diff --git a/lib/events/filesessions/fileasync_chaos_test.go b/lib/events/filesessions/fileasync_chaos_test.go
index 73c32f846dd6e..1d114752a47e6 100644
--- a/lib/events/filesessions/fileasync_chaos_test.go
+++ b/lib/events/filesessions/fileasync_chaos_test.go
@@ -51,10 +51,9 @@ func TestChaosUpload(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Skip("Skipping chaos test in short mode.")
 	}
 
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 20*time.Second)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	defer cancel()
 
-	clock := clockwork.NewFakeClock()
 	eventsC := make(chan events.UploadEvent, 100)
 	memUploader := eventstest.NewMemoryUploader(eventsC)
 	streamer, err := events.NewProtoStreamer(events.ProtoStreamerConfig{
@@ -111,19 +110,17 @@ func TestChaosUpload(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	scanPeriod := 10 * time.Second
+	scanPeriod := 3 * time.Second
 	uploader, err := NewUploader(UploaderConfig{
 		ScanDir:      scanDir,
 		CorruptedDir: corruptedDir,
 		ScanPeriod:   scanPeriod,
 		Streamer:     faultyStreamer,
-		Clock:        clock,
+		Clock:        clockwork.NewRealClock(),
 	})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	go uploader.Serve(ctx)
-	// wait until uploader blocks on the clock
-	clock.BlockUntil(1)
 
+	go uploader.Serve(ctx)
 	defer uploader.Close()
 
 	fileStreamer, err := NewStreamer(scanDir)
@@ -164,15 +161,6 @@ func TestChaosUpload(t *testing.T) {
 		}()
 	}
 
-	// initiate concurrent scans
-	scansCh := make(chan error, parallelStreams)
-	for i := 0; i < parallelStreams; i++ {
-		go func() {
-			_, err := uploader.Scan(ctx)
-			scansCh <- trace.Wrap(err)
-		}()
-	}
-
 	// wait for all streams to be completed
 	streams := make(map[string]streamState)
 	for i := 0; i < parallelStreams; i++ {
@@ -185,32 +173,19 @@ func TestChaosUpload(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// wait for all scans to be completed
-	for i := 0; i < parallelStreams; i++ {
-		select {
-		case err := <-scansCh:
-			require.NoError(t, err, trace.DebugReport(err))
-		case <-ctx.Done():
-			t.Fatalf("Timeout waiting for parallel scan complete, try `go test -v` to get more logs for details")
-		}
-	}
+	require.Len(t, streams, parallelStreams)
 
 	for i := 0; i < parallelStreams; i++ {
-		// do scans to catch remaining uploads
-		_, err = uploader.Scan(ctx)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		// wait for the upload events
-		var event events.UploadEvent
 		select {
-		case event = <-eventsC:
+		case event := <-eventsC:
 			require.NoError(t, event.Error)
-			state, ok := streams[event.SessionID]
-			require.True(t, ok)
+			require.Contains(t, streams, event.SessionID, "missing stream for session")
+
+			state := streams[event.SessionID]
 			outEvents := readStream(ctx, t, event.UploadID, memUploader)
 			require.Equal(t, len(state.events), len(outEvents), fmt.Sprintf("event: %v", event))
 		case <-ctx.Done():
-			t.Fatalf("Timeout waiting for async upload, try `go test -v` to get more logs for details")
+			t.Fatal("Timeout waiting for async upload, try `go test -v` to get more logs for details")
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/lib/events/filesessions/fileasync_test.go b/lib/events/filesessions/fileasync_test.go
index 5ff38cbc2b988..2f452808710e7 100644
--- a/lib/events/filesessions/fileasync_test.go
+++ b/lib/events/filesessions/fileasync_test.go
@@ -644,8 +644,10 @@ func emitStream(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, streamer events.Streamer, inE
 
 // readStream reads and decodes the audit stream from uploadID
 func readStream(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, uploadID string, uploader *eventstest.MemoryUploader) []apievents.AuditEvent {
+	t.Helper()
+
 	parts, err := uploader.GetParts(uploadID)
-	require.Nil(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	var outEvents []apievents.AuditEvent
 	var reader *events.ProtoReader
@@ -654,10 +656,11 @@ func readStream(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, uploadID string, uploader *ev
 			reader = events.NewProtoReader(bytes.NewReader(part))
 		} else {
 			err := reader.Reset(bytes.NewReader(part))
-			require.Nil(t, err)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
 		}
 		out, err := reader.ReadAll(ctx)
-		require.Nil(t, err, "part crash %#v", part)
+		require.NoError(t, err, "part crash %#v", part)
+
 		outEvents = append(outEvents, out...)
 	}
 	return outEvents