diff --git a/src/transport/middle_proxy/health_integration_tests.rs b/src/transport/middle_proxy/health_integration_tests.rs
index 70b6411..476b549 100644
--- a/src/transport/middle_proxy/health_integration_tests.rs
+++ b/src/transport/middle_proxy/health_integration_tests.rs
@@ -161,6 +161,20 @@ async fn insert_draining_writer(
     }
 }
 
+async fn wait_for_pool_empty(pool: &Arc<MePool>, timeout: Duration) {
+    let start = Instant::now();
+    loop {
+        if pool.writers.read().await.is_empty() {
+            return;
+        }
+        assert!(
+            start.elapsed() < timeout,
+            "timed out waiting for pool.writers to become empty"
+        );
+        tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(5)).await;
+    }
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn me_health_monitor_drains_expired_backlog_over_multiple_cycles() {
     let (pool, rng) = make_pool(128, 1, 1).await;
@@ -178,7 +192,7 @@ async fn me_health_monitor_drains_expired_backlog_over_multiple_cycles() {
     }
 
     let monitor = tokio::spawn(me_health_monitor(pool.clone(), rng, 0));
-    tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(60)).await;
+    wait_for_pool_empty(&pool, Duration::from_secs(1)).await;
     monitor.abort();
     let _ = monitor.await;
 
@@ -194,7 +208,7 @@ async fn me_health_monitor_cleans_empty_draining_writers_without_force_close() {
     }
 
     let monitor = tokio::spawn(me_health_monitor(pool.clone(), rng, 0));
-    tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(30)).await;
+    wait_for_pool_empty(&pool, Duration::from_secs(1)).await;
     monitor.abort();
     let _ = monitor.await;
 
@@ -219,7 +233,7 @@ async fn me_health_monitor_converges_retry_like_threshold_backlog_to_empty() {
     }
 
     let monitor = tokio::spawn(me_health_monitor(pool.clone(), rng, 0));
-    tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(60)).await;
+    wait_for_pool_empty(&pool, Duration::from_secs(1)).await;
     monitor.abort();
     let _ = monitor.await;