diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 321455a..591ac45 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -51,9 +51,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   while (1) {
     looper_process_commands(client);
     {
-      struct timespec ts = {.tv_sec = 0, .tv_nsec = 50000000};
+      struct timespec ts = {.tv_sec = 0, .tv_nsec = 1000000};
       nanosleep(&ts, NULL);
-    } /* check commands every 50 ms */
+    } /* check commands every 1 ms */
   }
 
   jack_client_close(client);
diff --git a/tests/integration.c b/tests/integration.c
index c7a2e1f..def7767 100644
--- a/tests/integration.c
+++ b/tests/integration.c
@@ -396,21 +396,24 @@ static int test_multiple_channels(void) {
         fprintf(stderr, "  FAIL: send note 60 failed\n");
         return 1;
     }
-    /* wait long enough for the looper's main loop to process the add command
-       (it sleeps for 1 second between checks, so 1.5 s is safe) */
-    safe_usleep(1500000);
-
+    /* Poll until the port appears (up to 3 seconds) */
     int found = 0;
-    const char **ports = jack_get_ports(client, NULL, JACK_DEFAULT_AUDIO_TYPE, 0);
-    if (ports) {
-        for (int i = 0; ports[i]; i++) {
-            if (strstr(ports[i], "looper:channel1_input")) {
-                found = 1;
-                break;
+    for (int retries = 0; retries < 30; retries++) {
+        safe_usleep(100000);
+        const char **ports = jack_get_ports(client, NULL, JACK_DEFAULT_AUDIO_TYPE, 0);
+        if (ports) {
+            for (int i = 0; ports[i]; i++) {
+                if (strstr(ports[i], "looper:channel1_input")) {
+                    found = 1;
+                    jack_free(ports);
+                    goto port_found;
+                }
             }
+            jack_free(ports);
         }
-        jack_free(ports);
     }
+port_found:
+    ;
     jack_client_close(client);
     kill(pid, SIGTERM);
     waitpid(pid, NULL, 0);
@@ -811,18 +814,22 @@ static int test_remove_channel(void) {
         fprintf(stderr, "  FAIL: send note 61 failed\n");
         return 1;
     }
-    safe_usleep(1500000);
-    /* verify channel1_input has disappeared */
-    ports = jack_get_ports(client, NULL, JACK_DEFAULT_AUDIO_TYPE, 0);
-    int still_found = 0;
-    if (ports) {
-        for (int i = 0; ports[i]; i++) {
-            if (strstr(ports[i], "looper:channel1_input")) {
-                still_found = 1;
-                break;
+    /* Poll until the port disappears (up to 3 seconds) */
+    int still_found = 1;
+    for (int retries = 0; retries < 30; retries++) {
+        safe_usleep(100000);
+        ports = jack_get_ports(client, NULL, JACK_DEFAULT_AUDIO_TYPE, 0);
+        still_found = 0;
+        if (ports) {
+            for (int i = 0; ports[i]; i++) {
+                if (strstr(ports[i], "looper:channel1_input")) {
+                    still_found = 1;
+                    break;
+                }
             }
+            jack_free(ports);
         }
-        jack_free(ports);
+        if (!still_found) break;
     }
     jack_client_close(client);
     kill(pid, SIGTERM);