diff --git a/enterprise/tailnet/pgcoord_test.go b/enterprise/tailnet/pgcoord_test.go
index 84604b0a9e..25d80ca854 100644
--- a/enterprise/tailnet/pgcoord_test.go
+++ b/enterprise/tailnet/pgcoord_test.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"go.uber.org/goleak"
+	"golang.org/x/exp/slices"
 	"golang.org/x/xerrors"
 
 	"cdr.dev/slog"
@@ -203,11 +204,9 @@ func TestPGCoordinatorSingle_MissedHeartbeats(t *testing.T) {
 	client := newTestClient(t, coordinator, agent.id)
 	defer client.close()
 
-	nodes := client.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 10)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, client, 10)
 	client.sendNode(&agpl.Node{PreferredDERP: 11})
-	nodes = agent.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 11)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, agent, 11)
 
 	// simulate a second coordinator via DB calls only --- our goal is to test broken heart-beating, so we can't use a
 	// real coordinator
@@ -233,8 +232,7 @@ func TestPGCoordinatorSingle_MissedHeartbeats(t *testing.T) {
 	}()
 	fCoord2.heartbeat()
 	fCoord2.agentNode(agent.id, &agpl.Node{PreferredDERP: 12})
-	nodes = client.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 12)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, client, 12)
 
 	fCoord3 := &fakeCoordinator{
 		ctx:   ctx,
@@ -245,24 +243,20 @@ func TestPGCoordinatorSingle_MissedHeartbeats(t *testing.T) {
 	start := time.Now()
 	fCoord3.heartbeat()
 	fCoord3.agentNode(agent.id, &agpl.Node{PreferredDERP: 13})
-	nodes = client.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 13)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, client, 13)
 
 	// when the fCoord3 misses enough heartbeats, the real coordinator should send an update with the
 	// node from fCoord2 for the agent.
-	nodes = client.recvNodes(ctx, t)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, client, 12)
 	assert.Greater(t, time.Since(start), tailnet.HeartbeatPeriod*tailnet.MissedHeartbeats)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 12)
 
 	// stop fCoord2 heartbeats, which should cause us to revert to the original agent mapping
 	cancel2()
-	nodes = client.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 10)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, client, 10)
 
 	// send fCoord3 heartbeat, which should trigger us to consider that mapping valid again.
 	fCoord3.heartbeat()
-	nodes = client.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 13)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, client, 13)
 
 	err = agent.close()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -358,33 +352,24 @@ func TestPGCoordinatorDual_Mainline(t *testing.T) {
 	defer client22.close()
 
 	client11.sendNode(&agpl.Node{PreferredDERP: 11})
-	nodes := agent1.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assert.Len(t, nodes, 1)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 11)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, agent1, 11)
 
 	client21.sendNode(&agpl.Node{PreferredDERP: 21})
-	nodes = agent1.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 21, 11)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, agent1, 21, 11)
 
 	client22.sendNode(&agpl.Node{PreferredDERP: 22})
-	nodes = agent2.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 22)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, agent2, 22)
 
 	agent2.sendNode(&agpl.Node{PreferredDERP: 2})
-	nodes = client22.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 2)
-	nodes = client12.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 2)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, client22, 2)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, client12, 2)
 
 	client12.sendNode(&agpl.Node{PreferredDERP: 12})
-	nodes = agent2.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 12, 22)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, agent2, 12, 22)
 
 	agent1.sendNode(&agpl.Node{PreferredDERP: 1})
-	nodes = client21.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 1)
-	nodes = client11.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 1)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, client21, 1)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, client11, 1)
 
 	// let's close coord2
 	err = coord2.Close()
@@ -402,8 +387,7 @@ func TestPGCoordinatorDual_Mainline(t *testing.T) {
 	// In this case the update is superfluous because client11's node hasn't changed, and agents don't deprogram clients
 	// from the dataplane even if they are missing.  Suppressing this kind of update would require the coordinator to
 	// store all the data its sent to each connection, so we don't bother.
-	nodes = agent1.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 11)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, agent1, 11)
 
