Make backend tests wait on conditions instead of durations (#2190)

* Make backend tests wait on conditions instead of durations

The backend workflow has a long tail of runs that fail once and pass on
a rerun. Every one of them comes down to a test assuming an operation
finishes within some duration rather than waiting for the state it
needs. Three were reproducible and each was reproduced against the old
code before being changed: TestServerAuthHooks minted a token that lived
one second and never tested expiry, so a slow runner turned the first
POST into a 401; TestServerApp_AnonMode saw "connection refused" because
waitForHTTPServerStart returned silently after three seconds and left a
later assertion to fail with something unrelated; TestFsStore_Cleanup
slept 200ms against a 300ms ttl that Cleanup widens to 400ms with its
commit grace, so roughly 100ms of stall collected an image meant to
survive.

Fixed sleeps before asserting on asynchronous work are replaced with
polls on the condition itself, using require.Eventually and
require.EventuallyWithT, and require.Never where the assertion is that
something did not happen. Polling closures assert on the CollectT they
are handed rather than on t, since testify runs them on another
goroutine, and polls that issue HTTP requests stay under the rate limit
on the routes they poll through.

Where a test needs time to have passed, the clock input is pinned
instead: staging ages are stamped with os.Chtimes on both sides of the
cleanup boundary right before each call, which also makes the 100ms
commit grace an exact case rather than something no assertion reaches,
and the RSS tests set store.Comment.Timestamp explicitly rather than
racing the wall clock into the first 100ms of a second so pubDate
matches.

chooseUnusedPort takes a port from the kernel's ephemeral range. Picking
at random out of a fixed 10000-port window let two package binaries,
which go test ./... runs concurrently, land on the same number between
the probe closing and the server binding. The start helpers fail naming
the port they waited on, and the SSL tests wait on the redirect port as
well as the TLS one.

Arbitrary budgets that nothing tests are gone: ten HTTP clients with a
one-second timeout against bolt-backed import and export, the "should
take about 100msec" assertions, and a one-second bound on noticing an
already cancelled context. Shutdown stays bounded at ten seconds so a
hang is still caught.

Two assertions get stronger. TestServerAuthHooks accepted 403 or 401
from a blocked user, an alternative that existed only because the short
token could expire mid-test; it is deterministically 403 now.
TestAdmin_BlockedList asserted two users blocked while one carried the
same 150ms ttl the next step waits to lapse, so the halves raced each
other.

goleak stops reporting the regexp2 clock goroutine, which chroma pulls
in for syntax highlighting and which lives for up to a second after the
last match with a timeout; it ends on its own but a binary finishing
inside that window was reported as leaking, and this suite now finishes
sooner. The ignore for net/http.(*Server).Shutdown goes the other way:
it no longer matches anything, with both packages run fifteen times each
under CPU oversubscription to confirm.

Two gaps the change would otherwise have opened are covered directly
rather than left to the side effects that used to cover them. The
one-second token was the only thing exercising the authenticator's
ClaimsUpd hook on refresh, so TestServerApp_ClaimsUpd now calls the hook
itself and checks admin, blocked, email and restricted-name
impersonation, including the two pass-through cases. Lifting the
open-route limit removed the last incidental exercise of the rate
limiter, so TestRateLimiter drives a burst past the allowance and checks
the refusals and that the limit is per client. Both run without a wall
clock, and both were confirmed to fail when the behaviour they cover is
removed.

Production code is untouched. The two sleeps outside test code, the 429
backoff in cmd/cleanup.go and the submit poll in store/image/image.go,
are left alone: no CI failure implicates them.

