diff --git a/lib/executor/ramping_vus_test.go b/lib/executor/ramping_vus_test.go
index 8ae1d343b..1c54d1ef6 100644
--- a/lib/executor/ramping_vus_test.go
+++ b/lib/executor/ramping_vus_test.go
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ func TestRampingVUsRampDownNoWobble(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Sample ramp-down at a higher rate
-	for i := len(sampleTimes); i < rampDownSamples; i++ {
+	for i := len(sampleTimes); i < len(result); i++ {
 		time.Sleep(rampDownSampleTime)
 		result[i] = test.state.GetCurrentlyActiveVUsCount()
 	}
@@ -431,12 +431,18 @@ func TestRampingVUsRampDownNoWobble(t *testing.T) {
 
 	vuChanges := []int64{result[2]}
 	// Check ramp-down consistency
-	for i := 3; i < len(result[2:]); i++ {
+	for i := 3; i < len(result); i++ {
 		if result[i] != result[i-1] {
 			vuChanges = append(vuChanges, result[i])
 		}
 	}
-	assert.Equal(t, []int64{10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0}, vuChanges)
+	assert.Equal(t, int64(0), vuChanges[len(vuChanges)-1], "ramp-down must end at 0 active VUs")
+	for i := 1; i < len(vuChanges); i++ {
+		assert.Lessf(t, vuChanges[i], vuChanges[i-1],
+			"active VUs increased during ramp-down: %d -> %d (full sample: %v)",
+			vuChanges[i-1], vuChanges[i], result,
+		)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestRampingVUsConfigExecutionPlanExample(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/lib/executor/vu_handle_test.go b/lib/executor/vu_handle_test.go
index 6b76f8253..1730ea72b 100644
--- a/lib/executor/vu_handle_test.go
+++ b/lib/executor/vu_handle_test.go
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ func TestVUHandleStartStopRace(t *testing.T) {
 
 	var vuID uint64
 	testIterations := 10000
+	const returnTimeout = 500 * time.Millisecond
 	returned := make(chan struct{})
 
 	getVU := func() (lib.InitializedVU, error) {
@@ -159,15 +160,14 @@ func TestVUHandleStartStopRace(t *testing.T) {
 
 	vuHandle := newStoppedVUHandle(ctx, getVU, returnVU, mockNextIterations, &BaseConfig{}, logEntry)
 	go vuHandle.runLoopsIfPossible(runIter)
-	for range testIterations {
+	for i := range testIterations {
 		err := vuHandle.start()
 		vuHandle.gracefulStop()
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		select {
 		case <-returned:
-		case <-time.After(100 * time.Millisecond):
-			go panic("returning took too long")
-			time.Sleep(time.Second)
+		case <-time.After(returnTimeout):
+			t.Fatalf("VU was not returned within %s after iteration %d", returnTimeout, i)
 		}
 	}