diff --git a/fireflies/src/test/java/com/salesforce/apollo/fireflies/ChurnTest.java b/fireflies/src/test/java/com/salesforce/apollo/fireflies/ChurnTest.java
index fab24a1bd..331da49b3 100644
--- a/fireflies/src/test/java/com/salesforce/apollo/fireflies/ChurnTest.java
+++ b/fireflies/src/test/java/com/salesforce/apollo/fireflies/ChurnTest.java
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ public class ChurnTest {
     private              MetricRegistry                                              registry;
     private              List<View>                                                  views;
     private              ExecutorService                                             executor;
+    private              ExecutorService                                             executor2;
 
     @BeforeAll
     public static void beforeClass() throws Exception {
@@ -84,6 +85,9 @@ public void after() {
         if (executor != null) {
             executor.shutdown();
         }
+        if (executor2 != null) {
+            executor2.shutdown();
+        }
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -266,6 +270,7 @@ public void churn() throws Exception {
 
     private void initialize() {
         executor = UnsafeExecutors.newVirtualThreadPerTaskExecutor();
+        executor2 = UnsafeExecutors.newVirtualThreadPerTaskExecutor();
         var parameters = Parameters.newBuilder().setMaximumTxfr(20).build();
         registry = new MetricRegistry();
         node0Registry = new MetricRegistry();
@@ -296,7 +301,7 @@ private void initialize() {
                                                                                            new ServerConnectionCacheMetricsImpl(
                                                                                            frist.getAndSet(false)
                                                                                            ? node0Registry : registry)),
-                                                                      executor);
+                                                                      executor2);
             comms.start();
             communications.add(comms);
 
diff --git a/fireflies/src/test/java/com/salesforce/apollo/fireflies/SwarmTest.java b/fireflies/src/test/java/com/salesforce/apollo/fireflies/SwarmTest.java
index 632cc0613..2746534ce 100644
--- a/fireflies/src/test/java/com/salesforce/apollo/fireflies/SwarmTest.java
+++ b/fireflies/src/test/java/com/salesforce/apollo/fireflies/SwarmTest.java
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ public class SwarmTest {
     private       MetricRegistry                          registry;
     private       List<View>                              views;
     private       ExecutorService                         executor;
+    private       ExecutorService                         executor2;
 
     @BeforeAll
     public static void beforeClass() throws Exception {
@@ -94,6 +95,9 @@ public void after() {
         if (executor != null) {
             executor.shutdown();
         }
+        if (executor2 != null) {
+            executor2.shutdown();
+        }
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -210,6 +214,7 @@ public void swarm() throws Exception {
 
     private void initialize() {
         executor = UnsafeExecutors.newVirtualThreadPerTaskExecutor();
+        executor2 = UnsafeExecutors.newVirtualThreadPerTaskExecutor();
         var parameters = Parameters.newBuilder()
                                    .setMaxPending(50)
                                    .setMaximumTxfr(20)
@@ -249,7 +254,7 @@ private void initialize() {
                                                                                            new ServerConnectionCacheMetricsImpl(
                                                                                            frist.getAndSet(false)
                                                                                            ? node0Registry : registry)),
-                                                                      executor);
+                                                                      executor2);
             comms.start();
             communications.add(comms);