diff --git a/tests/pass_through_tests/ruby_passthrough_tests/spec/openai_assistants_passthrough_spec.rb b/tests/pass_through_tests/ruby_passthrough_tests/spec/openai_assistants_passthrough_spec.rb
index 1cfaeb5e209..5a4dc0395f8 100644
--- a/tests/pass_through_tests/ruby_passthrough_tests/spec/openai_assistants_passthrough_spec.rb
+++ b/tests/pass_through_tests/ruby_passthrough_tests/spec/openai_assistants_passthrough_spec.rb
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
   let(:client) do
     OpenAI::Client.new(
       access_token: "sk-1234",
-      uri_base: "http://0.0.0.0:4000/openai"
+      uri_base: "http://0.0.0.0:4000/openai",
+      request_timeout: 600
     )
   end
 
diff --git a/tests/test_keys.py b/tests/test_keys.py
index 89977d43676..003e2711055 100644
--- a/tests/test_keys.py
+++ b/tests/test_keys.py
@@ -621,17 +621,23 @@ async def retry_request(func, *args, _max_attempts=5, **kwargs):
         assert spend > 0
 
         # The record/replay proxy serves this identical second call from its
-        # cassette (free), but the proxy must still bill it. If the proxy's own
-        # response cache were on, the repeat would be a $0 cache hit and spend
-        # would not move, silently zeroing recorded-call spend; assert it grows.
+        # cassette (free), but the proxy must still bill it. Spend logging is
+        # async/batched, so poll for the increase rather than reading once after a
+        # fixed sleep; a spend that never grows means the repeat was not billed
+        # (e.g. the proxy response cache is on), which this still catches.
         await image_generation(session=session, key=key)
-        await asyncio.sleep(5)
-        key_info = await retry_request(
-            get_key_info, session=session, get_key=key, call_key=key
-        )
-        assert key_info["info"]["spend"] > spend, (
-            "spend did not increase on an identical repeat image call; the proxy "
-            "response cache appears to be ON, which would zero recorded-call spend"
+        spend_after = spend
+        for _ in range(12):
+            await asyncio.sleep(5)
+            key_info = await retry_request(
+                get_key_info, session=session, get_key=key, call_key=key
+            )
+            spend_after = key_info["info"]["spend"]
+            if spend_after > spend:
+                break
+        assert spend_after > spend, (
+            "spend did not increase on an identical repeat image call; the repeat "
+            "was not billed (the proxy response cache may be on)"
         )