diff --git a/packages/driver/src/cypress/runner.js b/packages/driver/src/cypress/runner.js
index 2f0178aa5919..e8723a4feef4 100644
--- a/packages/driver/src/cypress/runner.js
+++ b/packages/driver/src/cypress/runner.js
@@ -1010,12 +1010,15 @@ const create = (specWindow, mocha, Cypress, cy) => {
   }
 
   const maybeHandleRetry = (runnable, err) => {
+    if (!err) return
+
     const r = runnable
     const isHook = r.type === 'hook'
     const isTest = r.type === 'test'
     const test = getTest() || getTestFromHook(runnable, getTestById)
-    const isBeforeEachHook = isHook && !!r.hookName.match(/before each/)
-    const isAfterEachHook = isHook && !!r.hookName.match(/after each/)
+    const hookName = isHook && getHookName(r)
+    const isBeforeEachHook = isHook && !!hookName.match(/before each/)
+    const isAfterEachHook = isHook && !!hookName.match(/after each/)
     const retryAbleRunnable = isTest || isBeforeEachHook || isAfterEachHook
     const willRetry = (test._currentRetry < test._retries) && retryAbleRunnable
 
@@ -1196,8 +1199,8 @@ const create = (specWindow, mocha, Cypress, cy) => {
 
       const isHook = runnable.type === 'hook'
 
-      const isAfterEachHook = isHook && runnable.hookName.match(/after each/)
-      const isBeforeEachHook = isHook && runnable.hookName.match(/before each/)
+      const isAfterEachHook = isHook && hookName.match(/after each/)
+      const isBeforeEachHook = isHook && hookName.match(/before each/)
 
       // if we've been told to skip hooks at a certain nested level
       // this happens if we're handling a runnable that is going to retry due to failing in a hook
diff --git a/packages/runner/cypress/integration/issues/issue-8350.js b/packages/runner/cypress/integration/issues/issue-8350.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..88685799a693
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/runner/cypress/integration/issues/issue-8350.js
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+const { createCypress } = require('../../support/helpers')
+const { runIsolatedCypress } = createCypress()
+
+// https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress/issues/8350
+describe('issue-8350', () => {
+  it('does not hang on nested hook', () => {
+    runIsolatedCypress(() => {
+      before(() => {
+        beforeEach(() => {
+        })
+      })
+
+      describe('s1', () => {
+        it('t1', () => {
+          //
+        })
+      })
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/runner/cypress/support/helpers.js b/packages/runner/cypress/support/helpers.js
index dba886e316fe..e27671a81283 100644
--- a/packages/runner/cypress/support/helpers.js
+++ b/packages/runner/cypress/support/helpers.js
@@ -237,11 +237,6 @@ function createCypress (defaultOptions = {}) {
             if (testsInOwnFile) return
 
             generateMochaTestsForWin(specWindow, mochaTestsOrFile)
-            specWindow.before = () => {}
-            specWindow.beforeEach = () => {}
-            specWindow.afterEach = () => {}
-            specWindow.after = () => {}
-            specWindow.describe = () => {}
           })
 
           cy.stub(autCypress, 'run').snapshot(enableStubSnapshots).log(false).callsFake(runIsolatedCypress)