diff --git a/extensions/memory-core/src/memory/manager-embedding-timeout.test.ts b/extensions/memory-core/src/memory/manager-embedding-timeout.test.ts
index 15ad7f909d5..a4afea887e7 100644
--- a/extensions/memory-core/src/memory/manager-embedding-timeout.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/memory-core/src/memory/manager-embedding-timeout.test.ts
@@ -102,9 +102,10 @@ describe("memory embedding timeout abort", () => {
   });
 
   it("aborts the provider operation when the timeout fires", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
     let signalSeen: AbortSignal | undefined;
 
-    await expect(
+    const result = expect(
       runEmbeddingOperationWithTimeout({
         timeoutMs: 1,
         message: "memory embeddings query timed out after 0s",
@@ -120,12 +121,15 @@ describe("memory embedding timeout abort", () => {
         },
       }),
     ).rejects.toThrow("memory embeddings query timed out after 0s");
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1);
+    await result;
 
     expect(signalSeen?.aborted).toBe(true);
   });
 
   it("keeps the timeout error when a provider abort listener rejects generically", async () => {
-    await expect(
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    const result = expect(
       runEmbeddingOperationWithTimeout({
         timeoutMs: 1,
         message: "memory embeddings batch timed out after 0s",
@@ -137,6 +141,8 @@ describe("memory embedding timeout abort", () => {
           }),
       }),
     ).rejects.toThrow("memory embeddings batch timed out after 0s");
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1);
+    await result;
   });
 
   it("caps operation watchdog timers before scheduling", async () => {
diff --git a/extensions/memory-core/src/memory/qmd-manager.test.ts b/extensions/memory-core/src/memory/qmd-manager.test.ts
index efad34a7899..5cae2b5fc3c 100644
--- a/extensions/memory-core/src/memory/qmd-manager.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/memory-core/src/memory/qmd-manager.test.ts
@@ -740,6 +740,7 @@ describe("QmdMemoryManager", () => {
   });
 
   it("times out collection bootstrap commands", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
     cfg = {
       ...cfg,
       memory: {
@@ -764,7 +765,15 @@ describe("QmdMemoryManager", () => {
       return createMockChild();
     });
 
-    const { manager } = await createManager({ mode: "full" });
+    const managerPromise = createManager({ mode: "full" });
+    await waitUntil(() =>
+      spawnMock.mock.calls.some((call: unknown[]) => {
+        const args = call[1] as string[];
+        return args[0] === "collection" && args[1] === "list";
+      }),
+    );
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(15);
+    const { manager } = await managerPromise;
     const status = manager.status();
     expect(status.backend).toBe("qmd");
     expect(status.requestedProvider).toBe("qmd");
@@ -4396,6 +4405,7 @@ describe("QmdMemoryManager", () => {
   });
 
   it("retries boot update when qmd reports a retryable lock error", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
     cfg = {
       ...cfg,
       memory: {
@@ -4429,26 +4439,14 @@ describe("QmdMemoryManager", () => {
       return createMockChild();
     });
 
-    const nativeSetTimeout = globalThis.setTimeout;
-    const setTimeoutSpy = vi.spyOn(globalThis, "setTimeout").mockImplementation(((
-      handler: TimerHandler,
-      timeout?: number,
-      ...args: unknown[]
-    ) => {
-      if (typeof timeout === "number" && timeout >= 500) {
-        return nativeSetTimeout(handler, 1, ...args);
-      }
-      return nativeSetTimeout(handler, timeout, ...args);
-    }) as typeof globalThis.setTimeout);
+    const managerPromise = createManager({ mode: "full" });
+    await waitUntil(() => updateCalls === 1);
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(500);
+    await waitUntil(() => updateCalls === 2);
+    const { manager } = await managerPromise;
 
-    const { manager } = await createManager({ mode: "full" });
-
-    try {
-      expect(updateCalls).toBe(2);
-      await manager.close();
-    } finally {
-      setTimeoutSpy.mockRestore();
-    }
+    expect(updateCalls).toBe(2);
+    await manager.close();
   });
 
   it("succeeds on qmd update even when stdout exceeds the output cap", async () => {
diff --git a/extensions/memory-lancedb/index.test.ts b/extensions/memory-lancedb/index.test.ts
index ba1b534ce24..04c3035c1f0 100644
--- a/extensions/memory-lancedb/index.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/memory-lancedb/index.test.ts
@@ -1169,8 +1169,8 @@ describe("memory plugin e2e", () => {
 
   test("clamps oversized auto-recall timeout timers", async () => {
     vi.useFakeTimers();
+    const setTimeoutSpy = vi.spyOn(globalThis, "setTimeout");
     try {
-      const setTimeoutSpy = vi.spyOn(globalThis, "setTimeout");
       await expect(
         testing.runWithTimeout({
           timeoutMs: Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER,
@@ -1180,14 +1180,15 @@ describe("memory plugin e2e", () => {
 
       expect(setTimeoutSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.any(Function), MAX_TIMER_TIMEOUT_MS);
     } finally {
+      setTimeoutSpy.mockRestore();
       vi.useRealTimers();
     }
   });
 
   test("falls back for invalid auto-recall timeout timers", async () => {
     vi.useFakeTimers();
+    const setTimeoutSpy = vi.spyOn(globalThis, "setTimeout");
     try {
-      const setTimeoutSpy = vi.spyOn(globalThis, "setTimeout");
       await expect(
         testing.runWithTimeout({
           timeoutMs: Number.NaN,
@@ -1197,6 +1198,7 @@ describe("memory plugin e2e", () => {
 
       expect(setTimeoutSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.any(Function), 1);
     } finally {
+      setTimeoutSpy.mockRestore();
       vi.useRealTimers();
     }
   });