diff --git a/crates/projection-irc/tests/lib.rs b/crates/projection-irc/tests/lib.rs
index 8ee8fdd..38fd0f7 100644
--- a/crates/projection-irc/tests/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/projection-irc/tests/lib.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ struct TestScope<'a> {
     reader: BufReader<ReadHalf<'a>>,
     writer: WriteHalf<'a>,
     buffer: Vec<u8>,
-    pub timeout: Duration,
+    pub timeout_optimistic: Duration,
+    pub timeout_pessimistic: Duration,
 }
 
 impl<'a> TestScope<'a> {
@@ -28,12 +29,14 @@ impl<'a> TestScope<'a> {
         let (reader, writer) = stream.split();
         let reader = BufReader::new(reader);
         let buffer = vec![];
-        let timeout = Duration::from_millis(1000);
+        let timeout_optimistic = Duration::from_millis(50);
+        let timeout_pessimistic = Duration::from_millis(2000);
         TestScope {
             reader,
             writer,
             buffer,
-            timeout,
+            timeout_optimistic,
+            timeout_pessimistic,
         }
     }
 
@@ -46,14 +49,22 @@ impl<'a> TestScope<'a> {
 
     async fn expect(&mut self, str: &str) -> Result<()> {
         tracing::debug!("Expecting {}", str);
-        let len = tokio::time::timeout(self.timeout, read_irc_message(&mut self.reader, &mut self.buffer)).await??;
+        let len = tokio::time::timeout(
+            self.timeout_pessimistic,
+            read_irc_message(&mut self.reader, &mut self.buffer),
+        )
+        .await??;
         assert_eq!(std::str::from_utf8(&self.buffer[..len - 2])?, str);
         self.buffer.clear();
         Ok(())
     }
 
     async fn expect_that(&mut self, validate: impl FnOnce(&str) -> bool) -> Result<()> {
-        let len = tokio::time::timeout(self.timeout, read_irc_message(&mut self.reader, &mut self.buffer)).await??;
+        let len = tokio::time::timeout(
+            self.timeout_pessimistic,
+            read_irc_message(&mut self.reader, &mut self.buffer),
+        )
+        .await??;
         let msg = std::str::from_utf8(&self.buffer[..len - 2])?;
         if !validate(msg) {
             return Err(anyhow!("unexpected message: {:?}", msg));
@@ -79,7 +90,7 @@ impl<'a> TestScope<'a> {
 
     async fn expect_eof(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
         let mut buf = [0; 1];
-        let len = tokio::time::timeout(self.timeout, self.reader.read(&mut buf)).await??;
+        let len = tokio::time::timeout(self.timeout_pessimistic, self.reader.read(&mut buf)).await??;
         if len != 0 {
             return Err(anyhow!("not a eof"));
         }
@@ -88,7 +99,7 @@ impl<'a> TestScope<'a> {
 
     async fn expect_nothing(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
         let mut buf = [0; 1];
-        match tokio::time::timeout(self.timeout, self.reader.read(&mut buf)).await {
+        match tokio::time::timeout(self.timeout_optimistic, self.reader.read(&mut buf)).await {
             Ok(res) => Err(anyhow!("received something: {:?}", res)),
             Err(_) => Ok(()),
         }