diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/reconnects_test.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/reconnects_test.go
index d6b26b95..4f43f5e3 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/reconnects_test.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/reconnects_test.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func TestAVerbsOwnProcessNamesItsConnection(t *testing.T) {
 	// A silence acts, so it is still its own process; it dials, and finds no such condition.
 	_, _ = handlers["conditions"](context.Background(),
 		json.RawMessage(`{"silence":"bus.nothing.here","for":"1h","why":"a test"}`))
-	names := closedNames(t, bus)
+	names := closedNames(t, bus, "mesh-controller verb conditions")
 	found := false
 	for _, n := range names {
 		found = found || n == "mesh-controller verb conditions"
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/replay327_test.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/replay327_test.go
index 73f2cc14..bac8296d 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/replay327_test.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/replay327_test.go
@@ -84,8 +84,12 @@ func asAProcess(t *testing.T, url string) {
 	t.Setenv(broker.CertificateVar, "")
 }
 
-// closedNames are the names of the connections the bus saw closed.
-func closedNames(t *testing.T, bus *server.Server) []string {
+// closedNames are the names of the connections the bus saw closed, waited for by want's own name: the
+// bus can register another connection's close first (the test's own setup connection, say), so returning
+// on the first non-empty list names whichever closed first, not necessarily the one being waited for
+// (novox/hq issue 543). closedNames instead waits until want itself appears among the closed connections,
+// or the deadline passes, and returns whatever names it last saw either way.
+func closedNames(t *testing.T, bus *server.Server, want string) []string {
 	t.Helper()
 	deadline := time.Now().Add(5 * time.Second)
 	var names []string
@@ -95,10 +99,14 @@ func closedNames(t *testing.T, bus *server.Server) []string {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
 		names = names[:0]
+		found := false
 		for _, c := range connz.Conns {
 			names = append(names, c.Name)
+			if c.Name == want {
+				found = true
+			}
 		}
-		if len(names) > 0 {
+		if found {
 			return names
 		}
 		time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)