diff --git a/lib/common/mqtt.spec.ts b/lib/common/mqtt.spec.ts
index 3a002cda..4c84a467 100644
--- a/lib/common/mqtt.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/common/mqtt.spec.ts
@@ -129,13 +129,26 @@ test_env.conditional_test(test_env.AWS_IOT_ENV.mqtt311_is_valid_iot_cred())('MQT
     const onMessage = once(connectionWaitingForWill, 'message');
     await connectionWaitingForWill.subscribe(willTopic, QoS.AtLeastOnce);
 
+    // pause for a couple of seconds to try and minimize chance for a service-side race
+    await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 2000));
+
     // The third connection that will cause the first one to be disconnected because it has the same client ID.
     const connectionDuplicate = await makeConnection(undefined, client_id);
-    const onConnectDuplicate = once(connectionDuplicate, 'connect');
+
     const onDisconnectDuplicate = once(connectionDuplicate, 'disconnect');
-    await connectionDuplicate.connect()
-    const connectDuplicateResult = (await onConnectDuplicate)[0];
-    expect(connectDuplicateResult).toBeFalsy(); /* session present */
+
+    // Rarely, IoT Core disconnects the new connection and not the existing one, so retry in that case
+    let continueConnecting = true;
+    while (continueConnecting) {
+        try {
+            const onConnectDuplicate = once(connectionDuplicate, 'connect');
+            await connectionDuplicate.connect();
+            await onConnectDuplicate;
+            continueConnecting = false;
+        } catch (err) {
+            await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000));
+        }
+    }
 
     // The second connection should receive Will message after the first connection was kicked out.
     const messageReceivedArgs = (await onMessage);
diff --git a/lib/native/mqtt5.spec.ts b/lib/native/mqtt5.spec.ts
index 3bce7153..f4692a76 100644
--- a/lib/native/mqtt5.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/native/mqtt5.spec.ts
@@ -635,7 +635,7 @@ test_utils.conditional_test(test_utils.ClientEnvironmentalConfig.hasIotCoreEnvir
         payload: testPayload
     });
 
-    await setTimeout(()=>{}, 2000);
+    await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 2000));
 
     statistics = client.getOperationalStatistics();
     expect(statistics.incompleteOperationCount).toBeLessThanOrEqual(0);
diff --git a/test/mqtt5.ts b/test/mqtt5.ts
index 9bf65cda..85b766f8 100644
--- a/test/mqtt5.ts
+++ b/test/mqtt5.ts
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ export async function subPubUnsubTest(client: mqtt5.Mqtt5Client, qos: mqtt5.QoS,
         payload: testPayload
     });
 
-    await setTimeout(()=>{}, 2000);
+    await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 2000));
 
     client.stop();
     await stopped;
@@ -434,6 +434,9 @@ export async function willTest(publisher: mqtt5.Mqtt5Client, subscriber: mqtt5.M
         throw new CrtError("doh");
     }
 
+    // pause to minimize eventual consistency race condition possibility
+    await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000));
+
     publisher.stop({
         reasonCode: mqtt5.DisconnectReasonCode.DisconnectWithWillMessage
     });