diff --git a/pkg/agent/protocol/http/proxy.go b/pkg/agent/protocol/http/proxy.go
index 006fc7c0..1cb5bbbd 100644
--- a/pkg/agent/protocol/http/proxy.go
+++ b/pkg/agent/protocol/http/proxy.go
@@ -99,77 +99,100 @@ func (h *httpHandler) isExcluded(r *http.Request) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-// forward forwards a request to the upstream URL.
-// Request is performed immediately, but response won't be sent before the duration specified in delay.
-func (h *httpHandler) forward(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request, delay time.Duration) {
-	timer := time.After(delay)
-
+// forward forwards a request to the upstream URL and returns a function that
+// copies the response to a ResponseWriter
+func (h *httpHandler) forward(req *http.Request) func(rw http.ResponseWriter) {
 	upstreamReq := req.Clone(context.Background())
 	upstreamReq.Host = h.upstreamURL.Host
 	upstreamReq.URL.Host = h.upstreamURL.Host
 	upstreamReq.URL.Scheme = h.upstreamURL.Scheme
 	upstreamReq.RequestURI = "" // It is an error to set this field in an HTTP client request.
 
+	//nolint:bodyclose // it is closed in the returned functions
 	response, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(upstreamReq)
-	<-timer
-	if err != nil {
-		rw.WriteHeader(http.StatusBadGateway)
-		_, _ = fmt.Fprint(rw, err)
-		return
-	}
 
-	defer func() {
-		// Fully consume and then close upstream response body.
-		_, _ = io.Copy(io.Discard, response.Body)
-		_ = response.Body.Close()
-	}()
+	// return a function that writes the upstream error
+	if err != nil {
+		return func(rw http.ResponseWriter) {
+			rw.WriteHeader(http.StatusBadGateway)
+			_, _ = fmt.Fprint(rw, err)
 
-	// Mirror headers.
-	for key, values := range response.Header {
-		for _, value := range values {
-			rw.Header().Add(key, value)
+			// Fully consume and then close upstream response body.
+			_, _ = io.Copy(io.Discard, response.Body)
+			_ = response.Body.Close()
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Mirror status code.
-	rw.WriteHeader(response.StatusCode)
+	// return a function that copies upstream response
+	return func(rw http.ResponseWriter) {
+		// Mirror headers.
+		for key, values := range response.Header {
+			for _, value := range values {
+				rw.Header().Add(key, value)
+			}
+		}
+
+		// Mirror status code.
+		rw.WriteHeader(response.StatusCode)
 
-	// ignore errors writing body, nothing to do.
-	_, _ = io.Copy(rw, response.Body)
+		// ignore errors writing body, nothing to do.
+		_, _ = io.Copy(rw, response.Body)
+		_ = response.Body.Close()
+	}
 }
 
-// injectError waits sleeps the duration specified in delay and then writes the configured error downstream.
-func (h *httpHandler) injectError(rw http.ResponseWriter, delay time.Duration) {
-	time.Sleep(delay)
-
+// injectError writes the configured error to a ResponseWriter
+func (h *httpHandler) injectError(rw http.ResponseWriter) {
 	rw.WriteHeader(int(h.disruption.ErrorCode))
 	_, _ = rw.Write([]byte(h.disruption.ErrorBody))
 }
 
+
+func (h *httpHandler) delay() time.Duration {
+	delay := h.disruption.AverageDelay
+	if h.disruption.DelayVariation > 0 {
+		variation := int64(h.disruption.DelayVariation)
+		delay += time.Duration(variation - 2*rand.Int63n(variation))
+	}
+
+	return delay
+}
+
 func (h *httpHandler) ServeHTTP(rw http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
 	h.metrics.Inc(protocol.MetricRequests)
 
+	// if excluded, forward request and return response immediately
 	if h.isExcluded(req) {
 		h.metrics.Inc(protocol.MetricRequestsExcluded)
 		//nolint:contextcheck // Unclear which context the linter requires us to propagate here.
-		h.forward(rw, req, 0)
+		h.forward(req)(rw)
 		return
 	}
 
-	delay := h.disruption.AverageDelay
-	if h.disruption.DelayVariation > 0 {
-		variation := int64(h.disruption.DelayVariation)
-		delay += time.Duration(variation - 2*rand.Int63n(variation))
-	}
+	// writer is used to write the response
+	var writer func(rw http.ResponseWriter)
+
+	// forward request
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		if h.disruption.ErrorRate > 0 && rand.Float32() <= h.disruption.ErrorRate {
+			h.metrics.Inc(protocol.MetricRequestsDisrupted)
+			writer = h.injectError
+		} else {
+			writer = h.forward(req)
+		}
 
-	if h.disruption.ErrorRate > 0 && rand.Float32() <= h.disruption.ErrorRate {
-		h.metrics.Inc(protocol.MetricRequestsDisrupted)
-		h.injectError(rw, delay)
-		return
-	}
+		done <- struct{}{}
+	}()
+
+	// wait for delay
+	<-time.After(h.delay())
+
+	// wait for upstream request
+	<-done
 
-	//nolint:contextcheck // Unclear which context the linter requires us to propagate here.
-	h.forward(rw, req, delay)
+	// return response
+	writer(rw)
 }
 
 // Start starts the execution of the proxy