Test sleeps drop from 67 to 21, all of them either inside a
testing/synctest bubble or a poll interval. The suite runs in about 22
seconds instead of 46, mostly because
TestPublic_FindCommentsCtrl_ConsistentCount no longer paces a hundred
subtests with an 80ms sleep each to stay under the open route limit. The
300s per-package budget now matches across both workflows, the race_test
target and the documented command, and CLAUDE.md records the convention.

with '#' will be ignored, and an empty message aborts the commit. # #
Date: Sat Aug 22 01:12:31 2026 +0100 # # interactive rebase in progress;
onto 7c312da1 # Last command done (1 command done): # reword deb6cbf1 #
Make backend tests wait on conditions instead of durations # Next
command to do (1 remaining command): # reword 262e6dc2 # Apply go fix
under Go 1.27 # You are currently editing a commit while rebasing branch
'fix/backend-test-flakiness' on '7c312da1'. # # Changes to be committed:
.github/workflows/release.yml # modified: CLAUDE.md # modified: Makefile
modified: backend/_example/memory_store/server/rpc_test.go # modified:
backend/app/cmd/import_test.go # modified:
backend/app/cmd/server_test.go # modified: backend/app/main_test.go #
modified: backend/app/rest/api/admin_test.go # modified:
backend/app/rest/api/middleware_test.go # modified:
backend/app/rest/api/migrator_test.go # modified:
backend/app/rest/api/rest_private_test.go # modified:
backend/app/rest/api/rest_public_test.go # modified:
backend/app/rest/api/rest_test.go # modified:
backend/app/rest/api/rss_test.go # modified:
backend/app/rest/proxy/image_test.go # modified:
backend/app/store/image/fs_store_test.go # modified:
backend/app/store/service/service_test.go # modified:
docs/backlog/api-tests-deadlock-on-macos.md #

* Apply go fix under Go 1.27

Go 1.27 extends go fix with the modernizers, so `go fix ./...` now
rewrites patterns the language has since replaced. Running it across all
three modules produces this: legacy sync/atomic calls on plain integers
become the atomic types (notify.Service.closed, image.Service.term and
submitCount, and several test counters), reverse index loops become
slices.Backward, a Split-then-index becomes strings.Cut, counted loops
become range over an int, and interface{} becomes any in the e2e suite.

The example module needed no changes. The e2e module is behind a build
tag, so it only matches with `go fix -tags e2e ./...`.

One knock-on: prealloc can see the bound of a loop once it is written as
range over an int, so the slice it feeds is now preallocated.

with '#' will be ignored, and an empty message aborts the commit. # #
Date: Sat Aug 22 01:32:09 2026 +0100 # # interactive rebase in progress;
onto 7c312da1 # Last commands done (2 commands done): # reword deb6cbf1
262e6dc2 # Apply go fix under Go 1.27 # No commands remaining. # You are
currently editing a commit while rebasing branch
'fix/backend-test-flakiness' on '7c312da1'. # # Changes to be committed:
backend/app/migrator/native.go # modified: backend/app/notify/notify.go
backend/app/rest/api/rest_private_test.go # modified:
backend/app/store/comment.go # modified:
backend/app/store/image/image.go # modified:
backend/app/store/service/service_test.go # modified:
backend/app/store/service/title_test.go # modified: e2e/e2e_test.go #
modified: e2e/widgets_test.go #

backend/app/cmd/import_test.go

@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
-	"time"
 
 	log "github.com/go-pkgz/lgr"
 	"github.com/jessevdk/go-flags"
@@ -133,15 +132,14 @@ func TestImport_ExecuteFailed(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestImport_ExecuteTimeout(t *testing.T) {
-	ts := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	ts := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(_ http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		assert.Equal(t, r.URL.Path, "/api/v1/admin/import")
 		assert.Equal(t, "POST", r.Method)
 		body, err := io.ReadAll(r.Body)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 		assert.Equal(t, "blah\nblah2\n12345678\n", string(body))
-		time.Sleep(500 * time.Millisecond)
-		fmt.Fprintln(w, "some response")
-		fmt.Fprintln(w, string(body))
+		// hold the response until the client gives up on its own timeout
+		<-r.Context().Done()
 	}))
 	defer ts.Close()
 

