diff --git a/internal/consensus/byzantine_test.go b/internal/consensus/byzantine_test.go
index c118ac713..5408f2969 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/byzantine_test.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/byzantine_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"path"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
@@ -30,7 +31,11 @@ import (
 // Byzantine node sends two different prevotes (nil and blockID) to the same
 // validator.
 func TestByzantinePrevoteEquivocation(t *testing.T) {
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	// empirically, this test either passes in <1s or hits some
+	// kind of deadlock and hit the larger timeout. This timeout
+	// can be extended a bunch if needed, but it's good to avoid
+	// falling back to a much coarser timeout
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 10*time.Second)
 	defer cancel()
 
 	config := configSetup(t)
@@ -275,12 +280,11 @@ func TestByzantinePrevoteEquivocation(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	for idx, ev := range evidenceFromEachValidator {
-		if assert.NotNil(t, ev, idx) {
-			ev, ok := ev.(*types.DuplicateVoteEvidence)
-			assert.True(t, ok)
-			assert.Equal(t, pubkey.Address(), ev.VoteA.ValidatorAddress)
-			assert.Equal(t, prevoteHeight, ev.Height())
-		}
+		require.NotNil(t, ev, idx)
+		ev, ok := ev.(*types.DuplicateVoteEvidence)
+		require.True(t, ok)
+		assert.Equal(t, pubkey.Address(), ev.VoteA.ValidatorAddress)
+		assert.Equal(t, prevoteHeight, ev.Height())
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/consensus/replay_test.go b/internal/consensus/replay_test.go
index 898545ccf..9b3031597 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/replay_test.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/replay_test.go
@@ -73,17 +73,17 @@ func startNewStateAndWaitForBlock(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, consensusRe
 		blockStore,
 	)
 
-	bytes, _ := os.ReadFile(cs.config.WalFile())
-	t.Logf("====== WAL: \n\r%X\n", bytes)
-
-	err = cs.Start(ctx)
+	bytes, err := os.ReadFile(cs.config.WalFile())
 	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, bytes)
+
+	require.NoError(t, cs.Start(ctx))
 	defer func() {
 		if err := cs.Stop(); err != nil {
 			t.Error(err)
 		}
 	}()
-
+	t.Cleanup(cs.Wait)
 	// This is just a signal that we haven't halted; its not something contained
 	// in the WAL itself. Assuming the consensus state is running, replay of any
 	// WAL, including the empty one, should eventually be followed by a new
@@ -157,8 +157,6 @@ func crashWALandCheckLiveness(rctx context.Context, t *testing.T, consensusRepla
 	i := 1
 LOOP:
 	for {
-		t.Logf("====== LOOP %d\n", i)
-
 		// create consensus state from a clean slate
 		logger := log.NewNopLogger()
 		blockDB := dbm.NewMemDB()
@@ -204,8 +202,6 @@ LOOP:
 
 		select {
 		case err := <-walPanicked:
-			t.Logf("WAL panicked: %v", err)
-
 			// make sure we can make blocks after a crash
 			startNewStateAndWaitForBlock(ctx, t, consensusReplayConfig, cs.Height, blockDB, stateStore)
 
diff --git a/internal/consensus/wal_test.go b/internal/consensus/wal_test.go
index df795f24e..b52c41b9f 100644
--- a/internal/consensus/wal_test.go
+++ b/internal/consensus/wal_test.go
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ func TestWALSearchForEndHeight(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	defer cancel()
 
-	logger := log.NewTestingLogger(t)
+	logger := log.NewNopLogger()
 
 	walBody, err := WALWithNBlocks(ctx, t, logger, 6)
 	if err != nil {