diff --git a/acme/acme_test.go b/acme/acme_test.go
index a748d88..3f6e274 100644
--- a/acme/acme_test.go
+++ b/acme/acme_test.go
@@ -354,11 +354,12 @@
 		})
 	}
 	t.Run("context cancel", func(t *testing.T) {
-		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 200*time.Millisecond)
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 		defer cancel()
 		_, err := runWaitAuthorization(ctx, t, func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			w.Header().Set("Retry-After", "60")
 			fmt.Fprintf(w, `{"status":"pending"}`)
+			time.AfterFunc(1*time.Millisecond, cancel)
 		})
 		if err == nil {
 			t.Error("err is nil")
@@ -373,28 +374,14 @@
 		h(w, r)
 	}))
 	defer ts.Close()
-	type res struct {
-		authz *Authorization
-		err   error
+
+	client := &Client{
+		Key:          testKey,
+		DirectoryURL: ts.URL,
+		dir:          &Directory{},
+		KID:          "some-key-id", // set to avoid lookup attempt
 	}
-	ch := make(chan res, 1)
-	go func() {
-		client := &Client{
-			Key:          testKey,
-			DirectoryURL: ts.URL,
-			dir:          &Directory{},
-			KID:          "some-key-id", // set to avoid lookup attempt
-		}
-		a, err := client.WaitAuthorization(ctx, ts.URL)
-		ch <- res{a, err}
-	}()
-	select {
-	case <-time.After(3 * time.Second):
-		t.Fatal("WaitAuthorization took too long to return")
-	case v := <-ch:
-		return v.authz, v.err
-	}
-	panic("runWaitAuthorization: out of select")
+	return client.WaitAuthorization(ctx, ts.URL)
 }
 
 func TestRevokeAuthorization(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/acme/autocert/autocert_test.go b/acme/autocert/autocert_test.go
index 789a441..7256775 100644
--- a/acme/autocert/autocert_test.go
+++ b/acme/autocert/autocert_test.go
@@ -427,18 +427,7 @@
 
 			man.Client = &acme.Client{DirectoryURL: s.URL()}
 
-			var tlscert *tls.Certificate
-			var err error
-			done := make(chan struct{})
-			go func() {
-				tlscert, err = man.GetCertificate(tt.hello)
-				close(done)
-			}()
-			select {
-			case <-time.After(time.Minute):
-				t.Fatal("man.GetCertificate took too long to return")
-			case <-done:
-			}
+			tlscert, err := man.GetCertificate(tt.hello)
 			if tt.expectError != "" {
 				if err == nil {
 					t.Fatal("expected error, got certificate")
@@ -515,15 +504,12 @@
 	if _, err := man.GetCertificate(hello); err == nil {
 		t.Error("GetCertificate: err is nil")
 	}
-	select {
-	case <-time.After(5 * time.Second):
-		t.Errorf("took too long to remove the %q state", exampleCertKey)
-	case <-done:
-		man.stateMu.Lock()
-		defer man.stateMu.Unlock()
-		if v, exist := man.state[exampleCertKey]; exist {
-			t.Errorf("state exists for %v: %+v", exampleCertKey, v)
-		}
+
+	<-done
+	man.stateMu.Lock()
+	defer man.stateMu.Unlock()
+	if v, exist := man.state[exampleCertKey]; exist {
+		t.Errorf("state exists for %v: %+v", exampleCertKey, v)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -542,8 +528,9 @@
 		t.Fatal("expected GetCertificate to fail")
 	}
 
-	start := time.Now()
-	for time.Since(start) < 3*time.Second {
+	logTicker := time.NewTicker(3 * time.Second)
+	defer logTicker.Stop()
+	for {
 		authz, err := m.Client.GetAuthorization(context.Background(), ca.URL()+"/authz/0")
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
@@ -551,10 +538,14 @@
 		if authz.Status == acme.StatusDeactivated {
 			return
 		}
+
+		select {
+		case <-logTicker.C:
+			t.Logf("still waiting on revocations")
+		default:
+		}
 		time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
 	}
-	t.Error("revocations took too long")
-
 }
 
 func TestHTTPHandlerDefaultFallback(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/acme/rfc8555_test.go b/acme/rfc8555_test.go
index e92f658..d65720a 100644
--- a/acme/rfc8555_test.go
+++ b/acme/rfc8555_test.go
@@ -177,8 +177,7 @@
 	}))
 	defer ts.Close()
 