backend/app/cmd/server_test.go

@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"crypto/tls"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
-	"math/rand"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
@@ -25,15 +24,33 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
+const (
+	// budget for a server to bind and answer, generous enough for a loaded CI runner
+	serverStartTimeout = 30 * time.Second
+	serverStartPoll    = 10 * time.Millisecond
+
+	// budget for a server to stop once asked. tight enough to catch a shutdown that hangs,
+	// loose enough not to depend on how loaded the runner is
+	serverStopTimeout = 10 * time.Second
+
+	// connect budget for a single probe. kept off the poll interval so a slow loopback connect
+	// on a loaded runner does not look like a server that is not listening
+	probeDialTimeout = time.Second
+
+	// the /auth/ group is limited to 2 req/s, so retries sit at its refill interval rather than
+	// above it, which would only manufacture more 429s
+	authRetryPoll = 500 * time.Millisecond
+)
+
 func TestServerApp(t *testing.T) {
-	port := chooseRandomUnusedPort()
+	port := chooseUnusedPort(t)
 	app, ctx, cancel := prepServerApp(t, func(o ServerCommand) ServerCommand {
 		o.Port = port
 		return o
 	})
 
 	go func() { _ = app.run(ctx) }()
-	waitForHTTPServerStart(port)
+	waitForHTTPServerStart(t, port)
 
 	// send ping
 	resp, err := http.Get(fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/api/v1/ping", port))
@@ -68,7 +85,7 @@ func TestServerApp(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestServerApp_DevMode(t *testing.T) {
-	port := chooseRandomUnusedPort()
+	port := chooseUnusedPort(t)
 	app, ctx, cancel := prepServerApp(t, func(o ServerCommand) ServerCommand {
 		o.Port = port
 		o.AdminPasswd = "password"
@@ -77,7 +94,7 @@ func TestServerApp_DevMode(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 	go func() { _ = app.run(ctx) }()
-	waitForHTTPServerStart(port)
+	waitForHTTPServerStart(t, port)
 
 	providers := app.restSrv.Authenticator.Providers()
 	require.Equal(t, 11+1, len(providers), "extra auth provider")
@@ -97,7 +114,7 @@ func TestServerApp_DevMode(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestServerApp_CustomOAuthProvider(t *testing.T) {
-	port := chooseRandomUnusedPort()
+	port := chooseUnusedPort(t)
 	app, ctx, cancel := prepServerApp(t, func(o ServerCommand) ServerCommand {
 		o.Port = port
 		o.Auth.Custom.Name = "oidc"
@@ -110,7 +127,7 @@ func TestServerApp_CustomOAuthProvider(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 	go func() { _ = app.run(ctx) }()
-	waitForHTTPServerStart(port)
+	waitForHTTPServerStart(t, port)
 
 	providers := app.restSrv.Authenticator.Providers()
 	require.Equal(t, 11+1, len(providers), "extra auth provider")
@@ -121,7 +138,7 @@ func TestServerApp_CustomOAuthProvider(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestServerApp_AnonMode(t *testing.T) {
-	port := chooseRandomUnusedPort()
+	port := chooseUnusedPort(t)
 	app, ctx, cancel := prepServerApp(t, func(o ServerCommand) ServerCommand {
 		o.Port = port
 		o.Auth.Anonymous = true
@@ -129,7 +146,7 @@ func TestServerApp_AnonMode(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 	go func() { _ = app.run(ctx) }()
-	waitForHTTPServerStart(port)
+	waitForHTTPServerStart(t, port)
 
 	providers := app.restSrv.Authenticator.Providers()
 	require.Equal(t, 11+1, len(providers), "extra auth provider for anon")
@@ -148,8 +165,7 @@ func TestServerApp_AnonMode(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "pong", string(body))
 
 	// try to login with good name
-	resp, err = client.Get(fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/auth/anonymous/login?user=blah123&aud=remark", port))
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+	resp = getRetryThrottled(t, &client, fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/auth/anonymous/login?user=blah123&aud=remark", port))
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, resp.StatusCode)
 
@@ -168,57 +184,43 @@ func TestServerApp_AnonMode(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusCreated, resp.StatusCode)
 
 	// try to login with non-latin name
-	time.Sleep(time.Second)
-	resp, err = client.Get(fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/auth/anonymous/login?user=Раз_Два%20%20Три_34567&aud=remark", port))
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+	nonLatin := fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/auth/anonymous/login?user=Раз_Два%20%20Три_34567&aud=remark", port)
+	resp = getRetryThrottled(t, &client, nonLatin)
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, resp.StatusCode)
 
