diff --git a/packages/workbench/tests/evals-real.e2e.test.ts b/packages/workbench/tests/evals-real.e2e.test.ts
index 1061b461c..2634082c0 100644
--- a/packages/workbench/tests/evals-real.e2e.test.ts
+++ b/packages/workbench/tests/evals-real.e2e.test.ts
@@ -462,7 +462,6 @@ e2e('fails closed while replacing an active Eval client and ignores every late c
     }).__evalClientScopeFixture.stats().eventsB)).toEqual(['run-b']);
     expect(pageErrors).toEqual([]);
   } finally {
-    await page.goto('about:blank');
     await fixture.close();
   }
 });
diff --git a/packages/workbench/tests/support/http.ts b/packages/workbench/tests/support/http.ts
index 448beb898..1f3c70071 100644
--- a/packages/workbench/tests/support/http.ts
+++ b/packages/workbench/tests/support/http.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
 import type { Server } from 'node:http';
 
+/**
+ * Teardown must not wait for the browser to release its connections: Node's
+ * `server.close()` blocks while any connection still has a request in flight,
+ * which hangs test teardown on two-core CI runners where the page can hold a
+ * request open at close time. Destroying connections first keeps `close()`
+ * deterministic regardless of browser state.
+ */
 export const closeServer = async (server: Server): Promise<void> => {
+  server.closeAllConnections();
   await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
     server.close((error) => error === undefined ? resolve() : reject(error));
   });