diff --git a/hscontrol/auth_test.go b/hscontrol/auth_test.go
index 07032917..58dad28b 100644
--- a/hscontrol/auth_test.go
+++ b/hscontrol/auth_test.go
@@ -2507,7 +2507,7 @@ func TestAuthenticationFlows(t *testing.T) {
 			if req.Followup != "" {
 				var cancel context.CancelFunc
 
-				ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 100*time.Millisecond)
+				ctx, cancel = context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
 				defer cancel()
 			}
 
diff --git a/hscontrol/db/main_test.go b/hscontrol/db/main_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0a535fe4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hscontrol/db/main_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package db
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// TestMain ensures the working directory is set to the package source directory
+// so that relative testdata/ paths resolve correctly when the test binary is
+// executed from an arbitrary location (e.g., via "go tool stress").
+func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
+	_, filename, _, ok := runtime.Caller(0)
+	if !ok {
+		panic("could not determine test source directory")
+	}
+
+	err := os.Chdir(filepath.Dir(filename))
+	if err != nil {
+		panic("could not chdir to test source directory: " + err.Error())
+	}
+
+	os.Exit(m.Run())
+}
diff --git a/hscontrol/db/suite_test.go b/hscontrol/db/suite_test.go
index 080d080b..a0e0bc6b 100644
--- a/hscontrol/db/suite_test.go
+++ b/hscontrol/db/suite_test.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func newPostgresDBForTest(t *testing.T) *url.URL {
 
 	srv, err := postgrestest.Start(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
+		t.Skipf("start postgres: %s", err)
 	}
 
 	t.Cleanup(srv.Cleanup)
diff --git a/hscontrol/policy/v2/main_test.go b/hscontrol/policy/v2/main_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..00227588
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hscontrol/policy/v2/main_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package v2
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// TestMain ensures the working directory is set to the package source directory
+// so that relative testdata/ paths resolve correctly when the test binary is
+// executed from an arbitrary location (e.g., via "go tool stress").
+func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
+	_, filename, _, ok := runtime.Caller(0)
+	if !ok {
+		panic("could not determine test source directory")
+	}
+
+	err := os.Chdir(filepath.Dir(filename))
+	if err != nil {
+		panic("could not chdir to test source directory: " + err.Error())
+	}
+
+	os.Exit(m.Run())
+}
diff --git a/hscontrol/types/common.go b/hscontrol/types/common.go
index a78278a4..5992a3a1 100644
--- a/hscontrol/types/common.go
+++ b/hscontrol/types/common.go
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ type AuthRequest struct {
 
 func NewAuthRequest() AuthRequest {
 	return AuthRequest{
-		finished: make(chan AuthVerdict),
+		finished: make(chan AuthVerdict, 1),
 		closed:   &atomic.Bool{},
 	}
 }
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ func NewAuthRequest() AuthRequest {
 func NewRegisterAuthRequest(node Node) AuthRequest {
 	return AuthRequest{
 		node:     &node,
-		finished: make(chan AuthVerdict),
+		finished: make(chan AuthVerdict, 1),
 		closed:   &atomic.Bool{},
 	}
 }
diff --git a/hscontrol/types/main_test.go b/hscontrol/types/main_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6835b05b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hscontrol/types/main_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package types
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// TestMain ensures the working directory is set to the package source directory
+// so that relative testdata/ paths resolve correctly when the test binary is
+// executed from an arbitrary location (e.g., via "go tool stress").
+func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
+	_, filename, _, ok := runtime.Caller(0)
+	if !ok {
+		panic("could not determine test source directory")
+	}
+
+	err := os.Chdir(filepath.Dir(filename))
+	if err != nil {
+		panic("could not chdir to test source directory: " + err.Error())
+	}
+
+	os.Exit(m.Run())
+}