diff --git a/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/failover/FailoverClusterTest.java b/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/failover/FailoverClusterTest.java
index d60cd20de89..3445a22d790 100644
--- a/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/failover/FailoverClusterTest.java
+++ b/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/failover/FailoverClusterTest.java
@@ -103,7 +103,9 @@ public void testClusterConnectedBeforeClients() throws Exception {
     protected void setUp() throws Exception {
         if (brokerA == null) {
             brokerA = createBrokerA(getBindAddress() + "?transport.closeAsync=false");
-            clientUrl = "failover://(" + brokerA.getTransportConnectors().get(0).getPublishableConnectString() + ")";
+            // randomize=false so clients honor the broker-provided round-robin order on
+            // rebalance, making the client spread across brokers deterministic
+            clientUrl = "failover://(" + brokerA.getTransportConnectors().get(0).getPublishableConnectString() + ")?randomize=false";
         }
     }
 
@@ -182,6 +184,6 @@ private static boolean waitForClientRebalance(final List<ActiveMQConnection> con
                 }
             }
             return set.size() >= minBrokerCount;
-        }, TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(15), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS.toMillis(500));
+        }, TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(15), 10l);
     }
 }
diff --git a/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/usecases/ActiveDurableSubscriptionBrowseExpireTest.java b/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/usecases/ActiveDurableSubscriptionBrowseExpireTest.java
index 53c1f0d8f36..1a1a598243f 100644
--- a/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/usecases/ActiveDurableSubscriptionBrowseExpireTest.java
+++ b/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/usecases/ActiveDurableSubscriptionBrowseExpireTest.java
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.Arrays;
@@ -36,12 +35,13 @@
 import org.apache.activemq.TestSupport.PersistenceAdapterChoice;
 import org.apache.activemq.broker.BrokerService;
 import org.apache.activemq.broker.jmx.DurableSubscriptionViewMBean;
+import org.apache.activemq.broker.region.policy.PolicyEntry;
+import org.apache.activemq.broker.region.policy.PolicyMap;
 import org.apache.activemq.store.MessageRecoveryListener;
 import org.apache.activemq.store.PersistenceAdapter;
 import org.apache.activemq.store.TopicMessageStore;
 import org.apache.activemq.broker.region.Destination;
 import org.apache.activemq.command.MessageId;
-import org.apache.activemq.util.Wait;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.junit.runners.Parameterized;
@@ -71,6 +71,17 @@ public PersistenceAdapter setDefaultPersistenceAdapter(BrokerService broker) thr
         return super.setPersistenceAdapter(broker, PersistenceAdapterChoice.MEM);
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public void configurePlugins(BrokerService broker) throws Exception {
+        // Disable the periodic expiry task so the JMX browse is the only expiry
+        // trigger and the expired count is deterministic
+        PolicyEntry policy = new PolicyEntry();
+        policy.setExpireMessagesPeriod(0);
+        PolicyMap policyMap = new PolicyMap();
+        policyMap.setDefaultEntry(policy);
+        broker.setDestinationPolicy(policyMap);
+    }
+
     @Override
     protected ActiveMQConnectionFactory createConnectionFactory() throws Exception {
         ActiveMQConnectionFactory connectionFactory = new ActiveMQConnectionFactory("vm://" + getName(true));
@@ -148,7 +159,7 @@ public boolean isDuplicate(MessageId id) {
         assertNotNull(data);
 
         if (enableExpiration) {
-            assertTrue(Wait.waitFor(() -> dest.getDestinationStatistics().getExpired().getCount() == messagesToExpire.size(), 5_000, 100));
+            assertEquals(messagesToExpire.size(), dest.getDestinationStatistics().getExpired().getCount());
         } else {
             assertEquals(0L, dest.getDestinationStatistics().getExpired().getCount());
         }
diff --git a/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/usecases/TwoBrokerVirtualTopicSelectorAwareForwardingTest.java b/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/usecases/TwoBrokerVirtualTopicSelectorAwareForwardingTest.java
index 7f31655f9cc..940ca92ddbc 100644
--- a/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/usecases/TwoBrokerVirtualTopicSelectorAwareForwardingTest.java
+++ b/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/usecases/TwoBrokerVirtualTopicSelectorAwareForwardingTest.java
@@ -478,14 +478,17 @@ public void testSelectorAwareForwarding() throws Exception {
         brokerA.waitUntilStopped();
         deleteSelectorCacheFile("BrokerA");
 
-        assertEquals(0, destination.getConsumers().size());
+        // consumer close is async - wait for the broker to remove the subscription
+        assertTrue("consumer should be removed from BrokerB",
+                Wait.waitFor(() -> destination.getConsumers().isEmpty(), 5000, 10));
 
         remoteConsumer = createConsumer("BrokerB",
                 createDestination("Consumer.B.VirtualTopic.tempTopic", false),
                 "ceposta = 'redhat'");
 
 
-        assertEquals(1, destination.getConsumers().size());
+        assertTrue("new consumer should be registered on BrokerB",
+                Wait.waitFor(() -> destination.getConsumers().size() == 1, 5000, 10));
 
 
         // now let's start broker A back up