diff --git a/tests/test_debugger.py b/tests/test_debugger.py
index 74c3fb3..9887c89 100644
--- a/tests/test_debugger.py
+++ b/tests/test_debugger.py
@@ -472,34 +472,40 @@ def test_multi_subactors(
     # quit the loop and expect parent to attach
     child.sendline('q')
 
-    if _ci_env and not ctlc:
-        try:
-            child.expect(r"\(Pdb\+\+\)")
-        except TIMEOUT:
-            # in ci seems like this can sometimes just result
-            # in full tree death?
-            print('tree died?')
+    try:
+        child.expect(r"\(Pdb\+\+\)")
+    except TIMEOUT:
+        if _ci_env and not ctlc:
+            raise
 
-        else:
-            before = str(child.before.decode())
-            assert_before(child, [
-                # debugger attaches to root
-                "Attaching to pdb in crashed actor: ('root'",
+        # in ci seems like this can sometimes just result
+        # in full tree death?
+        print('tree died?')
 
-                # expect a multierror with exceptions for each sub-actor
-                "RemoteActorError: ('breakpoint_forever'",
-                "RemoteActorError: ('name_error'",
-                "RemoteActorError: ('spawn_error'",
-                "RemoteActorError: ('name_error_1'",
-                'bdb.BdbQuit',
-            ])
+    else:
+        before = str(child.before.decode())
+        assert_before(child, [
+            # debugger attaches to root
+            "Attaching to pdb in crashed actor: ('root'",
+
+            # expect a multierror with exceptions for each sub-actor
+            "RemoteActorError: ('breakpoint_forever'",
+            "RemoteActorError: ('name_error'",
+            "RemoteActorError: ('spawn_error'",
+            "RemoteActorError: ('name_error_1'",
+            'bdb.BdbQuit',
+        ])
 
     if ctlc:
         do_ctlc(child)
 
     # process should exit
     child.sendline('c')
-    child.expect(pexpect.EOF)
+
+    try:
+        child.expect(pexpect.EOF)
+    except TIMEOUT:
+        child.expect(r"\(Pdb\+\+\)")
 
     # repeat of previous multierror for final output
     assert_before(child, [