diff --git a/crates/git/src/lib.rs b/crates/git/src/lib.rs
index 2e0fbdbb..59b09caf 100644
--- a/crates/git/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/git/src/lib.rs
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@ mod state;
 
 pub use state::{StateHandle, StateOptions};
 #[doc(hidden)]
-pub use state::{debug_engine_refs, debug_status_recomputes, debug_worktree_watches};
+pub use state::{
+    debug_engine_refs, debug_status_recomputes, debug_wait_worktree_watches, debug_worktree_watches,
+};
 
 /// The slash-separated Git path of `abs` relative to `workdir`, if any.
 /// On Windows this converts backslashes so that ignore rules and index
diff --git a/crates/git/src/state.rs b/crates/git/src/state.rs
index 13b51336..33ae7bf1 100644
--- a/crates/git/src/state.rs
+++ b/crates/git/src/state.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ use std::collections::{BTreeMap, BTreeSet, HashMap};
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
 use std::sync::mpsc::{Receiver, RecvTimeoutError, SyncSender};
-use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex, OnceLock, Weak};
+use std::sync::{Arc, Condvar, Mutex, OnceLock, Weak};
 use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 
 use crate::model::{
@@ -223,11 +223,27 @@ fn status_recomputes() -> &'static Mutex<HashMap<PathBuf, u64>> {
 /// arm. Test/diagnostic hook.
 #[doc(hidden)]
 pub fn debug_worktree_watches(gitdir: &Path) -> Option<Vec<PathBuf>> {
-    worktree_watch_sets().lock().unwrap().get(gitdir).cloned()
+    worktree_watch_sets().0.lock().unwrap().get(gitdir).cloned()
 }
 
-fn worktree_watch_sets() -> &'static Mutex<HashMap<PathBuf, Vec<PathBuf>>> {
-    static SETS: OnceLock<Mutex<HashMap<PathBuf, Vec<PathBuf>>>> = OnceLock::new();
+/// Blocks until the engine publishes a watch set for `gitdir` that
+/// satisfies `done`. Test/diagnostic hook.
+#[doc(hidden)]
+pub fn debug_wait_worktree_watches(gitdir: &Path, mut done: impl FnMut(&[PathBuf]) -> bool) {
+    let (sets, published) = worktree_watch_sets();
+    drop(
+        published
+            .wait_while(sets.lock().unwrap(), |sets| {
+                !done(sets.get(gitdir).map_or(&[], Vec::as_slice))
+            })
+            .unwrap(),
+    );
+}
+
+type WatchSets = (Mutex<HashMap<PathBuf, Vec<PathBuf>>>, Condvar);
+
+fn worktree_watch_sets() -> &'static WatchSets {
+    static SETS: OnceLock<WatchSets> = OnceLock::new();
     SETS.get_or_init(Default::default)
 }
 
@@ -1241,10 +1257,11 @@ impl Engine {
         }
         arms.watch_set_changed = false;
         let dirs = arms.worktree_dirs.iter().cloned().collect();
-        worktree_watch_sets()
-            .lock()
+        let (sets, published) = worktree_watch_sets();
+        sets.lock()
             .unwrap()
             .insert((*self.repo.gitdir).clone(), dirs);
+        published.notify_all();
     }
 
     /// Directories to arm for the ignore sources that live *outside* every
diff --git a/crates/git/tests/engine.rs b/crates/git/tests/engine.rs
index 4e60fd2d..d8069321 100644
--- a/crates/git/tests/engine.rs
+++ b/crates/git/tests/engine.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use std::collections::BTreeMap;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::process::Command;
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicU64, Ordering};
-use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
+use std::time::Duration;
 
 use yas_git::native::{
     self, BlameRecord, DiffRecord, DiffRequest, Endpoint, LogRequest, PatchRecord, PatchRequest,
@@ -79,6 +79,19 @@ impl Repository {
             .map(|path| std::fs::canonicalize(path).unwrap())
             .collect()
     }
+
+    /// Waits for the engine to arm or disarm `dir`. The status snapshot can
+    /// reflect an index written after its pass reconciled the watch set, so
+    /// the set catches up on the pass that index event triggers.
+    fn wait_for_watch(&self, dir: &str, armed: bool) {
+        let path = self.0.join(dir);
+        yas_git::debug_wait_worktree_watches(&self.0.join(".git"), |watches| {
+            watches
+                .iter()
+                .any(|watch| std::fs::canonicalize(watch).is_ok_and(|watch| watch == path))
+                == armed
+        });
+    }
 }
 
 impl Drop for Repository {
@@ -466,13 +479,13 @@ fn index_changes_reconcile_tracked_exceptions_to_ignore_pruning() {
 
     repository.git(&["add", "-f", "generated/nested/tracked"]);
     assert_eq!(state.status()["generated/nested/tracked"], (b'A', b' '));
-    assert!(watches().contains(&repository.0.join("generated/nested")));
+    repository.wait_for_watch("generated/nested", true);
     repository.write("generated/nested/tracked", b"modified after force-add\n");
     assert_eq!(state.status()["generated/nested/tracked"], (b'A', b'M'));
 
     repository.git(&["rm", "--cached", "-f", "generated/nested/tracked"]);
     assert!(state.status().is_empty());
-    assert!(!watches().contains(&repository.0.join("generated")));
+    repository.wait_for_watch("generated", false);
 }
 
 #[test]
@@ -594,17 +607,7 @@ fn reattached_status_selection_observes_changes_made_while_pruned() {
 
     // Wait for the asynchronous detach to disarm this directory. Writes
     // inside it then cannot invalidate a cached ignored-status segment.
-    let deadline = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(5);
-    while repository
-        .worktree_watches()
-        .contains(&repository.0.join("ignored"))
-    {
-        assert!(
-            Instant::now() < deadline,
-            "ignored directory was not pruned"
-        );
-        std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(5));
-    }
+    repository.wait_for_watch("ignored", false);
     repository.write("ignored/second", b"new ignored file\n");
     let broader = StateStream::new(&handle, status_options(true, true));
     assert_eq!(broader.status().len(), 2);
diff --git a/crates/server/src/yas_process.rs b/crates/server/src/yas_process.rs
index 712c1959..c027e6aa 100644
--- a/crates/server/src/yas_process.rs
+++ b/crates/server/src/yas_process.rs
@@ -2704,11 +2704,7 @@ mod windows_tests {
     ) -> T {
         let mut output = String::new();
         loop {
-            match tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(20), attachment.next())
-                .await
-                .expect("output in time")
-                .expect("the attachment is open")
-            {
+            match attachment.next().await.expect("the attachment is open") {
                 Event::Output { stream, data, .. } => {
                     *acked += data.len() as u64;
                     attachment.acknowledge_output(stream, *acked).unwrap();
@@ -2955,7 +2951,6 @@ mod windows_tests {
         let server = Server::new(false, true);
         let runtime = Runtime::new(server.clone());
         let session = runtime.session([34; 16], None).unwrap();
-        let started = std::time::Instant::now();
         let mut attachment = session
             .spawn(
                 &with_residue_grace(
@@ -2975,6 +2970,7 @@ mod windows_tests {
             .unwrap();
         let mut acked = 0;
         let pid = read_until(&mut attachment, &mut acked, residue_pid).await;
+        let started = std::time::Instant::now();
         let exit = exit_of(&mut attachment, &mut acked, Duration::from_secs(20)).await;
         assert_eq!(
             (exit.kind, exit.code),