diff --git a/internal/dockeragent/agent.go b/internal/dockeragent/agent.go
index c327fab34..fa8329bbb 100644
--- a/internal/dockeragent/agent.go
+++ b/internal/dockeragent/agent.go
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ type Agent struct {
 	manualCheckActiveID string
 	manualCheckResults  map[string]manualUpdateCheckResult
 	manualCheckCollect  func(context.Context) (agentsdocker.Report, error) // test seam for bounded manual checks
+	newTimerFn          func(time.Duration) *time.Timer                    // test seam; per-Agent so async goroutines never read a shared global (nil = time.NewTimer)
 	backgroundMu        sync.Mutex                                         // protects updateCheckRunning, cleanupTaskRunning
 	updateCheckRunning  bool
 	cleanupTaskRunning  bool
@@ -734,7 +735,7 @@ func (a *Agent) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 	)
 
 	initialDelay := 5*time.Second + randomDurationFn(startupJitterWindow)
-	updateTimer := newTimerFn(initialDelay)
+	updateTimer := a.newTimer(initialDelay)
 	defer stopTimer(updateTimer)
 
 	// Periodic cleanup of orphaned backups (every 15 minutes)
@@ -811,13 +812,20 @@ func (a *Agent) runAsync(task func(context.Context)) {
 	}()
 }
 
+func (a *Agent) newTimer(delay time.Duration) *time.Timer {
+	if a.newTimerFn != nil {
+		return a.newTimerFn(delay)
+	}
+	return time.NewTimer(delay)
+}
+
 func (a *Agent) waitForAsyncDelay(delay time.Duration) bool {
 	if delay <= 0 {
 		return true
 	}
 
 	a.ensureAsyncLifecycle()
-	timer := newTimerFn(delay)
+	timer := a.newTimer(delay)
 	defer stopTimer(timer)
 
 	select {
@@ -1348,18 +1356,18 @@ func (a *Agent) sendManualUpdateCheckAckWithRetry(ctx context.Context, target Ta
 		if err == nil {
 			return nil
 		}
-		if attempt+1 == manualUpdateCheckAckAttempts || !waitForContextDelay(ctx, manualUpdateCheckAckRetryDelay*time.Duration(1<<attempt)) {
+		if attempt+1 == manualUpdateCheckAckAttempts || !a.waitForContextDelay(ctx, manualUpdateCheckAckRetryDelay*time.Duration(1<<attempt)) {
 			break
 		}
 	}
 	return err
 }
 
-func waitForContextDelay(ctx context.Context, delay time.Duration) bool {
+func (a *Agent) waitForContextDelay(ctx context.Context, delay time.Duration) bool {
 	if delay <= 0 {
 		return ctx.Err() == nil
 	}
-	timer := newTimerFn(delay)
+	timer := a.newTimer(delay)
 	defer stopTimer(timer)
 	select {
 	case <-ctx.Done():
@@ -1621,7 +1629,7 @@ func (a *Agent) Close() error {
 			close(done)
 		}()
 
-		waitTimer := newTimerFn(2 * time.Second)
+		waitTimer := a.newTimer(2 * time.Second)
 		select {
 		case <-done:
 			stopTimer(waitTimer)
diff --git a/internal/dockeragent/agent_http_test.go b/internal/dockeragent/agent_http_test.go
index d27d627d3..76e2c545a 100644
--- a/internal/dockeragent/agent_http_test.go
+++ b/internal/dockeragent/agent_http_test.go
@@ -727,9 +727,6 @@ func TestHandleStopCommand(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("stop service goroutine executes", func(t *testing.T) {
 		marker := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "called")
 		writeSystemctl(t, "if [ \"$1\" = \"disable\" ]; then exit 0; fi\nif [ \"$1\" = \"stop\" ]; then : > "+marker+"; exit 2; fi\nexit 0")
-		swap(t, &newTimerFn, func(time.Duration) *time.Timer {
-			return time.NewTimer(0)
-		})
 
 		server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
@@ -742,8 +739,9 @@ func TestHandleStopCommand(t *testing.T) {
 			httpClients: map[bool]*http.Client{
 				false: server.Client(),
 			},
+			newTimerFn: immediateTimer,
 		}
-		// Close agent BEFORE swap restores globals (t.Cleanup is LIFO)
+		// Close joins the stop-service goroutine before the fake systemctl is cleaned up
 		t.Cleanup(func() { _ = agent.Close() })
 
 		if err := agent.handleStopCommand(context.Background(), TargetConfig{URL: server.URL, Token: "token"}, agentsdocker.Command{ID: "cmd"}); !errors.Is(err, ErrStopRequested) {
diff --git a/internal/dockeragent/container_update_test.go b/internal/dockeragent/container_update_test.go
index 6d208a507..ae7754550 100644
--- a/internal/dockeragent/container_update_test.go
+++ b/internal/dockeragent/container_update_test.go
@@ -223,9 +223,6 @@ func TestUpdateContainer_Errors(t *testing.T) {
 func TestUpdateContainer_Success(t *testing.T) {
 	logger := zerolog.Nop()
 	swap(t, &sleepFn, func(time.Duration) {})
-	swap(t, &newTimerFn, func(time.Duration) *time.Timer {
-		return time.NewTimer(0)
-	})
 	swap(t, &nowFn, func() time.Time {
 		return time.Date(2024, 3, 1, 12, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
 	})
@@ -271,7 +268,8 @@ func TestUpdateContainer_Success(t *testing.T) {
 				return err
 			},
 		},
-		logger: logger,
+		logger:     logger,
+		newTimerFn: immediateTimer,
 	}
 
