diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/work/cover.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/work/cover.go
index c0acc61987..3b732569a8 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/work/cover.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/work/cover.go
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ func BuildActionCoverMetaFile(runAct *Action) (string, error) {
 		}
 		if pred.Package.ImportPath == p.ImportPath {
 			metaFile := pred.Objdir + covcmd.MetaFileForPackage(p.ImportPath)
+			if cfg.BuildN {
+				return metaFile, nil
+			}
 			f, err := os.Open(metaFile)
 			if err != nil {
 				return "", err
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/list_n_cover.txt b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/list_n_cover.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a85f62f522
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/list_n_cover.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# Adding -cover to "go test -n" should not cause failures,
+# see issue 67952. In the regular (no "-n") case for an
+# empty package test action for the package will look for
+# a static meta-data file produced by the cover tool
+# during the build action; when "-n" is in effect that
+# meta-data file doesn't exist, so the code that reads
+# the meta-data file has to be stubbed out.
+
+go test -vet=off -n -cover ./f
+
+-- go.mod --
+module M
+
+go 1.21
+-- f/f.go --
+package f
+
+func Id() int {
+     return 42
+}