 	// try to login with bad name
-	time.Sleep(time.Second)
-	resp, err = client.Get(fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/auth/anonymous/login?user=**blah123&aud=remark", port))
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+	resp = getRetryThrottled(t, &client, fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/auth/anonymous/login?user=**blah123&aud=remark", port))
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusForbidden, resp.StatusCode)
 
 	// try to login with short name
-	time.Sleep(time.Second)
-	resp, err = client.Get(fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/auth/anonymous/login?user=bl%%20%%20&aud=remark", port))
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+	resp = getRetryThrottled(t, &client, fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/auth/anonymous/login?user=bl%%20%%20&aud=remark", port))
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusForbidden, resp.StatusCode)
 
 	// try to login with name what have space in prefix
-	time.Sleep(time.Second)
-	resp, err = client.Get(fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/auth/anonymous/login?user=%%20somebody&aud=remark", port))
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+	resp = getRetryThrottled(t, &client, fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/auth/anonymous/login?user=%%20somebody&aud=remark", port))
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusForbidden, resp.StatusCode)
 
 	// try to login with name what have space in suffix
-	time.Sleep(time.Second)
-	resp, err = client.Get(fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/auth/anonymous/login?user=somebody%%20&aud=remark", port))
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+	resp = getRetryThrottled(t, &client, fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/auth/anonymous/login?user=somebody%%20&aud=remark", port))
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusForbidden, resp.StatusCode)
 
 	// try to login with long name
-	time.Sleep(time.Second)
 	ln := strings.Repeat("x", 65)
-	resp, err = client.Get(fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/auth/anonymous/login?user=%s&aud=remark", port, ln))
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+	resp = getRetryThrottled(t, &client, fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/auth/anonymous/login?user=%s&aud=remark", port, ln))
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusForbidden, resp.StatusCode)
 
 	// try to login with admin name
-	time.Sleep(time.Second)
-	resp, err = client.Get(fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/auth/anonymous/login?user=umpUtun&aud=remark", port))
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+	resp = getRetryThrottled(t, &client, fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/auth/anonymous/login?user=umpUtun&aud=remark", port))
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, resp.StatusCode)
 
 	// try to add a comment as anonymous with admin name
-	time.Sleep(time.Second)
 	req, err = http.NewRequest("POST", fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/api/v1/comment?site=remark", port),
 		strings.NewReader(`{"text": "test 123", "locator":{"url": "https://radio-t.com/blah1", "site": "remark"}}`))
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -250,12 +252,12 @@ func getAuthFromCookie(t *testing.T, app *serverApp, resp *http.Response) (tkn s
 
 func TestServerApp_WithSSL(t *testing.T) {
 	opts := ServerCommand{}
-	sslPort := chooseRandomUnusedPort()
+	sslPort := chooseUnusedPort(t)
 	opts.SetCommon(CommonOpts{RemarkURL: fmt.Sprintf("https://localhost:%d", sslPort), SharedSecret: "123456"})
 
 	// prepare options
 	p := flags.NewParser(&opts, flags.Default)
-	port := chooseRandomUnusedPort()
+	port := chooseUnusedPort(t)
 	_, err := p.ParseArgs([]string{"--admin-passwd=password", "--port=" + strconv.Itoa(port), "--store.bolt.path=/tmp/xyz", "--backup=/tmp",
 		"--avatar.type=bolt", "--avatar.bolt.file=/tmp/ava-test.db",
 		"--ssl.type=static", "--ssl.cert=testdata/cert.pem", "--ssl.key=testdata/key.pem",
@@ -270,8 +272,9 @@ func TestServerApp_WithSSL(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel() // this context is not the one createAppFromCmd registers for cleanup
 	go func() { _ = app.run(ctx) }()
-	waitForHTTPSServerStart(sslPort)
+	waitForServerStart(t, sslPort, port) // the redirect check below uses the plain http port
 
