diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/headless.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/headless.rs
index a6b8fc432..4b599d022 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/headless.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/headless.rs
@@ -204,6 +204,20 @@ impl Headless {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Run frames until `done` holds or `timeout` passes (a render that finishes on a busy machine
+    /// after a quiet spell, where [`Self::settle`] alone would stop too early). Returns `done`.
+    pub fn step_until(&mut self, timeout: Duration, done: impl Fn(&Self) -> bool) -> bool {
+        let t0 = Instant::now();
+        while !done(self) {
+            if t0.elapsed() > timeout {
+                return false;
+            }
+            self.step();
+            std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(1));
+        }
+        true
+    }
+
     /// Rasterize the last frame (with the photo textures).
     pub fn paint(&self) -> ColorImage {
         self.view.paint(&HashMap::new())
@@ -373,7 +387,8 @@ mod tests {
         let r = h.request("ui.hoverWidget", json!({"id": "profileCell:lc.vivid"}), t);
         assert_eq!(r["ok"], true, "{r}");
         h.settle(SETTLE);
-        h.step();
+        // the hover render can land after a quiet spell on a loaded machine (FreeBSD CI): wait for it
+        h.step_until(SETTLE, |h| h.app.loupe_shown.map(|l| l.1) == Some("hover"));
         assert_eq!(h.app.hover_preview.as_ref().map(|p| p.label.as_str()), Some("Profile: Vivid"));
         assert_eq!(h.app.loupe_shown.map(|l| l.1), Some("hover"));
         let hover = h.app.renderer.textures.get(&crate::render::Slot::Hover).expect("hover render");
@@ -409,7 +424,7 @@ mod tests {
         let before = photo(&h);
         h.request("ui.hoverWidget", json!({"id": "preset:lc.bw-high-contrast"}), t);
         h.settle(SETTLE);
-        h.step();
+        h.step_until(SETTLE, |h| h.app.loupe_shown.map(|l| l.1) == Some("hover"));
         assert_eq!(h.app.hover_preview.as_ref().map(|p| p.label.as_str()), Some("Preset: High Contrast B&W"));
         assert_eq!(h.app.loupe_shown.map(|l| l.1), Some("hover"));
         let after = photo(&h);
@@ -520,12 +535,16 @@ mod tests {
         ex(&mut h, "photo.setMeta", json!({"ids": [vis[0], vis[1]], "addKeywords": ["travel|italy"]}));
         ex(&mut h, "photo.setMeta", json!({"ids": [vis[2]], "addKeywords": ["travel|france"]}));
         h.request("ui.set", json!({"leftPanel": true}), t);
+        // clicks land on last frame's layout: let the keyword list settle first (on a loaded machine a
+        // row could still move, and the click then hit its neighbour, e.g. "sunrise")
+        h.settle(SETTLE);
         let r = h.request("ui.clickWidget", json!({"id": "source:keyword:travel"}), t);
         assert_eq!(r["ok"], true, "{r}");
         assert_eq!(h.app.session.filter.keyword.as_deref(), Some("travel"));
         assert_eq!(h.app.session.visible_cloned().len(), 3);
         // open the level, filter by the child
         h.request("ui.clickWidget", json!({"id": "keywordToggle:travel"}), t);
+        h.settle(SETTLE);
         let r = h.request("ui.clickWidget", json!({"id": "source:keyword:travel|italy"}), t);
         assert_eq!(r["ok"], true, "{r}");
         assert_eq!(h.app.session.visible_cloned().len(), 2);
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/tests_masking.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/tests_masking.rs
index 2abc141f3..9c8ea349e 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/tests_masking.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/tests_masking.rs
@@ -371,10 +371,10 @@ fn local_folder_tree_expands_and_browses() {
     let base_s = base.to_string_lossy().to_string();
     let r = h.request("ui.clickWidget", json!({"id": format!("folderToggle:{base_s}")}), T);
     assert_eq!(r["ok"], true, "{r}");
-    for _ in 0..3 {
-        h.step();
-    }
     let trip = base.join("Trip").to_string_lossy().to_string();
+    // the folder listing can land a few frames later on a loaded machine (FreeBSD CI): wait for the row
+    let row = format!("source:local:{trip}");
+    h.step_until(SETTLE, |h| h.app.widgets.iter().any(|(w, _)| *w == row));
     let r = h.request("ui.clickWidget", json!({"id": format!("source:local:{trip}")}), T);
     assert_eq!(r["ok"], true, "the subfolder is listed: {r}");
     assert_eq!(h.app.session.browse.as_ref().map(|b| b.path.clone()), Some(trip.clone()), "clicking it browses it");