diff --git a/scaletest/createworkspaces/run_test.go b/scaletest/createworkspaces/run_test.go
index aa4b5ffb41802..5d27cc3fb0dc6 100644
--- a/scaletest/createworkspaces/run_test.go
+++ b/scaletest/createworkspaces/run_test.go
@@ -107,8 +107,7 @@ func Test_Runner(t *testing.T) {
 		version = coderdtest.AwaitTemplateVersionJobCompleted(t, client, version.ID)
 		template := coderdtest.CreateTemplate(t, client, user.OrganizationID, version.ID)
 
-		closer := goEventuallyStartFakeAgent(ctx, t, client, authToken)
-		t.Cleanup(closer)
+		closerCh := goEventuallyStartFakeAgent(ctx, t, client, authToken)
 
 		const (
 			username = "scaletest-user"
@@ -147,6 +146,10 @@ func Test_Runner(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Log("Runner logs:\n\n" + logsStr)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
+		// Wait for the workspace agent to start.
+		closer := <-closerCh
+		t.Cleanup(func() { _ = closer.Close() })
+
 		// Ensure a user and workspace were created.
 		users, err := client.Users(ctx, codersdk.UsersRequest{})
 		require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -373,8 +376,7 @@ func Test_Runner(t *testing.T) {
 		version = coderdtest.AwaitTemplateVersionJobCompleted(t, client, version.ID)
 		template := coderdtest.CreateTemplate(t, client, user.OrganizationID, version.ID)
 
-		closer := goEventuallyStartFakeAgent(ctx, t, client, authToken)
-		t.Cleanup(closer)
+		closeCh := goEventuallyStartFakeAgent(ctx, t, client, authToken)
 
 		const (
 			username = "scaletest-user"
@@ -414,6 +416,10 @@ func Test_Runner(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Log("Runner logs:\n\n" + logsStr)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
+		// Wait for the agent to start.
+		closer := <-closeCh
+		t.Cleanup(func() { _ = closer.Close() })
+
 		// Ensure a user and workspace were created.
 		users, err := client.Users(ctx, codersdk.UsersRequest{})
 		require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -519,7 +525,7 @@ func Test_Runner(t *testing.T) {
 // listing workspaces until we find it, then wait for the build to
 // finish, then start the agents. It is the caller's responsibility to
 // call the returned function to stop the agents.
-func goEventuallyStartFakeAgent(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, client *codersdk.Client, agentToken string) func() {
+func goEventuallyStartFakeAgent(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, client *codersdk.Client, agentToken string) chan io.Closer {
 	t.Helper()
 	ch := make(chan io.Closer, 1) // Don't block.
 	go func() {
@@ -537,7 +543,7 @@ func goEventuallyStartFakeAgent(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, client *coder
 				break
 			}
 
-			time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+			time.Sleep(testutil.IntervalMedium)
 		}
 
 		coderdtest.AwaitWorkspaceBuildJobCompleted(t, client, workspace.LatestBuild.ID)
@@ -549,13 +555,12 @@ func goEventuallyStartFakeAgent(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, client *coder
 			Logger: slogtest.Make(t, &slogtest.Options{IgnoreErrors: true}).
 				Named("agent").Leveled(slog.LevelWarn),
 		})
-		coderdtest.AwaitWorkspaceAgents(t, client, workspace.ID)
+		resources := coderdtest.AwaitWorkspaceAgents(t, client, workspace.ID)
+		assert.GreaterOrEqual(t, len(resources), 1, "workspace %s has no resources", workspace.ID.String())
+		assert.NotEmpty(t, resources[0].Agents, "workspace %s has no agents", workspace.ID.String())
+		agentID := resources[0].Agents[0].ID
+		t.Logf("agent %s is running for workspace %s", agentID.String(), workspace.ID.String())
 		ch <- agentCloser
 	}()
-	closeFunc := func() {
-		if closer, ok := <-ch; ok {
-			_ = closer.Close()
-		}
-	}
-	return closeFunc
+	return ch
 }