diff --git a/test/integration/assigned-two-node-db.test.ts b/test/integration/assigned-two-node-db.test.ts
index 4020a1b..efe19d4 100644
--- a/test/integration/assigned-two-node-db.test.ts
+++ b/test/integration/assigned-two-node-db.test.ts
@@ -494,14 +494,14 @@ test("consumers on a joined node get their databases from the one foundation sto
   const stable = expected.filter((n) => n !== "letta");
   for (const name of stable) {
     const deadline = Date.now() + 300_000;
-    let prev = -1, stableSince = 0, last = "?";
+    let prev = -1, stableSince = 0, last = "?", settled = false;
     while (Date.now() < deadline) {
       const [running, count] = (await must(NODE, `docker inspect -f '{{.State.Running}} {{.RestartCount}}' ${name}`)).trim().split(" ");
       last = `running=${running} restarts=${count}`;
       const n = Number(count);
       if (running === "true" && n === prev) {
         if (stableSince === 0) stableSince = Date.now();
-        if (Date.now() - stableSince >= 30_000) break; // up and unchanged for 30s — settled
+        if (Date.now() - stableSince >= 30_000) { settled = true; break; } // up and unchanged 30s
       } else {
         prev = n; stableSince = 0;
       }
@@ -510,7 +510,7 @@ test("consumers on a joined node get their databases from the one foundation sto
     const [running, count] = (await must(NODE, `docker inspect -f '{{.State.Running}} {{.RestartCount}}' ${name}`)).trim().split(" ");
     assert.equal(running, "true",
       `${name} is not running after the push (${last}):\n${(await on(NODE, `docker logs ${name} 2>&1 | tail -40`)).out}`);
-    if (Date.now() >= deadline)
+    if (!settled)
       assert.fail(`${name} never stopped restarting within 300s (last ${last}) — a crash-loop, not startup churn:\n${(await on(NODE, `docker logs ${name} 2>&1 | tail -40`)).out}`);
     void count;
   }