diff --git a/tests/test_advanced_streaming.py b/tests/test_advanced_streaming.py
index 3d8714cf..d4b206f1 100644
--- a/tests/test_advanced_streaming.py
+++ b/tests/test_advanced_streaming.py
@@ -157,17 +157,26 @@ def test_dynamic_pub_sub(
     from multiprocessing import cpu_count
     cpus = cpu_count()
 
+    # Hard safety cap via trio's own cancellation — see the
+    # module-level NOTE on why we avoid `pytest-timeout` for
+    # this test. Picked backend-aware: under `trio` backend
+    # spawn is cheap (~1s for `cpus` actors) but fork-based
+    # backends pay a per-spawn cost (forkserver round-trip +
+    # IPC peer-handshake) that can stack up over `cpus - 1`
+    # sequential `n.run_in_actor()` calls — especially on UDS
+    # under cross-pytest contention (#451 / #452). Empirically
+    # 12s flakes on `main_thread_forkserver`; 30s gives
+    # plenty of headroom while still failing-loud on a real
+    # hang.
+    from tractor.spawn import _spawn as _spawn_mod
+    fail_after_s: int = (
+        30
+        if _spawn_mod._spawn_method == 'main_thread_forkserver'
+        else 12
+    )
+
     async def main():
-        # Hard safety cap via trio's own cancellation — see
-        # the module-level NOTE on why we avoid `pytest-timeout`
-        # for this test. Total expected runtime: ~1s spawn + 3s
-        # sleep + ~1-2s cancel cascade ≈ 5-6s. 12s gives plenty
-        # of headroom; if exceeded, trio raises `TooSlowError`
-        # which the outer `try` block treats as a hang report
-        # (or, if `expect_cancel_exc is trio.TooSlowError`, as
-        # the test passing — either way, no global state
-        # corruption).
-        with trio.fail_after(12):
+        with trio.fail_after(fail_after_s):
             async with tractor.open_nursery(
                 registry_addrs=[reg_addr],
                 debug_mode=debug_mode,