diff --git a/crates/botloftd/tests/rpc_queue.rs b/crates/botloftd/tests/rpc_queue.rs
index 906cd58b..d3376cbd 100644
--- a/crates/botloftd/tests/rpc_queue.rs
+++ b/crates/botloftd/tests/rpc_queue.rs
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@ async fn race(c: &mut Crew, request: Value) -> Vec<&'static str> {
     });
     is_locked.recv().expect("store held");
     c.app.send_raw(&request.to_string()).await;
+    // Give the daemon time to take the request off the socket, so the text
+    // comes after it. Nothing shows when it has, but this is far below the
+    // time the store is held. A thread sleep, because the runtime's timers
+    // may not fire while the daemon's tasks wait for the store.
+    std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(200));
     // The block that ends sends the text at once, without the timer.
     let stop =
         json!({ "type": "stream_event", "event": { "type": "content_block_stop", "index": 0 } });