diff --git a/adapter/distribution_server_test.go b/adapter/distribution_server_test.go
index 6641044fd..b348d7cb3 100644
--- a/adapter/distribution_server_test.go
+++ b/adapter/distribution_server_test.go
@@ -354,7 +354,29 @@ func TestDistributionServerGetTimestamp_LeaderRoutedRejectsLegacyServer(t *testi
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 75*time.Millisecond)
 	defer cancel()
 	_, err = routed.NextBatch(ctx, 4)
-	require.ErrorIs(t, err, context.DeadlineExceeded)
+	requireDeadlineExceeded(t, err)
+}
+
+// requireDeadlineExceeded asserts the call failed because its deadline expired,
+// accepting either representation the deadline can take.
+//
+// Which one comes back is a timing detail, not a behavioural difference: if the
+// context expires before the RPC is handed to gRPC the error IS
+// context.DeadlineExceeded, but if the RPC is already in flight gRPC returns a
+// status error with codes.DeadlineExceeded instead — and a gRPC status error
+// does not satisfy errors.Is(context.DeadlineExceeded). Asserting only the
+// first made this test fail about 1.5% of the time (measured 3 failures in 200
+// runs) whenever the deadline happened to land on the far side of that
+// boundary.
+func requireDeadlineExceeded(t *testing.T, err error) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	require.Error(t, err, "the call must fail once its deadline expires")
+	if errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+		return
+	}
+	require.Equal(t, codes.DeadlineExceeded, status.Code(err),
+		"want a deadline failure in either representation, got %v", err)
 }
 
 func TestDistributionServerGetTimestamp_LeaderRoutedActivatesCutover(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/proxy/leader_aware_backend_test.go b/proxy/leader_aware_backend_test.go
index 221e81655..d2ef19fdf 100644
--- a/proxy/leader_aware_backend_test.go
+++ b/proxy/leader_aware_backend_test.go
@@ -640,14 +640,7 @@ func TestLeaderAwareRedisBackend_InitialCommandWaitsForLeaderDiscovery(t *testin
 		},
 		{
 			name: "NewPubSub",
-			run: func(ctx context.Context, backend *LeaderAwareRedisBackend) error {
-				ps := backend.NewPubSub(ctx)
-				if ps == nil {
-					return ErrNoLeaderBackend
-				}
-				defer ps.Close()
-				return ps.Subscribe(ctx, "events")
-			},
+			run:  subscribeAndWaitForInitialAck,
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -700,6 +693,28 @@ func TestLeaderAwareRedisBackend_InitialCommandWaitsForLeaderDiscovery(t *testin
 	}
 }
 
+func subscribeAndWaitForInitialAck(ctx context.Context, backend *LeaderAwareRedisBackend) error {
+	ps := backend.NewPubSub(ctx)
+	if ps == nil {
+		return ErrNoLeaderBackend
+	}
+	defer ps.Close()
+	if err := ps.Subscribe(ctx, "events"); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// Subscribe only flushes the request; the acknowledgment proves the
+	// discovered leader has actually processed it.
+	reply, err := ps.Receive(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	ack, ok := reply.(*redis.Subscription)
+	if !ok || strings.ToUpper(ack.Kind) != cmdSubscribe || ack.Channel != "events" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unexpected subscription acknowledgment: %v", reply)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func TestLeaderAwareRedisBackend_NewPubSubFallsBackToSeedWhenNoLeaderDiscovered(t *testing.T) {
 	seed := newFakeElasticKVNode(t)