diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/SpringApplicationRunListeners.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/SpringApplicationRunListeners.java
index 9850b4b585f..bb6081899c1 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/SpringApplicationRunListeners.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/SpringApplicationRunListeners.java
@@ -111,7 +111,6 @@ class SpringApplicationRunListeners {
 		StartupStep step = this.applicationStartup.start(stepName);
 		this.listeners.forEach(listenerAction);
 		stepAction.accept(step);
-		step.end();
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/SpringApplicationTests.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/SpringApplicationTests.java
index 0aab9fecfbc..844365685c2 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/SpringApplicationTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/SpringApplicationTests.java
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ import static org.mockito.BDDMockito.given;
 import static org.mockito.BDDMockito.willThrow;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.atLeastOnce;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mockingDetails;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.never;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.spy;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
@@ -1171,6 +1172,11 @@ class SpringApplicationTests {
 		verify(applicationStartup).start("spring.boot.application.context-loaded");
 		verify(applicationStartup).start("spring.boot.application.started");
 		verify(applicationStartup).start("spring.boot.application.running");
+		long startCount = mockingDetails(applicationStartup).getInvocations().stream()
+				.filter((invocation) -> invocation.getMethod().toString().contains("start(")).count();
+		long endCount = mockingDetails(startupStep).getInvocations().stream()
+				.filter((invocation) -> invocation.getMethod().toString().contains("end(")).count();
+		assertThat(startCount).isEqualTo(endCount);
 	}
 
 	private <S extends AvailabilityState> ArgumentMatcher<ApplicationEvent> isAvailabilityChangeEventWithState(