 	client := http.Client{
 		// prevent http redirect
@@ -312,7 +315,7 @@ func TestServerApp_WithRemote(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// prepare options
 	p := flags.NewParser(&opts, flags.Default)
-	port := chooseRandomUnusedPort()
+	port := chooseUnusedPort(t)
 	_, err := p.ParseArgs([]string{"--admin-passwd=password", "--cache.type=none",
 		"--store.type=rpc", "--store.rpc.api=http://127.0.0.1",
 		"--port=" + strconv.Itoa(port), "--avatar.fs.path=/tmp",
@@ -326,8 +329,9 @@ func TestServerApp_WithRemote(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel() // this context is not the one createAppFromCmd registers for cleanup
 	go func() { _ = app.run(ctx) }()
-	waitForHTTPServerStart(port)
+	waitForHTTPServerStart(t, port)
 
 	// send ping
 	resp, err := http.Get(fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d/api/v1/ping", port))
@@ -516,34 +520,117 @@ func TestServerApp_InvalidCustomOAuthProviderName(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestServerApp_Shutdown(t *testing.T) {
+	port := chooseUnusedPort(t)
 	app, ctx, cancel := prepServerApp(t, func(o ServerCommand) ServerCommand {
-		o.Port = chooseRandomUnusedPort()
+		o.Port = port
 		return o
 	})
-	time.AfterFunc(100*time.Millisecond, func() {
-		cancel()
-	})
-	st := time.Now()
-	err := app.run(ctx)
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.True(t, time.Since(st).Seconds() < 1, "should take about 100msec")
+
+	// cancel once the server actually answers, so the test measures shutdown and not startup.
+	// the deferred cancel also covers a failed wait, keeping app.run from racing the next test
+	errCh := make(chan error, 1)
+	go func() { errCh <- app.run(ctx) }()
+	defer cancel()
+	waitForHTTPServerStart(t, port)
+	cancel()
+
+	select {
+	case err := <-errCh:
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+	case <-time.After(serverStopTimeout):
+		t.Fatal("server app did not stop after context cancel")
+	}
 	app.Wait()
 }
 
-func TestServerApp_MainSignal(t *testing.T) {
-	done := make(chan struct{})
-	go func() {
-		<-done
-		time.Sleep(250 * time.Millisecond)
-		err := syscall.Kill(syscall.Getpid(), syscall.SIGTERM)
+// TestServerApp_ClaimsUpd covers the hook the authenticator runs on every token mint, refresh
+// included: it stamps admin, blocked and email onto the claims and blocks impersonation of a
+// restricted name. Calling the updater directly keeps it independent of when a token expires.
+func TestServerApp_ClaimsUpd(t *testing.T) {
+	port := chooseUnusedPort(t)
+	app, ctx, cancel := prepServerApp(t, func(o ServerCommand) ServerCommand {
+		o.Port = port
+		return o
+	})
+
+	// the app owns stores and services that only run closes, so it goes through the usual
+	// lifecycle here rather than being built and abandoned
+	go func() { _ = app.run(ctx) }()
+	waitForHTTPServerStart(t, port)
+	defer app.Wait()
+	defer cancel()
+
+	upd := app.restSrv.Authenticator.TokenService().ClaimsUpd
+	require.NotNil(t, upd, "claims updater wired into the token service")
+
+	claimsFor := func(id, name string) token.Claims {
+		return token.Claims{
+			RegisteredClaims: jwt.RegisteredClaims{Audience: jwt.ClaimStrings{"remark"}},
+			User:             &token.User{ID: id, Name: name},
+		}
+	}
+
+	t.Run("plain user gets no attributes", func(t *testing.T) {
+		res := upd.Update(claimsFor("provider1_dev", "developer"))
+		assert.False(t, res.User.IsAdmin(), "not an admin")
+		assert.False(t, res.User.BoolAttr("blocked"), "not blocked")
+		assert.Empty(t, res.User.Email, "no email on file")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("admin from the admin store", func(t *testing.T) {
+		res := upd.Update(claimsFor("id1", "admin one"))
+		assert.True(t, res.User.IsAdmin(), "id1 is listed as admin")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("blocked user carries the blocked attribute", func(t *testing.T) {
+		require.NoError(t, app.restSrv.DataService.SetBlock("remark", "blocked_user", true, time.Hour))
+		res := upd.Update(claimsFor("blocked_user", "blocked"))
+		assert.True(t, res.User.BoolAttr("blocked"), "block is reflected on refresh")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("email is read from the store", func(t *testing.T) {
+		_, err := app.restSrv.DataService.SetUserEmail("remark", "with_email", "user@example.com")
 		require.NoError(t, err)
-	}()
+		res := upd.Update(claimsFor("with_email", "someone"))
+		assert.Equal(t, "user@example.com", res.User.Email)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("anonymous impersonating a restricted name is blocked", func(t *testing.T) {
+		res := upd.Update(claimsFor("anonymous_x", " UmpUtun "))
+		assert.True(t, res.User.BoolAttr("blocked"), "restricted name matched case and space insensitively")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("email user impersonating a restricted name is blocked", func(t *testing.T) {
+		res := upd.Update(claimsFor("email_x", "bobuk"))
+		assert.True(t, res.User.BoolAttr("blocked"))
+	})
+
+	t.Run("regular user may carry a restricted name", func(t *testing.T) {
+		res := upd.Update(claimsFor("provider1_someone", "umputun"))
+		assert.False(t, res.User.BoolAttr("blocked"), "only anonymous and email logins are checked")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("claims without a user pass through", func(t *testing.T) {
+		res := upd.Update(token.Claims{RegisteredClaims: jwt.RegisteredClaims{Audience: jwt.ClaimStrings{"remark"}}})
+		assert.Nil(t, res.User)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("claims without exactly one audience pass through", func(t *testing.T) {
+		c := claimsFor("id1", "admin one")
+		c.Audience = jwt.ClaimStrings{"remark", "second"}
+		res := upd.Update(c)
+		assert.False(t, res.User.IsAdmin(), "attributes need a single audience to resolve the site")
+	})
+}
+
+func TestServerApp_MainSignal(t *testing.T) {
+	sigErr := make(chan error, 1)
 
