diff --git a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/anr/test.ts b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/anr/test.ts
index b1aabd2eb001..04907dd8b925 100644
--- a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/anr/test.ts
+++ b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/anr/test.ts
@@ -2,17 +2,6 @@ import type { Event } from '@sentry/core';
 import { afterAll, describe, expect, test } from 'vitest';
 import { cleanupChildProcesses, createRunner } from '../../utils/runner';
 
-/** Avoid flakes on slow CI: fixed sleeps can fire before the child process has finished exiting. */
-async function waitForChildExit(childHasExited: () => boolean, timeoutMs = 30_000): Promise<void> {
-  const start = Date.now();
-  while (!childHasExited()) {
-    if (Date.now() - start > timeoutMs) {
-      throw new Error('Timed out waiting for child process to exit');
-    }
-    await new Promise<void>(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 100));
-  }
-}
-
 const ANR_EVENT = {
   // Ensure we have context
   contexts: {
@@ -187,19 +176,11 @@ describe('should report ANR when event loop blocked', { timeout: 90_000 }, () =>
   });
 
   test('should exit', async () => {
-    const runner = createRunner(__dirname, 'should-exit.js').start();
-
-    await waitForChildExit(() => runner.childHasExited());
-
-    expect(runner.childHasExited()).toBe(true);
+    await createRunner(__dirname, 'should-exit.js').start().exited();
   });
 
   test('should exit forced', async () => {
-    const runner = createRunner(__dirname, 'should-exit-forced.js').start();
-
-    await waitForChildExit(() => runner.childHasExited());
-
-    expect(runner.childHasExited()).toBe(true);
+    await createRunner(__dirname, 'should-exit-forced.js').start().exited();
   });
 
   test('With session', async () => {
diff --git a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/thread-blocked-native/test.ts b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/thread-blocked-native/test.ts
index bf39f9d7c1ad..54cfe8b356a0 100644
--- a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/thread-blocked-native/test.ts
+++ b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/suites/thread-blocked-native/test.ts
@@ -162,19 +162,11 @@ describe('Thread Blocked Native', { timeout: 30_000 }, () => {
   });
 
   test('should exit', async () => {
-    const runner = createRunner(__dirname, 'should-exit.js').start();
-
-    await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 5_000));
-
-    expect(runner.childHasExited()).toBe(true);
+    await createRunner(__dirname, 'should-exit.js').start().exited();
   });
 
   test('should exit forced', async () => {
-    const runner = createRunner(__dirname, 'should-exit-forced.js').start();
-
-    await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 5_000));
-
-    expect(runner.childHasExited()).toBe(true);
+    await createRunner(__dirname, 'should-exit-forced.js').start().exited();
   });
 
   test('can be disabled with disableBlockDetectionForCallback', async () => {
diff --git a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/utils/runner/createRunner.ts b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/utils/runner/createRunner.ts
index 9a1dcf8ba4a0..d9fd1d5f149b 100644
--- a/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/utils/runner/createRunner.ts
+++ b/dev-packages/node-integration-tests/utils/runner/createRunner.ts
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ type ExpectedEnvelopeHeader =
 
 type StartResult = {
   completed(): Promise<void>;
-  childHasExited(): boolean;
+  exited(): Promise<void>;
   getLogs(): string[];
   getPort(): number | undefined;
   sendSignal(signal: NodeJS.Signals): void;
@@ -380,6 +380,8 @@ export function createRunner(...paths: string[]) {
       const completedDeferred = createDeferred();
       // Resolved once the scenario reports its server port, so `makeRequest` can await it directly.
       const portReady = createDeferred();
+      // Resolved when the scenario process closes, so exit tests can await it instead of polling.
+      const exitedDeferred = createDeferred();
 
       // Vitest stops a test at its own timeout before `completed()` gives up, so print the child
       // output then too. `completed()` prints it for the failures it reports itself.
@@ -666,6 +668,7 @@ export function createRunner(...paths: string[]) {
           child.on('close', (code, signal) => {
             hasExited = true;
             exitStatus = signal ? `signal ${signal}` : `code ${code ?? 'unknown'}`;
+            exitedDeferred.resolve();
 
             if (ensureNoErrorOutput) {
               complete();
@@ -759,8 +762,8 @@ export function createRunner(...paths: string[]) {
             throw completeError;
           }
         },
-        childHasExited: function (): boolean {
-          return hasExited;
+        exited: function (): Promise<void> {
+          return exitedDeferred.promise;
         },
         getLogs(): string[] {
           return logs;