diff --git a/clients/drcachesim/common/options.cpp b/clients/drcachesim/common/options.cpp
index 7922eb3bd51..4ce17d5a8f3 100644
--- a/clients/drcachesim/common/options.cpp
+++ b/clients/drcachesim/common/options.cpp
@@ -938,7 +938,7 @@ droption_t<double> op_sched_block_scale(
 // long idle times with local analyzers; it may need to be increased with more
 // heavyweight analyzers/simulators.
 droption_t<uint64_t> op_sched_block_max_us(DROPTION_SCOPE_ALL, "sched_block_max_us",
-                                           2500000,
+                                           250000,
                                            "Maximum blocked input time, in microseconds",
                                            "The maximum blocked time, after scaling with "
                                            "-sched_block_scale.");
diff --git a/clients/drcachesim/scheduler/scheduler.cpp b/clients/drcachesim/scheduler/scheduler.cpp
index f5107f2e2f9..f51c7d832ac 100644
--- a/clients/drcachesim/scheduler/scheduler.cpp
+++ b/clients/drcachesim/scheduler/scheduler.cpp
@@ -3168,6 +3168,7 @@ scheduler_tmpl_t<RecordType, ReaderType>::process_marker(input_info_t &input,
         input.unscheduled = true;
         if (input.syscall_timeout_arg > 0) {
             input.blocked_time = scale_blocked_time(input.syscall_timeout_arg);
+            input.blocked_start_time = get_output_time(output);
             VPRINT(this, 3, "input %d unscheduled for %" PRIu64 " @%" PRIu64 "\n",
                    input.index, input.blocked_time, input.reader->get_last_timestamp());
         } else {
@@ -3195,6 +3196,7 @@ scheduler_tmpl_t<RecordType, ReaderType>::process_marker(input_info_t &input,
         input.unscheduled = true;
         if (input.syscall_timeout_arg > 0) {
             input.blocked_time = scale_blocked_time(input.syscall_timeout_arg);
+            input.blocked_start_time = get_output_time(output);
             VPRINT(this, 3, "input %d unscheduled for %" PRIu64 " @%" PRIu64 "\n",
                    input.index, input.blocked_time, input.reader->get_last_timestamp());
         } else {
diff --git a/clients/drcachesim/scheduler/scheduler.h b/clients/drcachesim/scheduler/scheduler.h
index d1f46012d28..4184ffa1a86 100644
--- a/clients/drcachesim/scheduler/scheduler.h
+++ b/clients/drcachesim/scheduler/scheduler.h
@@ -673,7 +673,7 @@ template <typename RecordType, typename ReaderType> class scheduler_tmpl_t {
          * #TRACE_MARKER_TYPE_SYSCALL_UNSCHEDULE), after this amount of time those
          * inputs are all re-scheduled.
          */
-        uint64_t block_time_max = 2500000;
+        uint64_t block_time_max = 250000;
         // XXX: Should we share the file-to-reader code currently in the scheduler
         // with the analyzer and only then need reader interfaces and not pass paths
         // to the scheduler?
diff --git a/clients/drcachesim/tests/scheduler_unit_tests.cpp b/clients/drcachesim/tests/scheduler_unit_tests.cpp
index b7f6c9b67c5..d4e2d56b1f0 100644
--- a/clients/drcachesim/tests/scheduler_unit_tests.cpp
+++ b/clients/drcachesim/tests/scheduler_unit_tests.cpp
@@ -4238,7 +4238,7 @@ test_direct_switch()
         // has significant blocked time left.  But then after B is scheduled and finishes,
         // we still have to wait for C's block time so we see idle underscores:
         static const char *const CORE0_SCHED_STRING =
-            "...AA..........CC.......A....BBBB.__________C....";
+            "...AA..........CC.......A....BBBB._______________C....";
         std::vector<scheduler_t::input_workload_t> sched_inputs;
         sched_inputs.emplace_back(std::move(readers));
         scheduler_t::scheduler_options_t sched_ops(scheduler_t::MAP_TO_ANY_OUTPUT,
@@ -4317,7 +4317,7 @@ test_unscheduled()
     static constexpr int QUANTUM_DURATION = 100; // Never reached.
     static constexpr int BLOCK_LATENCY = 100;
     static constexpr double BLOCK_SCALE = 1. / (BLOCK_LATENCY);
-    static constexpr int SWITCH_TIMEOUT = 2000;
+    static constexpr int SWITCH_TIMEOUT = 1000;
     static constexpr memref_tid_t TID_BASE = 100;
     static constexpr memref_tid_t TID_A = TID_BASE + 0;
     static constexpr memref_tid_t TID_B = TID_BASE + 1;
@@ -4443,7 +4443,7 @@ test_unscheduled()
         // has lapsed so it runs; finally we wait idle for C's long block to finish,
         // after which C runs and *does not unschedule* b/c of B's prior request.
         static const char *const CORE0_SCHED_STRING =
-            "...AA.........B........CC.....______________B......B......B....A......BBBB."
+            "...AA.........B........CC.....________B......B......B....A......BBBB.______"
             "A._________________C......C.";
 
         std::vector<scheduler_t::input_workload_t> sched_inputs;
@@ -4618,16 +4618,17 @@ test_unscheduled_fallback()
         readers.emplace_back(std::unique_ptr<mock_reader_t>(new mock_reader_t(refs_C)),
                              std::unique_ptr<mock_reader_t>(new mock_reader_t()), TID_C);
         // This looks like the schedule in test_unscheduled() up until "..A.." when
-        // we have a BLOCK_TIME_MAX-long idle period:
+        // we have an idle period equal to the rebalance_period from the start
+        // (so BLOCK_TIME_MAX minus what was run).
         static const char *const CORE0_SCHED_STRING =
-            "...AA.........B........CC.....______________B......B....A.....______________"
+            "...AA.........B........CC.....__________________B......B....A.....__________"
             "_________C._________________________________________________________________"
             "____________________________________________________________________________"
             "____________________________________________________________________________"
             "____________________________________________________________________________"
             "____________________________________________________________________________"
             "____________________________________________________________________________"
-            "_________________________________________________________BBBB.A.";
+            "___________BBBB.A.";
 
         std::vector<scheduler_t::input_workload_t> sched_inputs;
         sched_inputs.emplace_back(std::move(readers));