diff --git a/eth/downloader/downloader_test.go b/eth/downloader/downloader_test.go
index 5a1b6b94c6..0fc46e1310 100644
--- a/eth/downloader/downloader_test.go
+++ b/eth/downloader/downloader_test.go
@@ -456,8 +456,8 @@ func testCanonSync(t *testing.T, protocol uint, mode SyncMode, snapV2 bool) {
 	select {
 	case <-success:
 		assertOwnChain(t, tester, len(chain.blocks))
-	case <-time.NewTimer(time.Second * 3).C:
-		t.Fatalf("Failed to sync chain in three seconds")
+	case <-time.NewTimer(time.Second * 30).C:
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to sync chain in time")
 	}
 }
 
@@ -605,8 +605,8 @@ func testEmptyShortCircuit(t *testing.T, protocol uint, mode SyncMode) {
 			HighestBlock: uint64(len(chain.blocks) - 1),
 			CurrentBlock: uint64(len(chain.blocks) - 1),
 		})
-	case <-time.NewTimer(time.Second * 3).C:
-		t.Fatalf("Failed to sync chain in three seconds")
+	case <-time.NewTimer(time.Second * 30).C:
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to sync chain in time")
 	}
 	assertOwnChain(t, tester, len(chain.blocks))
 
@@ -679,8 +679,8 @@ func testBeaconSync(t *testing.T, protocol uint, mode SyncMode) {
 				if bs := int(tester.chain.CurrentBlock().Number.Uint64()) + 1; bs != len(chain.blocks) {
 					t.Fatalf("synchronised blocks mismatch: have %v, want %v", bs, len(chain.blocks))
 				}
-			case <-time.NewTimer(time.Second * 3).C:
-				t.Fatalf("Failed to sync chain in three seconds")
+			case <-time.NewTimer(time.Second * 30).C:
+				t.Fatalf("Failed to sync chain in time")
 			}
 		})
 	}
@@ -790,8 +790,8 @@ func testSyncProgress(t *testing.T, protocol uint, mode SyncMode) {
 			CurrentBlock: uint64(len(chain.blocks)/2 - 1),
 			HighestBlock: uint64(len(chain.blocks)/2 - 1),
 		})
-	case <-time.NewTimer(time.Second * 3).C:
-		t.Fatalf("Failed to sync chain in three seconds")
+	case <-time.NewTimer(time.Second * 30).C:
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to sync chain in time")
 	}
 
 	// Synchronise all the blocks and check continuation progress
@@ -809,8 +809,8 @@ func testSyncProgress(t *testing.T, protocol uint, mode SyncMode) {
 			CurrentBlock:  uint64(len(chain.blocks) - 1),
 			HighestBlock:  uint64(len(chain.blocks) - 1),
 		})
-	case <-time.NewTimer(time.Second * 3).C:
-		t.Fatalf("Failed to sync chain in three seconds")
+	case <-time.NewTimer(time.Second * 30).C:
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to sync chain in time")
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/eth/downloader/skeleton_test.go b/eth/downloader/skeleton_test.go
index 9962d4f1a3..7b66a415a9 100644
--- a/eth/downloader/skeleton_test.go
+++ b/eth/downloader/skeleton_test.go
@@ -922,7 +922,14 @@ func TestSkeletonSyncRetrievals(t *testing.T) {
 			endpeers = append(tt.peers, tt.newPeer)
 		}
 		if tt.newHead != nil {
-			skeleton.Sync(tt.newHead, nil, true)
+			// The head announcement is rejected if it arrives while the previous
+			// sync cycle is still tearing down (head events are dropped on the
+			// floor during teardown, see #27397). Retry until the syncer accepts
+			// the new head, otherwise the update is lost and the end state below
+			// is never reached.
+			for skeleton.Sync(tt.newHead, nil, true) != nil {
+				time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
+			}
 		}
 
 		// Wait a bit (bleah) for the second sync loop to go to idle. This might