diff --git a/t/pt-table-sync/issue_616.t b/t/pt-table-sync/issue_616.t
index 790b5c48..0651b56f 100644
--- a/t/pt-table-sync/issue_616.t
+++ b/t/pt-table-sync/issue_616.t
@@ -31,16 +31,20 @@ else {
    plan tests => 3;
 }
 
-$sb->wipe_clean($master_dbh);
-$sb->wipe_clean($slave_dbh);
-$sb->create_dbs($master_dbh, [qw(test)]);
-
 # #############################################################################
 # Issue 616: mk-table-sync inserts NULL values instead of correct values
 # #############################################################################
-diag(`/tmp/12345/use -D test < $trunk/t/lib/samples/issue_616.sql`);
-sleep 1;
-`$trunk/bin/pt-table-sync --sync-to-master h=127.1,P=12346,u=msandbox,p=msandbox --databases issue_616 --execute`;
+
+$sb->load_file('master', "t/lib/samples/issue_616.sql");
+
+output(
+   sub { pt_table_sync::main("h=127.1,P=12346,u=msandbox,p=msandbox",
+      qw(--sync-to-master --databases issue_616 --execute));
+   },
+);
+
+$sb->wait_for_slaves();
+
 my $ok_r = [
    [  1, 'from master' ],
    [ 11, 'from master' ],
@@ -68,6 +72,5 @@ is_deeply(
 # Done.
 # #############################################################################
 $sb->wipe_clean($master_dbh);
-$sb->wipe_clean($slave_dbh);
 ok($sb->ok(), "Sandbox servers") or BAIL_OUT(__FILE__ . " broke the sandbox");
 exit;
diff --git a/t/pt-table-sync/issue_634.t b/t/pt-table-sync/issue_634.t
index b4b9e270..1fdd00fd 100644
--- a/t/pt-table-sync/issue_634.t
+++ b/t/pt-table-sync/issue_634.t
@@ -31,9 +31,6 @@ else {
    plan tests => 4;
 }
 
-$sb->wipe_clean($master_dbh);
-$sb->create_dbs($master_dbh, [qw(test)]);
-
 # #############################################################################
 # Issue 634: Cannot nibble table because MySQL chose no index
 # #############################################################################
@@ -46,6 +43,7 @@ $output = output(
    },
    stderr => 1,
 );
+$sb->wait_for_slaves();
 
 like(
    $output,
diff --git a/t/pt-upgrade/rewrite_non_select.t b/t/pt-upgrade/rewrite_non_select.t
index 4113ecfc..f296dddc 100644
--- a/t/pt-upgrade/rewrite_non_select.t
+++ b/t/pt-upgrade/rewrite_non_select.t
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ else {
 
 $sb->load_file('master1', 't/pt-upgrade/samples/001/tables.sql');
 $sb->load_file('master',  't/pt-upgrade/samples/001/tables.sql');
-$sb->wait_for_slaves();
 
 # Issue 747: Make mk-upgrade rewrite non-SELECT