 	s := ServerCommand{}
 	s.SetCommon(CommonOpts{RemarkURL: "https://demo.remark42.com", SharedSecret: "123456"})
 
 	p := flags.NewParser(&s, flags.Default)
-	port := chooseRandomUnusedPort()
+	port := chooseUnusedPort(t)
 	args := []string{"test", "--store.bolt.path=/tmp/xyz", "--backup=/tmp", "--avatar.type=bolt",
 		"--avatar.bolt.file=/tmp/ava-test.db", "--port=" + strconv.Itoa(port), "--image.fs.path=/tmp"}
 	defer os.Remove("/tmp/xyz")
@@ -551,15 +638,26 @@ func TestServerApp_MainSignal(t *testing.T) {
 	defer os.Remove("/tmp/ava-test.db")
 	_, err := p.ParseArgs(args)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	st := time.Now()
-	close(done)
+	// the signal goes out only once the server answers: SIGTERM landing before the handler is
+	// installed kills the test process, so a wait that timed out reports instead of sending it
+	go func() {
+		started := waitForServerPort(port, serverStartTimeout)
+		// signal either way: Execute blocks until it gets one, so bailing out here would hang
+		// the test until the package timeout instead of failing with the reason
+		killErr := syscall.Kill(syscall.Getpid(), syscall.SIGTERM)
+		if !started {
+			killErr = fmt.Errorf("server on port %d didn't start", port)
+		}
+		sigErr <- killErr
+	}()
+
 	err = s.Execute(args)
 	assert.NoError(t, err, "execute should be without errors")
-	assert.True(t, time.Since(st).Seconds() < 5, "should take under five sec", time.Since(st).Seconds())
+	require.NoError(t, <-sigErr, "SIGTERM not delivered")
 }
 
 func TestServerApp_RunCanceledBeforeRESTStart(t *testing.T) {
-	port := chooseRandomUnusedPort()
+	port := chooseUnusedPort(t)
 	app, ctx, cancel := prepServerApp(t, func(o ServerCommand) ServerCommand {
 		o.Port = port
 		return o
@@ -569,17 +667,19 @@ func TestServerApp_RunCanceledBeforeRESTStart(t *testing.T) {
 	errCh := make(chan error, 1)
 	go func() { errCh <- app.run(ctx) }()
 
