diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply.queue.test.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply.queue.test.ts
index 15078c5e6..331fe6795 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply.queue.test.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply.queue.test.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import path from "node:path";
 
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 
+import { pollUntil } from "../../test/helpers/poll.js";
 import { withTempHome as withTempHomeBase } from "../../test/helpers/temp-home.js";
 import {
   isEmbeddedPiRunActive,
@@ -109,7 +110,6 @@ describe("queue followups", () => {
   });
 
   it("summarizes dropped followups when cap is exceeded", async () => {
-    vi.useFakeTimers();
     await withTempHome(async (home) => {
       const prompts: string[] = [];
       vi.mocked(runEmbeddedPiAgent).mockImplementation(async (params) => {
@@ -133,8 +133,10 @@ describe("queue followups", () => {
       vi.mocked(isEmbeddedPiRunActive).mockReturnValue(false);
       await getReplyFromConfig({ Body: "three", From: "+1002", To: "+2000" }, {}, cfg);
 
-      await vi.runAllTimersAsync();
-      await Promise.resolve();
+      await pollUntil(
+        async () => (prompts.some((p) => p.includes("[Queue overflow]")) ? true : null),
+        { timeoutMs: 2000 },
+      );
 
       expect(prompts.some((p) => p.includes("[Queue overflow]"))).toBe(true);
     });
diff --git a/src/infra/bridge/server.enables-keepalive-sockets.test.ts b/src/infra/bridge/server.enables-keepalive-sockets.test.ts
index a6720a24a..01491b8e1 100644
--- a/src/infra/bridge/server.enables-keepalive-sockets.test.ts
+++ b/src/infra/bridge/server.enables-keepalive-sockets.test.ts
@@ -323,6 +323,11 @@ describe("node bridge server", { timeout: suiteTimeoutMs }, () => {
       resolveDisconnected = resolve;
     });
 
+    let pendingRequest: {
+      requestId: string;
+      nodeId: string;
+      ts: number;
+    } | null = null;
     const server = await startNodeBridgeServer({
       host: "127.0.0.1",
       port: 0,
@@ -330,6 +335,13 @@ describe("node bridge server", { timeout: suiteTimeoutMs }, () => {
       onAuthenticated: async (node) => {
         lastAuthed = node;
       },
+      onPairRequested: async (request) => {
+        pendingRequest = {
+          requestId: request.requestId,
+          nodeId: request.nodeId,
+          ts: request.ts,
+        };
+      },
       onDisconnected: async (node) => {
         disconnected = node;
         resolveDisconnected?.();
@@ -351,13 +363,7 @@ describe("node bridge server", { timeout: suiteTimeoutMs }, () => {
     });
 
     // Approve the pending request from the gateway side.
-    const pending = await pollUntil(
-      async () => {
-        const list = await listNodePairing(baseDir);
-        return list.pending.find((p) => p.nodeId === "n4");
-      },
-      { timeoutMs: pairingTimeoutMs },
-    );
+    const pending = await pollUntil(async () => pendingRequest, { timeoutMs: pairingTimeoutMs });
     expect(pending).toBeTruthy();
     if (!pending) throw new Error("expected a pending request");
     const approved = await approveNodePairing(pending.requestId, baseDir);