diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/onlineddl/vrepl_stress/onlineddl_vrepl_mini_stress_test.go b/go/test/endtoend/onlineddl/vrepl_stress/onlineddl_vrepl_mini_stress_test.go
index 107050c2708..983739a976d 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/onlineddl/vrepl_stress/onlineddl_vrepl_mini_stress_test.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/onlineddl/vrepl_stress/onlineddl_vrepl_mini_stress_test.go
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ import (
 	"path"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
-	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -138,6 +137,7 @@ var (
 
 const (
 	maxTableRows                  = 4096
+	workloadDuration              = 5 * time.Second
 	maxConcurrency                = 20
 	singleConnectionSleepInterval = 2 * time.Millisecond
 	countIterations               = 5
@@ -227,6 +227,8 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 func TestSchemaChange(t *testing.T) {
 	defer cluster.PanicHandler(t)
 
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
 	shards = clusterInstance.Keyspaces[0].Shards
 	require.Equal(t, 1, len(shards))
 
@@ -251,16 +253,17 @@ func TestSchemaChange(t *testing.T) {
 		// that our testing/metrics logic is sound in the first place.
 		testName := fmt.Sprintf("workload without ALTER TABLE %d/%d", (i + 1), countIterations)
 		t.Run(testName, func(t *testing.T) {
-			ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 			initTable(t)
+
+			ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, workloadDuration)
+			defer cancel()
+
 			var wg sync.WaitGroup
 			wg.Add(1)
 			go func() {
 				defer wg.Done()
 				runMultipleConnections(ctx, t)
 			}()
-			time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
-			cancel() // will cause runMultipleConnections() to terminate
 			wg.Wait()
 			testSelectTableMetrics(t)
 		})
@@ -285,7 +288,7 @@ func TestSchemaChange(t *testing.T) {
 		// the vreplication/ALTER TABLE did not corrupt our data and we are happy.
 		testName := fmt.Sprintf("ALTER TABLE with workload %d/%d", (i + 1), countIterations)
 		t.Run(testName, func(t *testing.T) {
-			ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+			ctx := context.Background()
 			t.Run("create schema", func(t *testing.T) {
 				testWithInitialSchema(t)
 			})
@@ -293,6 +296,9 @@ func TestSchemaChange(t *testing.T) {
 				initTable(t)
 			})
 			t.Run("migrate", func(t *testing.T) {
+				ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+				defer cancel()
+
 				var wg sync.WaitGroup
 				wg.Add(1)
 				go func() {
@@ -302,7 +308,7 @@ func TestSchemaChange(t *testing.T) {
 				hint := fmt.Sprintf("hint-alter-with-workload-%d", i)
 				uuid := testOnlineDDLStatement(t, fmt.Sprintf(alterHintStatement, hint), onlineDDLStrategy, "vtgate", hint)
 				onlineddl.CheckMigrationStatus(t, &vtParams, shards, uuid, schema.OnlineDDLStatusComplete)
-				cancel() // will cause runMultipleConnections() to terminate
+				cancel() // Now that the migration is complete, we can stop the workload.
 				wg.Wait()
 			})
 			t.Run("validate metrics", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -485,7 +491,7 @@ func generateDelete(t *testing.T, conn *mysql.Conn) error {
 	return err
 }
 
-func runSingleConnection(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, done *int64) {
+func runSingleConnection(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T) {
 	log.Infof("Running single connection")
 	conn, err := mysql.Connect(ctx, &vtParams)
 	require.Nil(t, err)
@@ -497,10 +503,6 @@ func runSingleConnection(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, done *int64) {
 	require.Nil(t, err)
 
 	for {
-		if atomic.LoadInt64(done) == 1 {
-			log.Infof("Terminating single connection")
-			return
-		}
 		switch rand.Int31n(3) {
 		case 0:
 			err = generateInsert(t, conn)
@@ -509,27 +511,28 @@ func runSingleConnection(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, done *int64) {
 		case 2:
 			err = generateDelete(t, conn)
 		}
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			log.Infof("Terminating single connection")
+			return
+		case <-time.After(singleConnectionSleepInterval):
+		}
 		assert.Nil(t, err)
-		time.Sleep(singleConnectionSleepInterval)
 	}
 }
 
 func runMultipleConnections(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T) {
 	log.Infof("Running multiple connections")
-	var done int64
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup
 	for i := 0; i < maxConcurrency; i++ {
 		wg.Add(1)
 		go func() {
 			defer wg.Done()
-			runSingleConnection(ctx, t, &done)
+			runSingleConnection(ctx, t)
 		}()
 	}
-	<-ctx.Done()
-	atomic.StoreInt64(&done, 1)
-	log.Infof("Running multiple connections: done")
 	wg.Wait()
-	log.Infof("All connections cancelled")
+	log.Infof("Running multiple connections: done")
 }
 
 func initTable(t *testing.T) {