diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 9c1dc816..1374186d 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ dev = [
   {include-group = 'devx'},
   {include-group = 'testing'},
   {include-group = 'repl'},
+  {include-group = 'sync_pause'},
 ]
 devx = [
   # `tractor.devx` tooling
diff --git a/tests/devx/conftest.py b/tests/devx/conftest.py
index c62dc4a1..3414d113 100644
--- a/tests/devx/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/devx/conftest.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 '''
 from __future__ import annotations
 import platform
+import os
 import signal
 import time
 from typing import (
@@ -90,7 +91,6 @@ def spawn(
         https://docs.python.org/3/using/cmdline.html#using-on-controlling-color
 
         '''
-        import os
         # disable colored tbs
         os.environ['PYTHON_COLORS'] = '0'
         # disable all ANSI color output
@@ -104,7 +104,6 @@ def spawn(
         without requiring per-script CLI plumbing.
 
         '''
-        import os
         os.environ['TRACTOR_SPAWN_METHOD'] = start_method
 
     def set_loglevel():
@@ -116,7 +115,6 @@ def spawn(
         the test harness without per-script edits.
 
         '''
-        import os
         if loglevel:
             os.environ['TRACTOR_LOGLEVEL'] = loglevel
         else:
@@ -176,13 +174,11 @@ def spawn(
         if ptyproc.isalive():
             ptyproc.kill(signal.SIGKILL)
 
-    # Scope our env-var mutations to this single fixture
-    # invocation — both `TRACTOR_SPAWN_METHOD` and
-    # `TRACTOR_LOGLEVEL` are honored by
-    # `tractor._root.open_root_actor()` so leaking them past
-    # this test could inadvertently re-route a later
-    # in-process tractor test's spawn-backend / loglevel.
-    import os
+    # Scope our env-var mutations to this single fixture invocation
+    # — both `TRACTOR_SPAWN_METHOD` and `TRACTOR_LOGLEVEL` are
+    # honored by `tractor._root.open_root_actor()` so leaking them
+    # past this test could inadvertently re-route a later in-process
+    # tractor test's spawn-backend / loglevel.
     os.environ.pop('TRACTOR_SPAWN_METHOD', None)
     os.environ.pop('TRACTOR_LOGLEVEL', None)
 
diff --git a/tests/devx/test_debugger.py b/tests/devx/test_debugger.py
index d5fd759b..34f1b6ba 100644
--- a/tests/devx/test_debugger.py
+++ b/tests/devx/test_debugger.py
@@ -841,7 +841,7 @@ def test_multi_nested_subactors_error_through_nurseries(
     )
 
 
-@pytest.mark.timeout(15)
+# @pytest.mark.timeout(15)
 @has_nested_actors
 def test_root_nursery_cancels_before_child_releases_tty_lock(
     spawn,
diff --git a/tests/discovery/test_registrar.py b/tests/discovery/test_registrar.py
index d7fa15c2..ef061f3c 100644
--- a/tests/discovery/test_registrar.py
+++ b/tests/discovery/test_registrar.py
@@ -535,13 +535,13 @@ async def kill_transport(
 # At timeout the plugin hard-kills the pytest process — that's
 # the intended behavior here; the alternative is an unattended
 # suite run that never returns.
-@pytest.mark.timeout(
-    30,
-    # NOTE should be a 2.1s happy path.
-    # XXX for `main_thread_forkserver` this is SUPER SENSITIVE
-    # so keep it higher to avoid flaky runs..
-    method='thread',
-)
+# @pytest.mark.timeout(
+#     30,
+#     # NOTE should be a 2.1s happy path.
+#     # XXX for `main_thread_forkserver` this is SUPER SENSITIVE
+#     # so keep it higher to avoid flaky runs..
+#     method='thread',
+# )
 @pytest.mark.skipon_spawn_backend(
     'subint',
     # 'main_thread_forkserver',
diff --git a/tests/test_advanced_streaming.py b/tests/test_advanced_streaming.py
index d4b206f1..645d2759 100644
--- a/tests/test_advanced_streaming.py
+++ b/tests/test_advanced_streaming.py
@@ -430,10 +430,10 @@ async def inf_streamer(
     print('streamer exited .open_streamer() block')
 
 
-@pytest.mark.timeout(
-    6,
-    method='signal',
-)
+# @pytest.mark.timeout(
+#     6,
+#     method='signal',
+# )
 def test_local_task_fanout_from_stream(
     reg_addr: tuple,
     debug_mode: bool,
diff --git a/tests/test_cancellation.py b/tests/test_cancellation.py
index 28168fd6..af1ae51d 100644
--- a/tests/test_cancellation.py
+++ b/tests/test_cancellation.py
@@ -458,10 +458,10 @@ async def spawn_and_error(
 # `test_nested_multierrors`. See
 # `ai/conc-anal/subint_forkserver_test_cancellation_leak_issue.md`
 # / #449 for the post-mortem.
-@pytest.mark.timeout(
-    10,
-    method='thread',
-)
+# @pytest.mark.timeout(
+#     10,
+#     method='thread',
+# )
 @tractor_test
 async def test_nested_multierrors(
     reg_addr: tuple,