diff --git a/src/bluesky/tests/test_zmq.py b/src/bluesky/tests/test_zmq.py
index d0f27f0c2..234f92875 100644
--- a/src/bluesky/tests/test_zmq.py
+++ b/src/bluesky/tests/test_zmq.py
@@ -23,12 +23,17 @@ def test_proxy_script():
 def test_zmq_basic(RE, hw):
     # COMPONENT 1
     # Run a 0MQ proxy on a separate process.
-    def start_proxy():
+
+    def start_proxy(start_event):
+        start_event.set()
         Proxy(5567, 5568).start()
 
-    proxy_proc = multiprocess.Process(target=start_proxy, daemon=True)
+    proxy_start_event = multiprocess.Event()
+    proxy_proc = multiprocess.Process(target=start_proxy, args=(proxy_start_event,), daemon=True)
     proxy_proc.start()
-    time.sleep(5)  # Give this plenty of time to start up.
+    proxy_start_event.wait(timeout=5)
+    assert proxy_start_event.is_set()
+    time.sleep(0.2)
 
     # COMPONENT 2
     # Run a Publisher and a RunEngine in this main process.
@@ -41,21 +46,27 @@ def start_proxy():
     # it receives over a Queue to this process, so we can count them for our
     # test.
 
-    def make_and_start_dispatcher(queue):
+    def make_and_start_dispatcher(queue, start_event):
         def put_in_queue(name, doc):
             print("putting ", name, "in queue")
+            start_event.set()
             queue.put((name, doc))
 
         d = RemoteDispatcher("127.0.0.1:5568")
         d.subscribe(put_in_queue)
         print("REMOTE IS READY TO START")
         d.loop.call_later(9, d.stop)
+        start_event.set()
         d.start()
 
+
+    dispatcher_start_event = multiprocess.Event()
     queue = multiprocess.Queue()
-    dispatcher_proc = multiprocess.Process(target=make_and_start_dispatcher, daemon=True, args=(queue,))
+    dispatcher_proc = multiprocess.Process(target=make_and_start_dispatcher, daemon=True, args=(queue, dispatcher_start_event))
     dispatcher_proc.start()
-    time.sleep(5)  # As above, give this plenty of time to start.
+    dispatcher_start_event.wait(timeout=5)
+    assert dispatcher_start_event.is_set()
+    time.sleep(0.2)
 
     # Generate two documents. The Publisher will send them to the proxy
     # device over 5567, and the proxy will send them to the
@@ -142,12 +153,17 @@ def test_zmq_RD_ports_spec(host):
 def test_zmq_no_RE_basic(RE):
     # COMPONENT 1
     # Run a 0MQ proxy on a separate process.
-    def start_proxy():
+
+    def start_proxy(start_event):
+        start_event.set()
         Proxy(5567, 5568).start()
 
-    proxy_proc = multiprocess.Process(target=start_proxy, daemon=True)
+    proxy_start_event = multiprocess.Event()
+    proxy_proc = multiprocess.Process(target=start_proxy, args=(proxy_start_event,), daemon=True)
     proxy_proc.start()
-    time.sleep(5)  # Give this plenty of time to start up.
+    proxy_start_event.wait(timeout=5)
+    assert proxy_start_event.is_set()
+    time.sleep(0.2)
 
     # COMPONENT 2
     # Run a Publisher and a RunEngine in this main process.
@@ -159,21 +175,27 @@ def start_proxy():
     # it receives over a Queue to this process, so we can count them for our
     # test.
 
-    def make_and_start_dispatcher(queue):
+    def make_and_start_dispatcher(queue, start_event):
         def put_in_queue(name, doc):
             print("putting ", name, "in queue")
+            start_event.set()
             queue.put((name, doc))
 
         d = RemoteDispatcher("127.0.0.1:5568")
         d.subscribe(put_in_queue)
         print("REMOTE IS READY TO START")
         d.loop.call_later(9, d.stop)
+        start_event.set()
         d.start()
 
+
+    dispatcher_start_event = multiprocess.Event()
     queue = multiprocess.Queue()
-    dispatcher_proc = multiprocess.Process(target=make_and_start_dispatcher, daemon=True, args=(queue,))
+    dispatcher_proc = multiprocess.Process(target=make_and_start_dispatcher, daemon=True, args=(queue, dispatcher_start_event))
     dispatcher_proc.start()
-    time.sleep(5)  # As above, give this plenty of time to start.
+    dispatcher_start_event.wait(timeout=5)
+    assert dispatcher_start_event.is_set()
+    time.sleep(0.2)
 
     # Generate two documents. The Publisher will send them to the proxy
     # device over 5567, and the proxy will send them to the
@@ -212,12 +234,16 @@ def test_zmq_no_RE_newserializer(RE):
 
