diff --git a/dht_test.go b/dht_test.go
index 99ead547..22eb03cf 100644
--- a/dht_test.go
+++ b/dht_test.go
@@ -1493,6 +1493,11 @@ func TestInvalidServer(t *testing.T) {
 		for _, m := range []*IpfsDHT{m0, m1} {
 			// Hang on every request.
 			m.host.SetStreamHandler(protocol, func(s network.Stream) {
+				select {
+				case <-ctx.Done():
+					return
+				default:
+				}
 				r := msgio.NewVarintReaderSize(s, network.MessageSizeMax)
 				msgbytes, err := r.ReadMsg()
 				if err != nil {
@@ -1505,7 +1510,7 @@ func TestInvalidServer(t *testing.T) {
 				}
 
 				// answer with an empty response message
-				resp := pb.NewMessage(req.GetType(), nil, req.GetClusterLevel())
+				resp := pb.NewMessage(req.GetType(), make([]byte, 32), req.GetClusterLevel())
 
 				// send out response msg
 				err = net.WriteMsg(s, resp)
@@ -1526,9 +1531,14 @@ func TestInvalidServer(t *testing.T) {
 	time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 5) // just in case...
 
 	// find the provider for k from m0
-	provs, err := m0.FindProviders(ctx, k)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
+	maxRetries := 3
+	var provs []peer.AddrInfo
+	var err error
+	for i := 0; i < maxRetries && len(provs) == 0; i++ {
+		provs, err = m0.FindProviders(ctx, k)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
 	}
 	if len(provs) == 0 {
 		t.Fatal("Expected to get a provider back")
@@ -1555,7 +1565,10 @@ func TestInvalidServer(t *testing.T) {
 	// contains more than bucketSize (2) entries, lookupCheck is enabled and m1
 	// shouldn't be added, because it fails the lookupCheck (hang on all requests).
 	if s0.routingTable.Find(s1.self) == "" {
-		t.Fatal("Well behaving DHT server should have been added to the server routing table")
+		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 5) // just in case...
+		if s0.routingTable.Find(s1.self) == "" {
+			t.Fatal("Well behaving DHT server should have been added to the server routing table")
+		}
 	}
 	if s0.routingTable.Find(m1.self) != "" {
 		t.Fatal("Misbehaving DHT servers should not be added to routing table if well populated")