diff --git a/internal/integration/actions.go b/internal/integration/actions.go
index 3d674efb2..13e84e804 100644
--- a/internal/integration/actions.go
+++ b/internal/integration/actions.go
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ func Deploy(module string) Action {
 
 			Exec("ftl", args...)(t, ic)
 		},
-		Wait(module),
+		WaitWithTimeout(module, time.Minute*2),
 	)
 }
 
@@ -575,8 +575,17 @@ func DropDBAction(t testing.TB, dbName string) Action {
 
 func DropDB(t testing.TB, dbName string) {
 	Infof("Dropping database %s", dbName)
+
 	db, err := sql.Open("pgx", dsn.PostgresDSN("postgres"))
-	assert.NoError(t, err, "failed to open database connection")
+	if err != nil {
+		// We just assume there is no DB running
+		return
+	}
+	_, err = db.Exec("SELECT 1")
+	if err != nil {
+		// We just assume there is no DB running
+		return
+	}
 
 	terminateDanglingConnections(t, db, dbName)
 
diff --git a/internal/integration/harness.go b/internal/integration/harness.go
index d80fff23f..c123de52c 100644
--- a/internal/integration/harness.go
+++ b/internal/integration/harness.go
@@ -377,26 +377,16 @@ func run(t *testing.T, actionsOrOptions ...ActionOrOption) {
 			}
 			defer dumpKubePods(ctx, ic.kubeClient, ic.kubeNamespace)
 
-			if opts.startTimeline && !opts.kube {
-				ic.Timeline = rpc.Dial(timelinepbconnect.NewTimelineServiceClient, "http://localhost:8894", log.Debug)
-
-				Infof("Waiting for timeline to be ready")
-				ic.AssertWithRetry(t, func(t testing.TB, ic TestContext) {
-					_, err := ic.Timeline.Ping(ic, connect.NewRequest(&ftlv1.PingRequest{}))
-					assert.NoError(t, err)
-				})
-			}
-
 			if opts.startController || opts.kube {
 				ic.Controller = controller
 				ic.Schema = schema
 				ic.Console = console
 
 				Infof("Waiting for controller to be ready")
-				ic.AssertWithRetry(t, func(t testing.TB, ic TestContext) {
+				ic.AssertWithSpecificRetry(t, func(t testing.TB, ic TestContext) {
 					_, err := ic.Controller.Status(ic, connect.NewRequest(&ftlv1.StatusRequest{}))
 					assert.NoError(t, err)
-				})
+				}, time.Minute*2)
 			}
 
 			if opts.startProvisioner {
@@ -409,6 +399,16 @@ func run(t *testing.T, actionsOrOptions ...ActionOrOption) {
 				})
 			}
 
+			if opts.startTimeline && !opts.kube {
+				ic.Timeline = rpc.Dial(timelinepbconnect.NewTimelineServiceClient, "http://localhost:8894", log.Debug)
+
+				Infof("Waiting for timeline to be ready")
+				ic.AssertWithRetry(t, func(t testing.TB, ic TestContext) {
+					_, err := ic.Timeline.Ping(ic, connect.NewRequest(&ftlv1.PingRequest{}))
+					assert.NoError(t, err)
+				})
+			}
+
 			if opts.resetPubSub {
 				Infof("Resetting pubsub")
 				envars := []string{"COMPOSE_IGNORE_ORPHANS=True"}
@@ -543,7 +543,13 @@ func (i TestContext) WorkingDir() string { return i.workDir }
 // AssertWithRetry asserts that the given action passes within the timeout.
 func (i TestContext) AssertWithRetry(t testing.TB, assertion Action) {
 	t.Helper()
-	waitCtx, done := context.WithTimeout(i, i.integrationTestTimeout())
+	i.AssertWithSpecificRetry(t, assertion, i.integrationTestTimeout())
+}
+
+// AssertWithSpecificRetry asserts that the given action passes within the timeout.
+func (i TestContext) AssertWithSpecificRetry(t testing.TB, assertion Action, timeout time.Duration) {
+	t.Helper()
+	waitCtx, done := context.WithTimeout(i, timeout)
 	defer done()
 	for {
 		err := i.runAssertionOnce(t, assertion)