     # COMPONENT 1
     # Run a 0MQ proxy on a separate process.
-    def start_proxy():
+    def start_proxy(start_event):
+        start_event.set()
         Proxy(5567, 5568).start()
 
-    proxy_proc = multiprocess.Process(target=start_proxy, daemon=True)
+    proxy_start_event = multiprocess.Event()
+    proxy_proc = multiprocess.Process(target=start_proxy, args=(proxy_start_event,), daemon=True)
     proxy_proc.start()
-    time.sleep(5)  # Give this plenty of time to start up.
+    proxy_start_event.wait(timeout=5)
+    assert proxy_start_event.is_set()
+    time.sleep(0.2)
 
     # COMPONENT 2
     # Run a Publisher and a RunEngine in this main process.
@@ -227,21 +253,27 @@ def start_proxy():
     # Run a RemoteDispatcher on another separate process. Pass the documents
     # it receives over a Queue to this process, so we can count them for our
     # test.
-    def make_and_start_dispatcher(queue):
+    def make_and_start_dispatcher(queue, start_event):
         def put_in_queue(name, doc):
             print("putting ", name, "in queue")
+            start_event.set()
             queue.put((name, doc))
 
-        d = RemoteDispatcher("127.0.0.1:5568", deserializer=cloudpickle.loads)
+        d = RemoteDispatcher("127.0.0.1:5568")
         d.subscribe(put_in_queue)
         print("REMOTE IS READY TO START")
         d.loop.call_later(9, d.stop)
+        start_event.set()
         d.start()
 
+
+    dispatcher_start_event = multiprocess.Event()
     queue = multiprocess.Queue()
-    dispatcher_proc = multiprocess.Process(target=make_and_start_dispatcher, daemon=True, args=(queue,))
+    dispatcher_proc = multiprocess.Process(target=make_and_start_dispatcher, daemon=True, args=(queue, dispatcher_start_event))
     dispatcher_proc.start()
-    time.sleep(5)  # As above, give this plenty of time to start.
+    dispatcher_start_event.wait(timeout=5)
+    assert dispatcher_start_event.is_set()
+    time.sleep(0.2)
 
     # Generate two documents. The Publisher will send them to the proxy
     # device over 5567, and the proxy will send them to the
@@ -278,12 +310,16 @@ def local_cb(name, doc):
 def test_zmq_prefix(RE, hw):
     # COMPONENT 1
     # Run a 0MQ proxy on a separate process.
-    def start_proxy():
+    def start_proxy(start_event):
+        start_event.set()
         Proxy(5567, 5568).start()
 
-    proxy_proc = multiprocess.Process(target=start_proxy, daemon=True)
+    proxy_start_event = multiprocess.Event()
+    proxy_proc = multiprocess.Process(target=start_proxy, args=(proxy_start_event,), daemon=True)
     proxy_proc.start()
-    time.sleep(5)  # Give this plenty of time to start up.
+    proxy_start_event.wait(timeout=5)
+    assert proxy_start_event.is_set()
+    time.sleep(0.2)
 
     # COMPONENT 2
     # Run a Publisher and a RunEngine in this main process.
@@ -297,21 +333,32 @@ def start_proxy():
     # it receives over a Queue to this process, so we can count them for our
     # test.
 
-    def make_and_start_dispatcher(queue):
+    def make_and_start_dispatcher(queue, start_event):
         def put_in_queue(name, doc):
             print("putting ", name, "in queue")
+            start_event.set()
             queue.put((name, doc))
 
         d = RemoteDispatcher("127.0.0.1:5568", prefix=b"sb")
         d.subscribe(put_in_queue)
         print("REMOTE IS READY TO START")
         d.loop.call_later(9, d.stop)
+        start_event.set()
         d.start()
 
+
+    dispatcher_start_event = multiprocess.Event()
     queue = multiprocess.Queue()
-    dispatcher_proc = multiprocess.Process(target=make_and_start_dispatcher, daemon=True, args=(queue,))
+    dispatcher_proc = multiprocess.Process(target=make_and_start_dispatcher, daemon=True, args=(queue, dispatcher_start_event))
     dispatcher_proc.start()
-    time.sleep(5)  # As above, give this plenty of time to start.
+    dispatcher_start_event.wait(timeout=5)
+    assert dispatcher_start_event.is_set()
+    time.sleep(0.2)
+
+    # queue = multiprocess.Queue()
+    # dispatcher_proc = multiprocess.Process(target=make_and_start_dispatcher, daemon=True, args=(queue,))
+    # dispatcher_proc.start()
+    # time.sleep(5)  # As above, give this plenty of time to start.
 
     # Generate two documents. The Publisher will send them to the proxy
     # device over 5567, and the proxy will send them to the