diff --git a/mempool/reactor_test.go b/mempool/reactor_test.go
index a2f0f272e..45458a983 100644
--- a/mempool/reactor_test.go
+++ b/mempool/reactor_test.go
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ func _waitForTxs(t *testing.T, wg *sync.WaitGroup, txs types.Txs, reactorIdx int
 
 	mempool := reactors[reactorIdx].Mempool
 	for mempool.Size() != len(txs) {
-		time.Sleep(time.Second)
+		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 100)
 	}
 
 	reapedTxs := mempool.Reap(len(txs))
diff --git a/p2p/switch_test.go b/p2p/switch_test.go
index d7443e94d..b06e05868 100644
--- a/p2p/switch_test.go
+++ b/p2p/switch_test.go
@@ -262,9 +262,15 @@ func TestSwitchReconnectsToPersistentPeer(t *testing.T) {
 	peer.CloseConn()
 
 	// TODO: actually detect the disconnection and wait for reconnect
-	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
-
-	assert.NotZero(sw.Peers().Size())
+	npeers := sw.Peers().Size()
+	for i := 0; i < 20; i++ {
+		time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+		npeers = sw.Peers().Size()
+		if npeers > 0 {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	assert.NotZero(npeers)
 	assert.False(peer.IsRunning())
 }