diff --git a/internal/consensus/byzantine_test.go b/internal/consensus/byzantine_test.go
index 7a04e4613..7978d5e29 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/byzantine_test.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/byzantine_test.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func TestByzantinePrevoteEquivocation(t *testing.T) {
 
 	config := configSetup(t)
 
-	nValidators := 4
+	nValidators := 2
 	prevoteHeight := int64(2)
 	testName := "consensus_byzantine_test"
 	tickerFunc := newMockTickerFunc(true)
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ func TestByzantinePrevoteEquivocation(t *testing.T) {
 	select {
 	case <-sig:
 	case <-subctx.Done():
-		t.Fatal("encountered timeout")
+		t.Fatalf("encountered error: %v", subctx.Err())
 	}
 
 	pubkey, err := bzNodeState.privValidator.GetPubKey(ctx)
diff --git a/internal/consensus/state_test.go b/internal/consensus/state_test.go
index c0da3db8d..eff09228f 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/state_test.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/state_test.go
@@ -2251,8 +2251,7 @@ func TestCommitFromPreviousRound(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, rs.ProposalBlockParts.Header().Equals(blockID.PartSetHeader))
 	partSet, err = propBlock.MakePartSet(partSize)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	err = cs1.SetProposalAndBlock(ctx, prop, propBlock, partSet, "some peer")
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, cs1.SetProposalAndBlock(ctx, prop, propBlock, partSet, "some peer"))
 
 	ensureNewProposal(t, proposalCh, height, round)
 	ensureNewRound(t, newRoundCh, height+1, 0)
@@ -2718,7 +2717,7 @@ func subscribe(
 		Limit:    65536,
 	})
 	require.NoErrorf(t, err, "Failed to subscribe %q to %v: %v", testSubscriber, q, err)
-	ch := make(chan tmpubsub.Message)
+	ch := make(chan tmpubsub.Message, 8)
 	go func() {
 		for {
 			next, err := sub.Next(ctx)