 	// note that although agent2 is disconnected, client12 does NOT get an update because we suppress empty updates.
 	// (Its easy to tell these are superfluous.)
@@ -492,19 +476,15 @@ func TestPGCoordinator_MultiAgent(t *testing.T) {
 	defer client.close()
 
 	client.sendNode(&agpl.Node{PreferredDERP: 3})
-	nodes := agent1.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 3)
-	nodes = agent2.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 3)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, agent1, 3)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, agent2, 3)
 
 	agent1.sendNode(&agpl.Node{PreferredDERP: 1})
-	nodes = client.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 1)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, client, 1)
 
 	// agent2's update overrides agent1 because it is newer
 	agent2.sendNode(&agpl.Node{PreferredDERP: 2})
-	nodes = client.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 2)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, client, 2)
 
 	// agent2 disconnects, and we should revert back to agent1
 	err = agent2.close()
@@ -512,16 +492,13 @@ func TestPGCoordinator_MultiAgent(t *testing.T) {
 	err = agent2.recvErr(ctx, t)
 	require.ErrorIs(t, err, io.ErrClosedPipe)
 	agent2.waitForClose(ctx, t)
-	nodes = client.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 1)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, client, 1)
 
 	agent1.sendNode(&agpl.Node{PreferredDERP: 11})
-	nodes = client.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 11)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, client, 11)
 
 	client.sendNode(&agpl.Node{PreferredDERP: 31})
-	nodes = agent1.recvNodes(ctx, t)
-	assertHasDERPs(t, nodes, 31)
+	assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx, t, agent1, 31)
 
 	err = agent1.close()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -625,17 +602,27 @@ func newTestClient(t *testing.T, coord agpl.Coordinator, agentID uuid.UUID, id .
 	return c
 }
 
-func assertHasDERPs(t *testing.T, nodes []*agpl.Node, expected ...int) {
-	if !assert.Len(t, nodes, len(expected), "expected %d node(s), got %d", len(expected), len(nodes)) {
+func assertEventuallyHasDERPs(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, c *testConn, expected ...int) {
+	t.Helper()
+	for {
+		nodes := c.recvNodes(ctx, t)
+		if len(nodes) != len(expected) {
+			t.Logf("expected %d, got %d nodes", len(expected), len(nodes))
+			continue
+		}
+
+		derps := make([]int, 0, len(nodes))
+		for _, n := range nodes {
+			derps = append(derps, n.PreferredDERP)
+		}
+		for _, e := range expected {
+			if !slices.Contains(derps, e) {
+				t.Logf("expected DERP %d to be in %v", e, derps)
+				continue
+			}
+		}
 		return
 	}
-	derps := make([]int, 0, len(nodes))
-	for _, n := range nodes {
-		derps = append(derps, n.PreferredDERP)
-	}
-	for _, e := range expected {
-		assert.Contains(t, derps, e, "expected DERP %v, got %v", e, derps)
-	}
 }
 
 func assertEventuallyNoAgents(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, store database.Store, agentID uuid.UUID) {
diff --git a/tailnet/coordinator.go b/tailnet/coordinator.go
index ee675ef666..7ff279a508 100644
--- a/tailnet/coordinator.go
+++ b/tailnet/coordinator.go
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ func (t *TrackedConn) SendUpdates() {
 				return
 			}
 			if bytes.Equal(t.lastData, data) {
-				t.logger.Debug(t.ctx, "skipping duplicate update", slog.F("nodes", nodes))
+				t.logger.Debug(t.ctx, "skipping duplicate update", slog.F("nodes", string(data)))
 				continue
 			}
 
@@ -243,11 +243,12 @@ func (t *TrackedConn) SendUpdates() {
 			_, err = t.conn.Write(data)
 			if err != nil {
 				// often, this is just because the connection is closed/broken, so only log at debug.
-				t.logger.Debug(t.ctx, "could not write nodes to connection", slog.Error(err), slog.F("nodes", nodes))
+				t.logger.Debug(t.ctx, "could not write nodes to connection",
+					slog.Error(err), slog.F("nodes", string(data)))
 				_ = t.Close()
 				return
 			}
-			t.logger.Debug(t.ctx, "wrote nodes", slog.F("nodes", nodes))
+			t.logger.Debug(t.ctx, "wrote nodes", slog.F("nodes", string(data)))
 
 			// nhooyr.io/websocket has a bugged implementation of deadlines on a websocket net.Conn.  What they are
 			// *supposed* to do is set a deadline for any subsequent writes to complete, otherwise the call to Write()