diff --git a/crates/openshell-server/src/compute/mod.rs b/crates/openshell-server/src/compute/mod.rs
index 25a2655a7..e0b1f9f2b 100644
--- a/crates/openshell-server/src/compute/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/openshell-server/src/compute/mod.rs
@@ -6148,6 +6148,17 @@ mod tests {
             .await
             .unwrap();
 
+        tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(5), async {
+            while traced
+                .spans_named("driver_watch.sandbox_deleted")
+                .is_empty()
+            {
+                tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(10)).await;
+            }
+        })
+        .await
+        .expect("the event records a span of its own");
+
         let spans = traced.finished_spans();
         let root = spans
             .iter()
@@ -6193,9 +6204,14 @@ mod tests {
             .await
             .unwrap();
 
-        // Other tests drive their own reconcile loops into the shared
-        // exporter, so match on the shape of a sweep rather than assuming
-        // there is exactly one.
+        tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(5), async {
+            while traced.spans_named("reconcile.sandboxes").is_empty() {
+                tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(10)).await;
+            }
+        })
+        .await
+        .expect("the sweep records a span of its own");
+
         let spans = traced.finished_spans();
         let roots = traced.spans_named("reconcile.sandboxes");
         assert!(
diff --git a/crates/openshell-server/src/provider_refresh.rs b/crates/openshell-server/src/provider_refresh.rs
index a03fdb0b1..ff9bbac6a 100644
--- a/crates/openshell-server/src/provider_refresh.rs
+++ b/crates/openshell-server/src/provider_refresh.rs
@@ -1026,6 +1026,7 @@ async fn run_refresh_worker_tick(store: &Store) -> Result<(), Status> {
     let span = tracing::Span::current();
     span.record("watched_count", watched_count);
     span.record("due_count", due_count);
+    drop(span);
     info!(
         watched_count,
         due_count, rotation_requested_count, "provider credential refresh worker sweep"
@@ -1534,6 +1535,17 @@ mod tests {
         let traced = test_exporter::install_traced();
         run_refresh_worker_tick(&store).await.unwrap();
 
+        tokio::time::timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(5), async {
+            while traced
+                .spans_named("refresh.provider_credentials")
+                .is_empty()
+            {
+                tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(10)).await;
+            }
+        })
+        .await
+        .expect("the tick records a span of its own");
+
         let spans = traced.finished_spans();
         let root = spans
             .iter()