diff --git a/modules/pier/reaper_test.go b/modules/pier/reaper_test.go
index 597babcb..01e19897 100644
--- a/modules/pier/reaper_test.go
+++ b/modules/pier/reaper_test.go
@@ -124,16 +124,28 @@ func TestSessionReaper(t *testing.T) {
 		if n := b.pier().ReapNow(ctx); n != 0 {
 			t.Fatalf("B reaped a session A kept alive (%d closed)", n)
 		}
-		if n := b.pier().LocalSessions(); n != 1 {
-			t.Fatalf("B local sessions while the record lives = %d, want 1", n)
+		if na, nb := a.pier().LocalSessions(), b.pier().LocalSessions(); na != 1 || nb != 1 {
+			t.Fatalf("local sessions while the record lives: A %d, B %d, want 1 and 1", na, nb)
 		}
 		mr.FastForward(31 * time.Minute)
-		if n := b.pier().ReapNow(ctx); n != 1 {
-			t.Fatalf("B reaped %d sessions after the record expired, want 1", n)
-		}
-		if n := a.pier().ReapNow(ctx); n != 1 {
-			t.Fatalf("A reaped %d sessions after the record expired, want 1", n)
+		// A pass that cannot read the store keeps the copy (asserted below),
+		// so a loaded host may need a second pass; the copy is reaped once.
+		reapAll := func(name string, in *instance) {
+			t.Helper()
+			closed := 0
+			deadline := time.Now().Add(5 * time.Second)
+			for in.pier().LocalSessions() != 0 {
+				if time.Now().After(deadline) {
+					t.Fatalf("%s still holds %d copies after the record expired", name, in.pier().LocalSessions())
+				}
+				closed += in.pier().ReapNow(ctx)
+			}
+			if closed != 1 {
+				t.Fatalf("%s reaped %d sessions after the record expired, want 1", name, closed)
+			}
 		}
+		reapAll("B", b)
+		reapAll("A", a)
 		if a.pier().LocalSessions() != 0 || b.pier().LocalSessions() != 0 {
 			t.Fatalf("copies left: A %d, B %d", a.pier().LocalSessions(), b.pier().LocalSessions())
 		}