diff --git a/test/e2e/grpc_test.go b/test/e2e/grpc_test.go
index e9bea8552..ab65b626b 100644
--- a/test/e2e/grpc_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/grpc_test.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func TestGrpc(t *testing.T) {
 
 	f.BuildAndRun("grpcclient", "-addr", "127.0.0.1:50051", "-name", "OpenTelemetry")
 	f.Run("grpcclient", "-addr", "127.0.0.1:50051", "-stream")
-	testutil.WaitForSpanFlush(t)
+	f.WaitForSpans(4) // 2 traces (unary + stream) × 2 spans (client + server)
 
 	f.RequireTraceCount(2)    // unary + stream
 	f.RequireSpansPerTrace(2) // client + server per trace
diff --git a/test/integration/grpc_server_test.go b/test/integration/grpc_server_test.go
index 75d94affc..d1596ac6a 100644
--- a/test/integration/grpc_server_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/grpc_server_test.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func TestGRPCServer(t *testing.T) {
 
 			client := NewGRPCClient(t, "localhost:50051")
 			tc.exercise(t, client)
-			testutil.WaitForSpanFlush(t)
+			f.WaitForSpans(1)
 
 			span := f.RequireSingleSpan()
 			testutil.RequireGRPCServerSemconv(t, span, "greeter.Greeter", tc.method, 0)
diff --git a/test/integration/grpc_shutdown_test.go b/test/integration/grpc_shutdown_test.go
index bece77b64..b5e1bc75c 100644
--- a/test/integration/grpc_shutdown_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/grpc_shutdown_test.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func TestGRPCServerTelemetryFlushOnSignal(t *testing.T) {
 
 	require.NoError(t, cmd.Process.Signal(os.Interrupt))
 	waitForProcessExit(t, cmd, 10*time.Second)
-	testutil.WaitForSpanFlush(t)
+	f.WaitForSpans(1)
 
 	spans := testutil.AllSpans(f.Traces())
 	require.NotEmpty(t, spans, "expected spans to be flushed on SIGINT shutdown")
diff --git a/test/integration/http_server_test.go b/test/integration/http_server_test.go
index 6ac5e9903..7ee764441 100644
--- a/test/integration/http_server_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/http_server_test.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ func TestHTTPServer(t *testing.T) {
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 			defer resp.Body.Close()
 			require.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, resp.StatusCode)
-			testutil.WaitForSpanFlush(t)
+			f.WaitForSpans(1)
 
 			span := f.RequireSingleSpan()
 			testutil.RequireHTTPServerSemconv(
diff --git a/test/testutil/collector.go b/test/testutil/collector.go
index cd3fe2e4a..2614f5bd2 100644
--- a/test/testutil/collector.go
+++ b/test/testutil/collector.go
@@ -27,6 +27,23 @@ func (c *Collector) GetTraces() ptrace.Traces {
 	return c.traces
 }
 
+// SpanCount returns the total number of collected spans under the lock.
+func (c *Collector) SpanCount() int {
+	c.mu.Lock()
+	defer c.mu.Unlock()
+	return countSpans(c.traces)
+}
+
+func countSpans(td ptrace.Traces) int {
+	n := 0
+	for i := range td.ResourceSpans().Len() {
+		for j := range td.ResourceSpans().At(i).ScopeSpans().Len() {
+			n += td.ResourceSpans().At(i).ScopeSpans().At(j).Spans().Len()
+		}
+	}
+	return n
+}
+
 // StartCollector starts an in-memory OTLP HTTP server that collects traces
 func StartCollector(t *testing.T) *Collector {
 	c := &Collector{traces: ptrace.NewTraces()}
diff --git a/test/testutil/fixture.go b/test/testutil/fixture.go
index 8170d6b18..90403da8e 100644
--- a/test/testutil/fixture.go
+++ b/test/testutil/fixture.go
@@ -142,6 +142,12 @@ func (f *TestFixture) RequireSpansPerTrace(expected int) {
 	}
 }
 