+	// the budget is generous on purpose: the assertion is that run exits rather than hangs, and
+	// store construction can take a while on a loaded runner
 	select {
 	case err := <-errCh:
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 		app.Wait()
-	case <-time.After(time.Second):
-		waitForHTTPServerStart(port)
+	case <-time.After(serverStartTimeout):
+		waitForHTTPServerStart(t, port)
 		app.restSrv.Shutdown()
 		select {
 		case <-errCh:
 			app.Wait()
-		case <-time.After(time.Second):
+		case <-time.After(serverStartTimeout):
 			t.Fatal("server app did not stop after forced REST shutdown")
 		}
 		t.Fatal("server app should exit when context is canceled before REST server starts")
@@ -747,24 +847,25 @@ func Test_ACMEEmail(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestServerAuthHooks(t *testing.T) {
-	port := chooseRandomUnusedPort()
+	port := chooseUnusedPort(t)
 	app, ctx, cancel := prepServerApp(t, func(o ServerCommand) ServerCommand {
 		o.Port = port
 		return o
 	})
 
 	go func() { _ = app.run(ctx) }()
-	waitForHTTPServerStart(port)
+	waitForHTTPServerStart(t, port)
 
-	// make a token for user dev
+	// make a token for user dev. nothing here checks expiry, so the lifetime only has to
+	// outlast the whole test
 	tkService := app.restSrv.Authenticator.TokenService()
-	tkService.TokenDuration = time.Second
+	tkService.TokenDuration = time.Hour
 
 	claims := token.Claims{
 		RegisteredClaims: jwt.RegisteredClaims{
 			Audience:  jwt.ClaimStrings{"remark"},
 			Issuer:    "remark",
-			ExpiresAt: jwt.NewNumericDate(time.Now().Add(time.Second)),
+			ExpiresAt: jwt.NewNumericDate(time.Now().Add(time.Hour)),
 			NotBefore: jwt.NewNumericDate(time.Now().Add(-1 * time.Minute)),
 		},
 		User: &token.User{
@@ -867,8 +968,7 @@ func TestServerAuthHooks(t *testing.T) {
 	body, err = io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.NoError(t, resp.Body.Close())
-	assert.True(t, resp.StatusCode == http.StatusForbidden || resp.StatusCode == http.StatusUnauthorized,
-		"blocked user can't post, \n"+tk+"\n"+string(body))
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusForbidden, resp.StatusCode, "blocked user can't post, \n"+tk+"\n"+string(body))
 
 	cancel()
 	app.Wait()
@@ -968,40 +1068,79 @@ func Test_getAllowedRedirectHosts(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func chooseRandomUnusedPort() (port int) {
-	for range 10 {
-		port = 40000 + int(rand.Int31n(10000))
-		if ln, err := net.Listen("tcp", fmt.Sprintf(":%d", port)); err == nil {
-			_ = ln.Close()
-			break
-		}
-	}
+// chooseUnusedPort asks the kernel for a free port from the ephemeral range, which makes a
+// collision between concurrently running package test binaries very unlikely
+func chooseUnusedPort(t *testing.T) int {
+	t.Helper()
+	ln, err := net.Listen("tcp", ":0")
+	require.NoError(t, err, "no free port available")
+	port := ln.Addr().(*net.TCPAddr).Port
+	require.NoError(t, ln.Close())
 	return port
 }
 
-func waitForHTTPServerStart(port int) {
-	// wait for up to 3 seconds for server to start before returning it
+// waitForHTTPServerStart blocks until the server on port answers, failing the test naming the
+// port if it never does
+func waitForHTTPServerStart(t *testing.T, port int) {
+	t.Helper()
 	client := http.Client{Timeout: time.Second}
 	defer client.CloseIdleConnections()
-	for range 300 {
-		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 10)
-		if resp, err := client.Get(fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d", port)); err == nil {
-			_ = resp.Body.Close()
-			return
+	require.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+		resp, err := client.Get(fmt.Sprintf("http://localhost:%d", port))
+		if err != nil {
+			return false
 		}
+		_ = resp.Body.Close()
+		return true
+	}, serverStartTimeout, serverStartPoll, "http server on port %d didn't start", port)
+}
+
+// waitForServerStart blocks until something accepts on every listed port, failing the test
+// naming the port that never came up
+func waitForServerStart(t *testing.T, ports ...int) {
+	t.Helper()
+	for _, port := range ports {
+		require.True(t, waitForServerPort(port, serverStartTimeout), "server on port %d didn't start", port)
 	}
 }
 
