diff --git a/flow/client/client_test.go b/flow/client/client_test.go
index 300d19b05..98ce5aa91 100644
--- a/flow/client/client_test.go
+++ b/flow/client/client_test.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ type testServer struct {
 	addr        string
 	listener    *connTrackListener
 	closeStream chan struct{} // signal server to close the stream
+	handlerDone chan struct{} // signaled each time Events() exits
 }
 
 // connTrackListener wraps a net.Listener to track accepted connections
@@ -102,6 +103,7 @@ func newTestServer(t *testing.T) *testServer {
 		addr:        rawListener.Addr().String(),
 		listener:    listener,
 		closeStream: make(chan struct{}, 1),
+		handlerDone: make(chan struct{}, 10),
 	}
 
 	proto.RegisterFlowServiceServer(s.grpcSrv, s)
@@ -120,6 +122,13 @@ func newTestServer(t *testing.T) *testServer {
 }
 
 func (s *testServer) Events(stream proto.FlowService_EventsServer) error {
+	defer func() {
+		select {
+		case s.handlerDone <- struct{}{}:
+		default:
+		}
+	}()
+
 	err := stream.Send(&proto.FlowEventAck{IsInitiator: true})
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -475,6 +484,15 @@ func TestReceive_ProtocolErrorStreamReconnect(t *testing.T) {
 	// This produces the exact error the client sees in production:
 	//   "stream terminated by RST_STREAM with error code: PROTOCOL_ERROR"
 	server.listener.sendRSTStream(1)
+
+	// Wait for the old Events() handler to fully exit so it can no longer
+	// drain s.acks and drop our injected ack on a broken stream.
+	select {
+	case <-server.handlerDone:
+	case <-time.After(5 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("old Events() handler did not exit after RST_STREAM")
+	}
+
 	require.Eventually(t, func() bool {
 		return server.listener.connCount() > connsBefore
 	}, 5*time.Second, 50*time.Millisecond, "client did not open a new TCP connection after RST_STREAM")