coverage data for the code in the package by
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/test_n_cover_std.txt b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/test_n_cover_std.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..77b92df37f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/test_n_cover_std.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# Issue 67953: test to make sure that the go commands static coverage
+# meta-data handling code handles pseudo-packages (ex: "unsafe") properly.
+
+[short] skip
+
+cd $GOROOT/src
+go test -vet=off -p=1 -n -coverpkg=internal/coverage/decodecounter internal/coverage/decodecounter sync unsafe