diff --git a/samples/install-without-bom/pom.xml b/samples/install-without-bom/pom.xml
index cc7900ed24..d9636b0d90 100644
--- a/samples/install-without-bom/pom.xml
+++ b/samples/install-without-bom/pom.xml
@@ -147,6 +147,8 @@
         <artifactId>maven-failsafe-plugin</artifactId>
         <version>3.5.2</version>
         <configuration>
+          <forkCount>10</forkCount>
+          <reuseForks>false</reuseForks>
           <systemPropertyVariables>
             <spanner.test.instance>java-sample-integration-tests</spanner.test.instance>
             <spanner.test.instance.mr>java-client-mr-integration-tests</spanner.test.instance.mr>
@@ -157,6 +159,7 @@
             <spanner.sample.database>mysample</spanner.sample.database>
             <spanner.quickstart.database>quick-db</spanner.quickstart.database>
           </systemPropertyVariables>
+          <excludedGroups>com.example.spanner.helper.SlowTest</excludedGroups>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
     </plugins>
diff --git a/samples/snapshot/pom.xml b/samples/snapshot/pom.xml
index 3bf1c4779c..77369675cc 100644
--- a/samples/snapshot/pom.xml
+++ b/samples/snapshot/pom.xml
@@ -146,6 +146,8 @@
         <artifactId>maven-failsafe-plugin</artifactId>
         <version>3.5.2</version>
         <configuration>
+          <forkCount>10</forkCount>
+          <reuseForks>false</reuseForks>
           <systemPropertyVariables>
             <spanner.test.instance>java-sample-integration-tests</spanner.test.instance>
             <spanner.test.instance.mr>java-client-mr-integration-tests</spanner.test.instance.mr>
@@ -157,6 +159,7 @@
             <spanner.sample.instance>mysample-instance</spanner.sample.instance>
             <spanner.quickstart.database>quick-db</spanner.quickstart.database>
           </systemPropertyVariables>
+          <excludedGroups>com.example.spanner.helper.SlowTest</excludedGroups>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
     </plugins>
diff --git a/samples/snippets/pom.xml b/samples/snippets/pom.xml
index df0488ac11..39336271ab 100644
--- a/samples/snippets/pom.xml
+++ b/samples/snippets/pom.xml
@@ -177,6 +177,8 @@
         <artifactId>maven-failsafe-plugin</artifactId>
         <version>3.5.2</version>
         <configuration>
+          <forkCount>10</forkCount>
+          <reuseForks>false</reuseForks>
           <systemPropertyVariables>
             <spanner.test.instance>java-sample-integration-tests</spanner.test.instance>
             <spanner.test.instance.mr>java-client-mr-integration-tests</spanner.test.instance.mr>
@@ -187,6 +189,7 @@
             <spanner.sample.database>mysample</spanner.sample.database>
             <spanner.quickstart.database>quick-db</spanner.quickstart.database>
           </systemPropertyVariables>
+          <excludedGroups>com.example.spanner.helper.SlowTest</excludedGroups>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
       <plugin>
diff --git a/samples/snippets/src/main/java/com/example/spanner/helper/SlowTest.java b/samples/snippets/src/main/java/com/example/spanner/helper/SlowTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8a6e8fe6d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/samples/snippets/src/main/java/com/example/spanner/helper/SlowTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2024 Google LLC
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package com.example.spanner.helper;
+
+/* Interface for slow tests */
+public interface SlowTest { }
diff --git a/samples/snippets/src/test/java/com/example/spanner/SpannerSampleIT.java b/samples/snippets/src/test/java/com/example/spanner/SpannerSampleIT.java
index d59152b407..cb04f9b68f 100644
--- a/samples/snippets/src/test/java/com/example/spanner/SpannerSampleIT.java
+++ b/samples/snippets/src/test/java/com/example/spanner/SpannerSampleIT.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 
+import com.example.spanner.helper.SlowTest;
 import com.google.cloud.Timestamp;
 import com.google.cloud.spanner.DatabaseId;
 import com.google.cloud.spanner.ErrorCode;
@@ -51,12 +52,14 @@
 import org.junit.Assert;
 import org.junit.BeforeClass;
 import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.experimental.categories.Category;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.junit.runners.JUnit4;
 
 /** Unit tests for {@code SpannerSample} */
 @RunWith(JUnit4.class)
 @SuppressWarnings("checkstyle:abbreviationaswordinname")
+@Category(SlowTest.class)
 public class SpannerSampleIT extends SampleTestBaseV2 {
 
   private static final int DBID_LENGTH = 20;
diff --git a/samples/snippets/src/test/java/com/example/spanner/admin/archived/SpannerSampleIT.java b/samples/snippets/src/test/java/com/example/spanner/admin/archived/SpannerSampleIT.java
index 66410cce4d..d79ee06911 100644
--- a/samples/snippets/src/test/java/com/example/spanner/admin/archived/SpannerSampleIT.java
+++ b/samples/snippets/src/test/java/com/example/spanner/admin/archived/SpannerSampleIT.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 
 import com.example.spanner.SampleRunner;
+import com.example.spanner.helper.SlowTest;
 import com.google.cloud.Timestamp;
 import com.google.cloud.spanner.Backup;
 import com.google.cloud.spanner.BackupId;
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@
 import org.junit.AfterClass;
 import org.junit.BeforeClass;
 import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.experimental.categories.Category;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.junit.runners.JUnit4;
 import org.threeten.bp.LocalDate;
@@ -56,6 +58,7 @@
 /** Unit tests for {@code SpannerSample} */
 @RunWith(JUnit4.class)
 @SuppressWarnings("checkstyle:abbreviationaswordinname")
+@Category(SlowTest.class)
 public class SpannerSampleIT {
   private static final int DBID_LENGTH = 20;
   // The instance needs to exist for tests to pass.