diff --git a/lib/testing/test_runner.sh b/lib/testing/test_runner.sh
index 90c7cda7..49b9c2e1 100755
--- a/lib/testing/test_runner.sh
+++ b/lib/testing/test_runner.sh
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ ALL_TESTS=""
 VERBOSE_TESTS=${V:-0}
 NUM_NS=2
 
-NEEDED_TOOLS="capinfos ethtool ip ping sed tc tcpdump timeout nc tshark nft socat"
+NEEDED_TOOLS="capinfos ethtool ip ping sed tc tcpdump timeout tshark nft socat"
 
 if [ -f "$TEST_CONFIG" ]; then
     source "$TEST_CONFIG"
diff --git a/xdp-filter/tests/test-xdp-filter.sh b/xdp-filter/tests/test-xdp-filter.sh
index 1d24c312..3da9ccd8 100644
--- a/xdp-filter/tests/test-xdp-filter.sh
+++ b/xdp-filter/tests/test-xdp-filter.sh
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@ check_port()
     local port=$2
     local expect=$3
     echo "$type port $port $expect"
-    [[ "$type" == "tcp" ]] && command="nc -w 1 -z $OUTSIDE_IP6 $port"
-    [[ "$type" == "udp" ]] && command="echo test | nc -w 1 -u $OUTSIDE_IP6 $port"
+    [[ "$type" == "tcp" ]] && command="echo test | socat - TCP6:[$OUTSIDE_IP6]:$port,connect-timeout=1"
+    [[ "$type" == "udp" ]] && command="echo test | socat - UDP6:[$OUTSIDE_IP6]:$port"
 
     check_packet "$type dst port $port" "$command" $expect
 }
diff --git a/xdp-forward/tests/test-xdp-forward.sh b/xdp-forward/tests/test-xdp-forward.sh
index 68fe0a0a..f86f68c2 100644
--- a/xdp-forward/tests/test-xdp-forward.sh
+++ b/xdp-forward/tests/test-xdp-forward.sh
@@ -115,11 +115,11 @@ EOF
     check_run $XDP_FORWARD load -f flowtable ${NS_NAMES[@]}
 
     PID=$(start_background_ns_devnull "socat -4 TCP-LISTEN:10000,reuseaddr,fork -")
-    check_run ip netns exec ${NS_NAMES[0]} socat ${INPUT_FILE} TCP4:${OUTSIDE_IP4}:12345
+    check_run ip netns exec ${NS_NAMES[0]} socat ${INPUT_FILE} TCP4:${OUTSIDE_IP4}:12345,connect-timeout=1
     stop_background $PID
 
     PID=$(start_background_ns_devnull "socat -6 TCP-LISTEN:10000,reuseaddr,fork -")
-    check_run ip netns exec ${NS_NAMES[0]} socat ${INPUT_FILE} TCP6:[${OUTSIDE_IP6}]:12345
+    check_run ip netns exec ${NS_NAMES[0]} socat ${INPUT_FILE} TCP6:[${OUTSIDE_IP6}]:12345,connect-timeout=1
     stop_background $PID
 }
 
diff --git a/xdp-trafficgen/tests/test-xdp-trafficgen.sh b/xdp-trafficgen/tests/test-xdp-trafficgen.sh
index a42032d0..118af388 100644
--- a/xdp-trafficgen/tests/test-xdp-trafficgen.sh
+++ b/xdp-trafficgen/tests/test-xdp-trafficgen.sh
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ test_tcp()
     skip_if_missing_kernel_support
     export XDP_SAMPLE_IMMEDIATE_EXIT=1
 
-    PID=$(start_background_ns_devnull "nc -6 -l 10000")
+    PID=$(start_background_ns_devnull "socat -6 TCP-LISTEN:10000,reuseaddr,fork -")
     $XDP_TRAFFICGEN tcp -i $NS $INSIDE_IP6 -n 1
     res=$?
     stop_background $PID