-func waitForHTTPSServerStart(port int) {
-	// wait for up to 3 seconds for HTTPS server to start
-	for range 300 {
-		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 10)
-		conn, _ := net.DialTimeout("tcp", fmt.Sprintf("localhost:%d", port), time.Millisecond*10)
-		if conn != nil {
-			_ = conn.Close()
-			break
+// getRetryThrottled issues a GET and retries while the auth routes answer 429, since the /auth/
+// group is limited to 2 req/s and this test logs in more often than that. a transport error is
+// retried a couple of times and then reported as itself, so a dead server is not read as throttling
+func getRetryThrottled(t *testing.T, client *http.Client, url string) *http.Response {
+	t.Helper()
+	const transportRetries = 2
+	errCount := 0
+	for deadline := time.Now().Add(serverStartTimeout); time.Now().Before(deadline); time.Sleep(authRetryPoll) {
+		r, err := client.Get(url)
+		if err != nil {
+			errCount++
+			require.LessOrEqual(t, errCount, transportRetries, "request to %s failed: %v", url, err)
+			continue
 		}
+		if r.StatusCode == http.StatusTooManyRequests {
+			_ = r.Body.Close()
+			continue
+		}
+		return r
 	}
+	t.Fatalf("request to %s kept being rate limited", url)
+	return nil
+}
+
+// waitForServerPort blocks until something accepts on port, reporting whether it came up.
+// unlike the require-based helpers it is safe to call off the test goroutine.
+func waitForServerPort(port int, timeout time.Duration) bool {
+	deadline := time.Now().Add(timeout)
+	for time.Now().Before(deadline) {
+		conn, err := net.DialTimeout("tcp", fmt.Sprintf("localhost:%d", port), probeDialTimeout)
+		if err == nil {
+			_ = conn.Close()
+			return true
+		}
+		time.Sleep(serverStartPoll)
+	}
+	return false
 }
 
 func prepServerApp(t *testing.T, fn func(o ServerCommand) ServerCommand) (*serverApp, context.Context, context.CancelFunc) {
@@ -1064,6 +1203,9 @@ func prepServerApp(t *testing.T, fn func(o ServerCommand) ServerCommand) (*serve
 
 func createAppFromCmd(t *testing.T, cmd ServerCommand) (*serverApp, context.Context, context.CancelFunc) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	// a require in a readiness wait exits the test goroutine, so without this an app started in
+	// a goroutine would never be stopped and goleak would report it instead of the failure
+	t.Cleanup(cancel)
 	app, err := cmd.newServerApp(ctx)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	return app, ctx, cancel
@@ -1073,8 +1215,14 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	// ignore is added only for GitHub Actions, can't reproduce locally
 	goleak.VerifyTestMain(
 		m,
+		// the shutdown goroutine in serverApp.run is not joined by Wait, and Rest.Shutdown gives
+		// httpServer.Shutdown a second, which can outlast goleak's retry budget on a loaded runner
 		goleak.IgnoreTopFunction("net/http.(*Server).Shutdown"),
 		// this will be fixed in https://github.com/hashicorp/golang-lru/issues/159
 		goleak.IgnoreTopFunction("github.com/hashicorp/golang-lru/v2/expirable.NewLRU[...].func1"),
+		// regexp2, pulled in by chroma for syntax highlighting, keeps one shared clock goroutine
+		// alive for up to a second after the last match with a timeout, sleeping in 100ms ticks.
+		// it ends on its own, but a binary that finishes inside that window is reported as leaking
+		goleak.IgnoreAnyFunction("github.com/dlclark/regexp2/v2.runClock"),
 	)
 }