diff --git a/runtime/internal/rpc/test/client_test.go b/runtime/internal/rpc/test/client_test.go
index 0a82977..69d70e9 100644
--- a/runtime/internal/rpc/test/client_test.go
+++ b/runtime/internal/rpc/test/client_test.go
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@
 	name := args[0]
 	got := ""
 	if err := v23.GetClient(ctx).Call(ctx, name, "Ping", nil, []interface{}{&got}); err != nil {
-		fmt.Errorf("unexpected error: %s", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("unexpected error: %s", err)
 	}
 	fmt.Fprintf(env.Stdout, "RESULT=%s\n", got)
 	return nil
@@ -520,11 +520,12 @@
 	name, fn := initServer(t, ctx)
 	defer fn()
 
-	ctx, _ = context.WithTimeout(ctx, time.Millisecond)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, time.Millisecond)
 	err := v23.GetClient(ctx).Call(ctx, name, "Sleep", nil, nil)
 	if got, want := verror.ErrorID(err), verror.ErrTimeout.ID; got != want {
 		t.Fatalf("got %v, want %v", got, want)
 	}
+	cancel()
 }
 
 func TestArgsAndResponses(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/runtime/internal/rt/ipc_test.go b/runtime/internal/rt/ipc_test.go
index 5b3242b..29c8153 100644
--- a/runtime/internal/rt/ipc_test.go
+++ b/runtime/internal/rt/ipc_test.go
@@ -337,8 +337,10 @@
 	if err := pserver.BlessingStore().SetDefault(rootServerInvalidTPCaveat); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	if call, err := client.StartCall(clientCtx, serverName, "EchoBlessings", nil); verror.ErrorID(err) == verror.ErrNoAccess.ID {
+	call, err := client.StartCall(clientCtx, serverName, "EchoBlessings", nil)
+	if verror.ErrorID(err) == verror.ErrNoAccess.ID {
 		remoteBlessings, _ := call.RemoteBlessings()
 		t.Errorf("client.StartCall passed unexpectedly with remote end authenticated as: %v", remoteBlessings)
 	}
+	call.Finish() // make sure the rpc finishes before shutting down the test+runtime.
 }