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
-	defer cancel()
+	ctx := context.Background()
 	cl := &Client{
 		Key:          testKey,
 		DirectoryURL: ts.URL,
@@ -316,8 +315,7 @@
 	s.start()
 	defer s.close()
 
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
-	defer cancel()
+	ctx := context.Background()
 	cl := &Client{
 		Key:          testKeyEC,
 		DirectoryURL: s.url("/"),
@@ -454,8 +452,7 @@
 	s.start()
 	defer s.close()
 
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
-	defer cancel()
+	ctx := context.Background()
 	cl := &Client{
 		Key:          testKeyEC,
 		DirectoryURL: s.url("/"),
@@ -867,24 +864,13 @@
 	s.start()
 	defer s.close()
 
-	var order *Order
-	var err error
-	done := make(chan struct{})
-	go func() {
-		cl := &Client{Key: testKeyEC, DirectoryURL: s.url("/")}
-		order, err = cl.WaitOrder(context.Background(), s.url("/orders/1"))
-		close(done)
-	}()
-	select {
-	case <-time.After(3 * time.Second):
-		t.Fatal("WaitOrder took too long to return")
-	case <-done:
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("WaitOrder: %v", err)
-		}
-		if order.Status != okStatus {
-			t.Errorf("order.Status = %q; want %q", order.Status, okStatus)
-		}
+	cl := &Client{Key: testKeyEC, DirectoryURL: s.url("/")}
+	order, err := cl.WaitOrder(context.Background(), s.url("/orders/1"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("WaitOrder: %v", err)
+	}
+	if order.Status != okStatus {
+		t.Errorf("order.Status = %q; want %q", order.Status, okStatus)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -909,30 +895,20 @@
 	s.start()
 	defer s.close()
 
-	var err error
-	done := make(chan struct{})
-	go func() {
-		cl := &Client{Key: testKeyEC, DirectoryURL: s.url("/")}
-		_, err = cl.WaitOrder(context.Background(), s.url("/orders/1"))
-		close(done)
-	}()
-	select {
-	case <-time.After(3 * time.Second):
-		t.Fatal("WaitOrder took too long to return")
-	case <-done:
-		if err == nil {
-			t.Fatal("WaitOrder returned nil error")
-		}
-		e, ok := err.(*OrderError)
-		if !ok {
-			t.Fatalf("err = %v (%T); want OrderError", err, err)
-		}
-		if e.OrderURL != s.url("/orders/1") {
-			t.Errorf("e.OrderURL = %q; want %q", e.OrderURL, s.url("/orders/1"))
-		}
-		if e.Status != StatusInvalid {
-			t.Errorf("e.Status = %q; want %q", e.Status, StatusInvalid)
-		}
+	cl := &Client{Key: testKeyEC, DirectoryURL: s.url("/")}
+	_, err := cl.WaitOrder(context.Background(), s.url("/orders/1"))
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("WaitOrder returned nil error")
+	}
+	e, ok := err.(*OrderError)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("err = %v (%T); want OrderError", err, err)
+	}
+	if e.OrderURL != s.url("/orders/1") {
+		t.Errorf("e.OrderURL = %q; want %q", e.OrderURL, s.url("/orders/1"))
+	}
+	if e.Status != StatusInvalid {
+		t.Errorf("e.Status = %q; want %q", e.Status, StatusInvalid)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -972,8 +948,7 @@
 	})
 	s.start()
 	defer s.close()
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 3*time.Second)
-	defer cancel()
+	ctx := context.Background()
 
 	cl := &Client{Key: testKeyEC, DirectoryURL: s.url("/")}
 	cert, curl, err := cl.CreateOrderCert(ctx, s.url("/pleaseissue"), csr, true)