diff --git a/test/integration/mesh.test.ts b/test/integration/mesh.test.ts
index c6dccbf..351f88f 100644
--- a/test/integration/mesh.test.ts
+++ b/test/integration/mesh.test.ts
@@ -338,7 +338,14 @@ test("both machines join it, and the token is all they need", { skip, timeout: 9
   await mesh("assign anchor networking");
   await must("anchor", `pgrep -x mesh-host >/dev/null || (nohup ${HOST_PATH} run > /var/log/mesh-host.log 2>&1 & sleep 3)`);
   await mesh("push anchor");
-  await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 8000));
+  // The host reports which of its links face outside with every apply, and the filter is not
+  // composed for a machine that has not — so its first apply is waited for, not slept past.
+  const appliedBy = Date.now() + 180_000;
+  while (!(await on("anchor", `grep -q 'applied [0-9]' /var/log/mesh-host.log`)).ok) {
+    if (Date.now() > appliedBy) assert.fail(`the anchor never applied what it was sent:\n${(await on("anchor", "tail -30 /var/log/mesh-host.log")).out}`);
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 3000));
+  }
+  await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 5000));
   await deriveTheFilterOn({ machine: "anchor", node: "anchor", hubPort: 51820, must, mesh, on });
 
   // **The laptop makes its tunnel key, and the token is issued for it.** The hub is told the key