diff --git a/internal/connmgr/connmanager_test.go b/internal/connmgr/connmanager_test.go
index 8a499d340..2153fff81 100644
--- a/internal/connmgr/connmanager_test.go
+++ b/internal/connmgr/connmanager_test.go
@@ -199,8 +199,10 @@ func TestConnectMode(t *testing.T) {
 // configuration option by waiting until all connections are established and
 // ensuring they are the only connections made.
 func TestTargetOutbound(t *testing.T) {
-	targetOutbound := uint32(10)
-	connected := make(chan *ConnReq)
+	const targetOutbound = 10
+	var numConnections atomic.Uint32
+	hitTargetConns := make(chan struct{})
+	extraConns := make(chan *ConnReq)
 	cmgr, err := New(&Config{
 		TargetOutbound: targetOutbound,
 		Dial:           mockDialer,
@@ -211,7 +213,14 @@ func TestTargetOutbound(t *testing.T) {
 			}, nil
 		},
 		OnConnection: func(c *ConnReq, conn net.Conn) {
-			connected <- c
+			totalConnections := numConnections.Add(1)
+			if totalConnections == targetOutbound {
+				close(hitTargetConns)
+				return
+			}
+			if totalConnections > targetOutbound {
+				extraConns <- c
+			}
 		},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
@@ -220,13 +229,15 @@ func TestTargetOutbound(t *testing.T) {
 	_, shutdown, wg := runConnMgrAsync(context.Background(), cmgr)
 
 	// Wait for the expected number of target outbound conns to be established.
-	for i := uint32(0); i < targetOutbound; i++ {
-		<-connected
+	select {
+	case <-hitTargetConns:
+	case <-time.After(20 * time.Millisecond):
+		t.Fatal("did not reach target number of conns before timeout")
 	}
 
 	// Ensure no additional connections are made.
 	select {
-	case c := <-connected:
+	case c := <-extraConns:
 		t.Fatalf("target outbound: got unexpected connection - %v", c.Addr)
 	case <-time.After(time.Millisecond * 5):
 		break
@@ -241,7 +252,11 @@ func TestTargetOutbound(t *testing.T) {
 // any address object returned by GetNewAddress will be correctly passed along
 // to DialAddr to be used for connecting to a host.
 func TestPassAddrAlongDialAddr(t *testing.T) {
-	connected := make(chan *ConnReq)
+	dailedAddr := make(chan net.Addr)
+	detectDialer := func(ctx context.Context, addr net.Addr) (net.Conn, error) {
+		dailedAddr <- addr
+		return nil, errors.New("error")
+	}
 
 	// targetAddr will be the specific address we'll use to connect. It _could_
 	// be carrying more info than a standard (tcp/udp) network address, so it
@@ -253,13 +268,10 @@ func TestPassAddrAlongDialAddr(t *testing.T) {
 
 	cmgr, err := New(&Config{
 		TargetOutbound: 1,
-		DialAddr:       mockDialerAddr,
+		DialAddr:       detectDialer,
 		GetNewAddress: func() (net.Addr, error) {
 			return targetAddr, nil
 		},
-		OnConnection: func(c *ConnReq, conn net.Conn) {
-			connected <- c
-		},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("New error: %v", err)
@@ -267,8 +279,8 @@ func TestPassAddrAlongDialAddr(t *testing.T) {
 	_, shutdown, wg := runConnMgrAsync(context.Background(), cmgr)
 
 	select {
-	case c := <-connected:
-		receivedMock, isMockAddr := c.Addr.(mockAddr)
+	case addr := <-dailedAddr:
+		receivedMock, isMockAddr := addr.(mockAddr)
 		if !isMockAddr {
 			t.Fatal("connected to an address that was not a mockAddr")
 		}