diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/App.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/App.test.tsx
index 5d2bf20c..a2b9354e 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/App.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/App.test.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 import type { Mock } from 'vitest';
 import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest';
+import { waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
 import { renderWithProviders } from '../test-utils/render.js';
 import { AppWrapper as App } from './App.js';
 import type {
@@ -399,9 +400,10 @@ describe('App UI', () => {
       );
       currentUnmount = unmount;
 
-      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 10));
-
-      expect(spawn).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      // Wait for any potential async operations to complete
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        expect(spawn).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      });
     });
 
     it('should show a success message when update succeeds', async () => {
@@ -427,11 +429,12 @@ describe('App UI', () => {
 
       updateEventEmitter.emit('update-success', info);
 
-      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 10));
-
-      expect(lastFrame()).toContain(
-        'Update successful! The new version will be used on your next run.',
-      );
+      // Wait for the success message to appear
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        expect(lastFrame()).toContain(
+          'Update successful! The new version will be used on your next run.',
+        );
+      });
     });
 
     it('should show an error message when update fails', async () => {
@@ -457,11 +460,12 @@ describe('App UI', () => {
 
       updateEventEmitter.emit('update-failed', info);
 
-      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 10));
-
-      expect(lastFrame()).toContain(
-        'Automatic update failed. Please try updating manually',
-      );
+      // Wait for the error message to appear
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        expect(lastFrame()).toContain(
+          'Automatic update failed. Please try updating manually',
+        );
+      });
     });
 
     it('should show an error message when spawn fails', async () => {
@@ -489,11 +493,12 @@ describe('App UI', () => {
       // which is what should be emitted when a spawn error occurs elsewhere.
       updateEventEmitter.emit('update-failed', info);
 
-      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 10));
-
-      expect(lastFrame()).toContain(
-        'Automatic update failed. Please try updating manually',
-      );
+      // Wait for the error message to appear
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        expect(lastFrame()).toContain(
+          'Automatic update failed. Please try updating manually',
+        );
+      });
     });
 
     it('should not auto-update if GEMINI_CLI_DISABLE_AUTOUPDATER is true', async () => {
@@ -519,9 +524,10 @@ describe('App UI', () => {
       );
       currentUnmount = unmount;
 
-      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 10));
-
-      expect(spawn).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      // Wait for any potential async operations to complete
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        expect(spawn).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      });
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.test.tsx
index faea0b82..994f2ba3 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.test.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  */
 
 import { renderWithProviders } from '../../test-utils/render.js';
-import { waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { waitFor, act } from '@testing-library/react';
 import type { InputPromptProps } from './InputPrompt.js';
 import { InputPrompt } from './InputPrompt.js';
 import type { TextBuffer } from './shared/text-buffer.js';
@@ -1412,12 +1412,20 @@ describe('InputPrompt', () => {
       const { stdin, stdout, unmount } = renderWithProviders(
         <InputPrompt {...props} />,
       );
-      stdin.write('\x12');
+
+      // Enter reverse search mode with Ctrl+R
+      act(() => {
+        stdin.write('\x12');
+      });
       await wait();
+
       // Verify reverse search is active
       expect(stdout.lastFrame()).toContain('(r:)');
 
-      stdin.write('\t');
+      // Press Tab to complete the highlighted entry
+      act(() => {
+        stdin.write('\t');
+      });
 
       await waitFor(
         () => {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useAtCompletion.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useAtCompletion.test.ts
index c64eeb68..8d35a6cf 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useAtCompletion.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useAtCompletion.test.ts
@@ -201,12 +201,14 @@ describe('useAtCompletion', () => {
       });
       await realFileSearch.initialize();
 
+      // Mock that returns results immediately but we'll control timing with fake timers
       const mockFileSearch: FileSearch = {
         initialize: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
-        search: vi.fn().mockImplementation(async (...args) => {
-          await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 300));
-          return realFileSearch.search(...args);
-        }),
+        search: vi
+          .fn()
+          .mockImplementation(async (...args) =>
+            realFileSearch.search(...args),
+          ),
       };
       vi.spyOn(FileSearchFactory, 'create').mockReturnValue(mockFileSearch);
 
@@ -216,33 +218,42 @@ describe('useAtCompletion', () => {
         { initialProps: { pattern: 'a' } },
       );
 
-      // Wait for the initial (slow) search to complete
+      // Wait for the initial search to complete (using real timers)
       await waitFor(() => {
         expect(result.current.suggestions.map((s) => s.value)).toEqual([
           'a.txt',
         ]);
       });
 
-      // Now, rerender to trigger the second search
-      rerender({ pattern: 'b' });
+      // Now switch to fake timers for precise control of the loading behavior
+      vi.useFakeTimers();
 
-      // Wait for the loading indicator to appear
-      await waitFor(() => {
-        expect(result.current.isLoadingSuggestions).toBe(true);
+      // Trigger the second search
+      act(() => {
+        rerender({ pattern: 'b' });
       });
 
-      // Suggestions should be cleared while loading
+      // Initially, loading should be false (before 200ms timer)
+      expect(result.current.isLoadingSuggestions).toBe(false);
+
+      // Advance time by exactly 200ms to trigger the loading state
+      act(() => {
+        vi.advanceTimersByTime(200);
+      });
+
+      // Now loading should be true and suggestions should be cleared
+      expect(result.current.isLoadingSuggestions).toBe(true);
       expect(result.current.suggestions).toEqual([]);
 
-      // Wait for the final (slow) search to complete
-      await waitFor(
-        () => {
-          expect(result.current.suggestions.map((s) => s.value)).toEqual([
-            'b.txt',
-          ]);
-        },
-        { timeout: 1000 },
-      ); // Increase timeout for the slow search
+      // Switch back to real timers for the final waitFor
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+
+      // Wait for the search results to be processed
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        expect(result.current.suggestions.map((s) => s.value)).toEqual([
+          'b.txt',
+        ]);
+      });
 
       expect(result.current.isLoadingSuggestions).toBe(false);
     });