diff --git a/src/main/runtime/agent-session/structured-agent-session-codex-compact-exit.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/agent-session/structured-agent-session-codex-compact-exit.test.ts
index f0cdd69dd2d..ae17eafa822 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/agent-session/structured-agent-session-codex-compact-exit.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/agent-session/structured-agent-session-codex-compact-exit.test.ts
@@ -80,14 +80,16 @@ it('delivers what waited behind the command once its child dies mid-command, wit
     'agentSession.create',
     harness.createIntentParams()
   )
+  const compacting = harness.codex.nextRequest('thread/compact/start')
   const command = await startCompact(created.fence)
-  await vi.waitFor(() => expect(calls('thread/compact/start')).toHaveLength(1))
+  await compacting
   await send('after the exit')
 
+  const restarted = harness.codex.nextRequest('turn/start')
   const dead = exitChild()
 
-  await vi.waitFor(() => expect(calls('turn/start')).toHaveLength(1))
-  expect(calls('turn/start')[0]).not.toBe(dead)
+  expect(await restarted).not.toBe(dead)
+  expect(calls('turn/start')).toHaveLength(1)
   const settled = await snapshot()
   const turn = settled.items.find(
     (item) => item.itemId === structuredAgentSessionCommandTurn(command).itemId
@@ -103,8 +105,9 @@ it('ends a command Codex has not opened a turn for by stopping its child, and th
     'agentSession.create',
     harness.createIntentParams()
   )
+  const compacting = harness.codex.nextRequest('thread/compact/start')
   const command = await startCompact(created.fence)
-  await vi.waitFor(() => expect(calls('thread/compact/start')).toHaveLength(1))
+  await compacting
   const first = threadChild()
   const { itemId, turnId } = structuredAgentSessionCommandTurn(command)
 
@@ -123,7 +126,8 @@ it('ends a command Codex has not opened a turn for by stopping its child, and th
     const turn = (await snapshot()).items.find((item) => item.itemId === itemId)
     expect(readAgentJournalTurn(turn?.body)?.state).toBe('interrupted')
   })
+  const restarted = harness.codex.nextRequest('turn/start')
   await send('after the stop')
-  await vi.waitFor(() => expect(calls('turn/start')).toHaveLength(1))
-  expect(calls('turn/start')[0]).not.toBe(first)
+  expect(await restarted).not.toBe(first)
+  expect(calls('turn/start')).toHaveLength(1)
 })
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/structured-sessions/structured-codex-session-rpc-test-harness.ts b/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/structured-sessions/structured-codex-session-rpc-test-harness.ts
index c79a9ea0382..a9553ba160a 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/structured-sessions/structured-codex-session-rpc-test-harness.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/structured-sessions/structured-codex-session-rpc-test-harness.ts
@@ -51,12 +51,15 @@ export type FakeCodex = {
   connections: FakeCodexConnection[]
   openConnection: typeof openCodexAppServerConnection
   live: () => FakeCodexConnection
+  /** Resolves with the child that next receives `method`. */
+  nextRequest: (method: string) => Promise<FakeCodexConnection>
   notify: (method: string, params: unknown) => void
   ask: (id: number, method: string, params: unknown) => void
 }
 
 function fakeCodex(): FakeCodex {
   const connections: FakeCodexConnection[] = []
+  const requestWaiters = new Map<string, ((connection: FakeCodexConnection) => void)[]>()
   const openConnection: typeof openCodexAppServerConnection = async (launch, handlers = {}) => {
     const connection: FakeCodexConnection = {
       launch,
@@ -68,6 +71,10 @@ function fakeCodex(): FakeCodex {
       closed: false,
       request: async (method, params) => {
         connection.calls.push({ method, params })
+        requestWaiters
+          .get(method)
+          ?.splice(0)
+          .forEach((resolve) => resolve(connection))
         if (method === 'thread/start') {
           return { thread: { id: THREAD, path: '/rollouts/integration.jsonl' } }
         }
@@ -123,6 +130,10 @@ function fakeCodex(): FakeCodex {
     connections,
     openConnection,
     live,
+    nextRequest: (method) =>
+      new Promise((resolve) => {
+        requestWaiters.set(method, [...(requestWaiters.get(method) ?? []), resolve])
+      }),
     notify: (method, params) => live().handlers.onNotification?.(method, params),
     ask: (id, method, params) => live().handlers.onServerRequest?.({ id, method, params })
   }