diff --git a/packages/reacord/helpers/wait-for.ts b/packages/reacord/helpers/wait-for.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3b66513
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/reacord/helpers/wait-for.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import { setTimeout } from "timers/promises"
+
+const maxTime = 1000
+
+export async function waitFor<Result>(
+  predicate: () => Result,
+): Promise<Awaited<Result>> {
+  const startTime = Date.now()
+  let lastError: unknown
+
+  while (Date.now() - startTime < maxTime) {
+    try {
+      return await predicate()
+    } catch (error) {
+      lastError = error
+      await setTimeout(50)
+    }
+  }
+
+  throw lastError ?? new Error("Timeout")
+}
diff --git a/packages/reacord/test/test-adapter.ts b/packages/reacord/test/test-adapter.ts
index a2d5f6d..1092597 100644
--- a/packages/reacord/test/test-adapter.ts
+++ b/packages/reacord/test/test-adapter.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 /* eslint-disable class-methods-use-this */
 /* eslint-disable require-await */
 import { nanoid } from "nanoid"
-import { nextTick } from "node:process"
-import { promisify } from "node:util"
+import { setTimeout } from "node:timers/promises"
 import type { ReactNode } from "react"
 import { expect } from "vitest"
 import { logPretty } from "../helpers/log-pretty"
 import { omit } from "../helpers/omit"
 import { pruneNullishValues } from "../helpers/prune-nullish-values"
 import { raise } from "../helpers/raise"
+import { waitFor } from "../helpers/wait-for"
 import type {
   ChannelInfo,
   GuildInfo,
@@ -26,17 +26,10 @@ import type {
   CommandInteraction,
   SelectInteraction,
 } from "../library/internal/interaction"
-import type {
-  Message,
-  MessageButtonOptions,
-  MessageOptions,
-  MessageSelectOptions,
-} from "../library/internal/message"
+import type { Message, MessageOptions } from "../library/internal/message"
 import { ChannelMessageRenderer } from "../library/internal/renderers/channel-message-renderer"
 import { InteractionReplyRenderer } from "../library/internal/renderers/interaction-reply-renderer"
 
-const nextTickPromise = promisify(nextTick)
-
 export type MessageSample = ReturnType<ReacordTester["sampleMessages"]>[0]
 
 /**
@@ -73,9 +66,10 @@ export class ReacordTester extends Reacord {
     return this.reply(initialContent)
   }
 
-  async assertMessages(expected: MessageSample[]) {
-    await nextTickPromise()
-    expect(this.sampleMessages()).toEqual(expected)
+  assertMessages(expected: MessageSample[]) {
+    return waitFor(() => {
+      expect(this.sampleMessages()).toEqual(expected)
+    })
   }
 
   async assertRender(content: ReactNode, expected: MessageSample[]) {
@@ -108,57 +102,58 @@ export class ReacordTester extends Reacord {
   }
 
   findButtonByLabel(label: string) {
-    for (const message of this.messageContainer) {
-      for (const component of message.options.actionRows.flat()) {
-        if (component.type === "button" && component.label === label) {
-          return this.createButtonActions(component, message)
-        }
-      }
+    return {
+      click: () => {
+        return waitFor(() => {
+          for (const [component, message] of this.eachComponent()) {
+            if (component.type === "button" && component.label === label) {
+              this.handleComponentInteraction(
+                new TestButtonInteraction(component.customId, message, this),
+              )
+              return
+            }
+          }
+          raise(`Couldn't find button with label "${label}"`)
+        })
+      },
     }
-    raise(`Couldn't find button with label "${label}"`)
   }
 
   findSelectByPlaceholder(placeholder: string) {
-    for (const message of this.messageContainer) {
-      for (const component of message.options.actionRows.flat()) {
-        if (
-          component.type === "select" &&
-          component.placeholder === placeholder
-        ) {
-          return this.createSelectActions(component, message)
-        }
-      }
+    return {
+      select: (...values: string[]) => {
+        return waitFor(() => {
+          for (const [component, message] of this.eachComponent()) {
+            if (
+              component.type === "select" &&
+              component.placeholder === placeholder
+            ) {
+              this.handleComponentInteraction(
+                new TestSelectInteraction(
+                  component.customId,
+                  message,
+                  values,
+                  this,
+                ),
+              )
+              return
+            }
+          }
+          raise(`Couldn't find select with placeholder "${placeholder}"`)
+        })
+      },
     }
-    raise(`Couldn't find select with placeholder "${placeholder}"`)
   }
 
   createMessage(options: MessageOptions) {
     return new TestMessage(options, this.messageContainer)
   }
 
-  private createButtonActions(
-    button: MessageButtonOptions,
-    message: TestMessage,
-  ) {
-    return {
-      click: () => {
-        this.handleComponentInteraction(
-          new TestButtonInteraction(button.customId, message, this),
-        )
-      },
-    }
-  }
-
-  private createSelectActions(
-    component: MessageSelectOptions,
-    message: TestMessage,
-  ) {
-    return {
-      select: (...values: string[]) => {
-        this.handleComponentInteraction(
-          new TestSelectInteraction(component.customId, message, values, this),
-        )
-      },
+  private *eachComponent() {
+    for (const message of this.messageContainer) {
+      for (const component of message.options.actionRows.flat()) {
+        yield [component, message] as const
+      }
     }
   }
 }
@@ -197,16 +192,14 @@ class TestCommandInteraction implements CommandInteraction {
 
   constructor(private messageContainer: Container<TestMessage>) {}
 
-  reply(messageOptions: MessageOptions): Promise<Message> {
-    return Promise.resolve(
-      new TestMessage(messageOptions, this.messageContainer),
-    )
+  async reply(messageOptions: MessageOptions): Promise<Message> {
+    await setTimeout()
+    return new TestMessage(messageOptions, this.messageContainer)
   }
 
-  followUp(messageOptions: MessageOptions): Promise<Message> {
-    return Promise.resolve(
-      new TestMessage(messageOptions, this.messageContainer),
-    )
+  async followUp(messageOptions: MessageOptions): Promise<Message> {
+    await setTimeout()
+    return new TestMessage(messageOptions, this.messageContainer)
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/reacord/test/use-instance.test.tsx b/packages/reacord/test/use-instance.test.tsx
index 998ae9f..044bb52 100644
--- a/packages/reacord/test/use-instance.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/reacord/test/use-instance.test.tsx
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ describe("useInstance", () => {
     await tester.assertMessages([messageOutput("parent")])
     expect(instanceFromHook).toBe(instance)
 
-    tester.findButtonByLabel("create parent").click()
+    await tester.findButtonByLabel("create parent").click()
     await tester.assertMessages([
       messageOutput("parent"),
       messageOutput("child"),
@@ -63,10 +63,10 @@ describe("useInstance", () => {
 
     // this test ensures that the only the child instance is destroyed,
     // and not the parent instance
-    tester.findButtonByLabel("destroy child").click()
+    await tester.findButtonByLabel("destroy child").click()
     await tester.assertMessages([messageOutput("parent")])
 
-    tester.findButtonByLabel("destroy parent").click()
+    await tester.findButtonByLabel("destroy parent").click()
     await tester.assertMessages([])
   })
 })