diff --git a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/vstreamer/vstreamer_test.go b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/vstreamer/vstreamer_test.go
index fa11342189..1d5d382c66 100644
--- a/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/vstreamer/vstreamer_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vttablet/tabletserver/vstreamer/vstreamer_test.go
@@ -1083,11 +1083,17 @@ func TestHeartbeat(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, binlogdatapb.VEventType_HEARTBEAT, evs[0].Type)
 }
 
-func runCases(t *testing.T, filter *binlogdatapb.Filter, testcases []testcase, postion string) {
+func runCases(t *testing.T, filter *binlogdatapb.Filter, testcases []testcase, position string) {
 	t.Helper()
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	defer cancel()
-	ch := startStream(ctx, t, filter, postion)
+	ch := startStream(ctx, t, filter, position)
+
+	// If position is 'current', we wait for a heartbeat to be
+	// sure the vstreamer has started.
+	if position == "current" {
+		<-ch
+	}
 
 	for _, tcase := range testcases {
 		switch input := tcase.input.(type) {
@@ -1108,6 +1114,8 @@ func runCases(t *testing.T, filter *binlogdatapb.Filter, testcases []testcase, p
 
 func expectLog(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, input interface{}, ch <-chan []*binlogdatapb.VEvent, output [][]string) {
 	t.Helper()
+	timer := time.NewTimer(1 * time.Minute)
+	defer timer.Stop()
 	for _, wantset := range output {
 		var evs []*binlogdatapb.VEvent
 		for {
@@ -1125,6 +1133,8 @@ func expectLog(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, input interface{}, ch <-chan [
 				}
 			case <-ctx.Done():
 				t.Fatal("stream ended early")
+			case <-timer.C:
+				t.Fatalf("timed out waiting for events: %v", wantset)
 			}
 			if len(evs) != 0 {
 				break