 	result := agent.updateContainerWithProgress(context.Background(), "container1", nil)
@@ -297,9 +295,6 @@ func TestUpdateContainer_Success(t *testing.T) {
 func TestUpdateContainer_StoppedContainerPreservesStoppedState(t *testing.T) {
 	logger := zerolog.Nop()
 	swap(t, &sleepFn, func(time.Duration) {})
-	swap(t, &newTimerFn, func(time.Duration) *time.Timer {
-		return time.NewTimer(0)
-	})
 	swap(t, &nowFn, func() time.Time {
 		return time.Date(2024, 3, 1, 12, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
 	})
@@ -348,7 +343,8 @@ func TestUpdateContainer_StoppedContainerPreservesStoppedState(t *testing.T) {
 				return nil
 			},
 		},
-		logger: logger,
+		logger:     logger,
+		newTimerFn: immediateTimer,
 	}
 
 	result := agent.updateContainerWithProgress(context.Background(), "container1", nil)
@@ -365,9 +361,6 @@ func TestUpdateContainer_StoppedContainerPreservesStoppedState(t *testing.T) {
 func TestUpdateContainer_CleanupError(t *testing.T) {
 	logger := zerolog.Nop()
 	swap(t, &sleepFn, func(time.Duration) {})
-	swap(t, &newTimerFn, func(time.Duration) *time.Timer {
-		return time.NewTimer(0)
-	})
 	swap(t, &nowFn, func() time.Time {
 		return time.Date(2024, 3, 1, 12, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
 	})
@@ -405,7 +398,8 @@ func TestUpdateContainer_CleanupError(t *testing.T) {
 				return cleanupErr
 			},
 		},
-		logger: logger,
+		logger:     logger,
+		newTimerFn: immediateTimer,
 	}
 
 	result := agent.updateContainerWithProgress(context.Background(), "container1", nil)
@@ -621,9 +615,6 @@ func TestHandleUpdateContainerCommand(t *testing.T) {
 func TestUpdateContainer_SharedNamespaceCreateConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	logger := zerolog.Nop()
 	swap(t, &sleepFn, func(time.Duration) {})
-	swap(t, &newTimerFn, func(time.Duration) *time.Timer {
-		return time.NewTimer(0)
-	})
 	swap(t, &nowFn, func() time.Time {
 		return time.Date(2024, 3, 1, 12, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
 	})
@@ -691,7 +682,8 @@ func TestUpdateContainer_SharedNamespaceCreateConfig(t *testing.T) {
 					return nil
 				},
 			},
-			logger: logger,
+			logger:     logger,
+			newTimerFn: immediateTimer,
 		}
 
 		result := agent.updateContainerWithProgress(context.Background(), "container1", nil)
diff --git a/internal/dockeragent/container_update_typed_test.go b/internal/dockeragent/container_update_typed_test.go
index a6c1fde4c..5cba31962 100644
--- a/internal/dockeragent/container_update_typed_test.go
+++ b/internal/dockeragent/container_update_typed_test.go
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ func TestTypedContainerUpdatePreflightRefusesRuntimeAndDigestDrift(t *testing.T)
 
 func TestTypedContainerUpdateDelegatesToProductionRecreatePath(t *testing.T) {
 	swap(t, &sleepFn, func(time.Duration) {})
-	swap(t, &newTimerFn, func(time.Duration) *time.Timer { return time.NewTimer(0) })
 
 	cleanupDone := make(chan struct{})
 	agent := &Agent{
@@ -93,7 +92,8 @@ func TestTypedContainerUpdateDelegatesToProductionRecreatePath(t *testing.T) {
 				return nil
 			},
 		},
-		logger: zerolog.Nop(),
+		logger:     zerolog.Nop(),
+		newTimerFn: immediateTimer,
 	}
 
 	var progress []string
diff --git a/internal/dockeragent/deps.go b/internal/dockeragent/deps.go
index 793cf6fef..f2277d8b8 100644
--- a/internal/dockeragent/deps.go
+++ b/internal/dockeragent/deps.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ var (
 	connectRuntimeFn         = connectRuntime
 	hostmetricsCollect       = hostmetrics.Collect
 	newTickerFn              = time.NewTicker
-	newTimerFn               = time.NewTimer
 	randomDurationFn         = randomDuration
 	nowFn                    = time.Now
 	sleepFn                  = time.Sleep
diff --git a/internal/dockeragent/test_helpers_test.go b/internal/dockeragent/test_helpers_test.go
index 1ca63ee4a..33e759619 100644
--- a/internal/dockeragent/test_helpers_test.go
+++ b/internal/dockeragent/test_helpers_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"io"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	containertypes "github.com/moby/moby/api/types/container"
 	"github.com/moby/moby/api/types/image"
@@ -224,6 +225,10 @@ func statsReader(t *testing.T, stats containertypes.StatsResponse) dockerStatsRe
 	}
 }
 
+func immediateTimer(time.Duration) *time.Timer {
+	return time.NewTimer(0)
+}
+
 func swap[T any](t *testing.T, target *T, value T) {
 	t.Helper()
 	prev := *target