diff --git a/.github/workflows/backend-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/backend-tests.yml
index 4411eff0a3..5895b78a1b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/backend-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/backend-tests.yml
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ concurrency:
 jobs:
   test:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    timeout-minutes: 15
+    # larger than individual steps so logs can be collected
+    timeout-minutes: 20
     env:
       RUN_EXTRA_TESTS: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' && 'true' || 'false' }}
     steps:
@@ -33,8 +34,34 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Gradle
         uses: gradle/actions/setup-gradle@v6
       - name: Run tests
-        run: ./gradlew test
+        timeout-minutes: 15
+        working-directory: ./backend
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p build/diagnostics
+          # Thread dumps before the step cap, so a hang shows where it is stuck.
+          # `jcmd Gradle` matches every JVM whose main class contains "Gradle": the daemon and the test executor.
+          ( sleep 660; jcmd Gradle Thread.print; sleep 120; jcmd Gradle Thread.print ) \
+            > build/diagnostics/threaddumps.txt 2>&1 &
+          watchdog=$!
+          rc=0
+          ./gradlew test || rc=$?
+          kill "$watchdog" 2>/dev/null || true
+          exit $rc
+      - name: Show where the test run stopped
+        if: failure()
         working-directory: ./backend
+        # the suite runs one test at a time, so the last line is the test a hang was stuck in
+        run: tail -n 5 build/diagnostics/test-progress.log || echo "No progress log, so no test ever started."
+      - name: Upload test results
+        if: failure()
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
+        with:
+          name: backend-test-results
+          path: |
+            backend/build/test-results/test/*.xml
+            backend/build/diagnostics/**
+            backend/build/reports/tests/test/index.html
+          if-no-files-found: warn
 
   lint:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/backend/build.gradle b/backend/build.gradle
index 0ff1f8937a..1194324cf9 100644
--- a/backend/build.gradle
+++ b/backend/build.gradle
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+import org.gradle.api.tasks.testing.TestDescriptor
+import org.gradle.api.tasks.testing.TestListener
+import org.gradle.api.tasks.testing.TestResult
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.testing.logging.TestExceptionFormat
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.testing.logging.TestLogEvent
 
@@ -129,6 +132,26 @@ tasks.named('test') {
         exceptionFormat = TestExceptionFormat.FULL
         showExceptions = true
     }
+    // Records each test's start and finish so a hung run names the test it was stuck in.
+    def progressLog = layout.buildDirectory.file('diagnostics/test-progress.log')
+    doFirst {
+        def file = progressLog.get().asFile
+        file.parentFile.mkdirs()
+        file.text = ''
+    }
+    addTestListener(new TestListener() {
+        void beforeSuite(TestDescriptor suite) {}
+
+        void afterSuite(TestDescriptor suite, TestResult result) {}
+
+        void beforeTest(TestDescriptor descriptor) {
+            progressLog.get().asFile << "${java.time.Instant.now()} STARTED ${descriptor.className}.${descriptor.name}\n"
+        }
+
+        void afterTest(TestDescriptor descriptor, TestResult result) {
+            progressLog.get().asFile << "${java.time.Instant.now()} ${result.resultType} ${descriptor.className}.${descriptor.name}\n"
+        }
+    })
 }
 
 tasks.named('bootBuildImage') {