+// WaitForSpans polls until at least minSpans spans arrive in the collector.
+func (f *TestFixture) WaitForSpans(minSpans int) {
+	f.t.Helper()
+	WaitForSpans(f.t, f.collector, minSpans)
+}
+
 // RequireSingleSpan asserts exactly 1 trace with 1 span and returns it.
 func (f *TestFixture) RequireSingleSpan() ptrace.Span {
 	f.RequireTraceCount(1)
diff --git a/test/testutil/readiness.go b/test/testutil/readiness.go
index fe7552b9d..c6ea03e92 100644
--- a/test/testutil/readiness.go
+++ b/test/testutil/readiness.go
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ import (
 const (
 	defaultReadinessTimeout  = 10 * time.Second
 	defaultReadinessInterval = 100 * time.Millisecond
+	defaultSpanPollTimeout  = 3 * time.Second
+	defaultSpanPollInterval  = 25 * time.Millisecond
 )
 
 // WaitForTCP waits until a TCP connection can be established.
@@ -29,8 +31,22 @@ func WaitForTCP(t *testing.T, addr string) {
 	}, defaultReadinessTimeout, defaultReadinessInterval, "timeout waiting for TCP readiness at %s", addr)
 }
 
-// WaitForSpanFlush waits for spans to be flushed to collector.
-func WaitForSpanFlush(t *testing.T) {
+// WaitForSpans polls the collector until at least minSpans spans are received or the timeout expires.
+func WaitForSpans(t *testing.T, c *Collector, minSpans int) {
 	t.Helper()
-	time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
+	if !pollForSpans(c, minSpans, defaultSpanPollTimeout) {
+		t.Fatalf("timeout waiting for %d span(s), collector has %d", minSpans, c.SpanCount())
+	}
+}
+
+// pollForSpans returns true if at least minSpans spans arrive within timeout.
+func pollForSpans(c *Collector, minSpans int, timeout time.Duration) bool {
+	deadline := time.Now().Add(timeout)
+	for time.Now().Before(deadline) {
+		if c.SpanCount() >= minSpans {
+			return true
+		}
+		time.Sleep(defaultSpanPollInterval)
+	}
+	return false
 }
diff --git a/test/testutil/readiness_test.go b/test/testutil/readiness_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e27480cee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/testutil/readiness_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+// Copyright The OpenTelemetry Authors
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+package testutil
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"net/http"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"go.opentelemetry.io/collector/pdata/ptrace"
+)
+
+// sendSpan posts a single span to the collector via its HTTP endpoint.
+func sendSpan(t *testing.T, c *Collector) {
+	t.Helper()
+	td := ptrace.NewTraces()
+	rs := td.ResourceSpans().AppendEmpty()
+	ss := rs.ScopeSpans().AppendEmpty()
+	ss.Spans().AppendEmpty()
+
+	var m ptrace.ProtoMarshaler
+	data, err := m.MarshalTraces(td)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	resp, err := http.Post(c.URL+"/v1/traces", "application/x-protobuf", bytes.NewReader(data))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+	require.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, resp.StatusCode)
+}
+
+func TestWaitForSpans_returnsWhenSpansArrive(t *testing.T) {
+	c := StartCollector(t)
+	sendSpan(t, c)
+
+	start := time.Now()
+	WaitForSpans(t, c, 1)
+	assert.Less(t, time.Since(start), 100*time.Millisecond)
+}
+
+func TestWaitForSpans_pollsUntilSpansArrive(t *testing.T) {
+	c := StartCollector(t)
+
+	go func() {
+		time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+		sendSpan(t, c)
+	}()
+
+	WaitForSpans(t, c, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, c.SpanCount())
+}
+
+func TestWaitForSpans_timesOut(t *testing.T) {
+	c := StartCollector(t)
+	// No spans sent — polling should report failure within the short timeout.
+	ok := pollForSpans(c, 1, 50*time.Millisecond)
+	assert.False(t, ok)
+}