diff --git a/internal/manager/timeout_checker/tasks_test.go b/internal/manager/timeout_checker/tasks_test.go
index 4334a77e..9c1227be 100644
--- a/internal/manager/timeout_checker/tasks_test.go
+++ b/internal/manager/timeout_checker/tasks_test.go
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ import (
 const taskTimeout = 20 * time.Minute
 
 func TestTimeoutCheckerTiming(t *testing.T) {
+	canaryTest(t)
+
 	ttc, finish, mocks := timeoutCheckerTestFixtures(t)
 	defer finish()
 
@@ -81,12 +83,7 @@ func TestTimeoutCheckerTiming(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestTaskTimeout(t *testing.T) {
-	// Canary test: if these constants do not have the expected value, the test
-	// will fail rather cryptically.
-	if !assert.Equal(t, 5*time.Minute, timeoutInitialSleep, "timeoutInitialSleep does not have the expected value") ||
-		!assert.Equal(t, 1*time.Minute, timeoutCheckInterval, "timeoutCheckInterval does not have the expected value") {
-		t.FailNow()
-	}
+	canaryTest(t)
 
 	ttc, finish, mocks := timeoutCheckerTestFixtures(t)
 	defer finish()
diff --git a/internal/manager/timeout_checker/timeout_checker_test.go b/internal/manager/timeout_checker/timeout_checker_test.go
index 82dbffae..13c33242 100644
--- a/internal/manager/timeout_checker/timeout_checker_test.go
+++ b/internal/manager/timeout_checker/timeout_checker_test.go
@@ -6,9 +6,11 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/benbjohnson/clock"
 	"github.com/golang/mock/gomock"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 
 	"git.blender.org/flamenco/internal/manager/timeout_checker/mocks"
 )
@@ -72,3 +74,15 @@ func timeoutCheckerTestFixtures(t *testing.T) (*TimeoutChecker, func(), *Timeout
 	)
 	return sm, finish, mocks
 }
+
+// canaryTest will abort the current test if timing constants do not have the
+// expected value. Unit tests will fail rather cryptically by themselves if the
+// timing of the timeout checker is not what is expected.
+func canaryTest(t *testing.T) {
+	if assert.Equal(t, 5*time.Minute, timeoutInitialSleep, "timeoutInitialSleep does not have the expected value") &&
+		assert.Equal(t, 1*time.Minute, timeoutCheckInterval, "timeoutCheckInterval does not have the expected value") {
+		return
+	}
+	t.Fatal("timing-related constants are not as expected by the unit test, preemptively aborting.")
+	t.FailNow()
+}
diff --git a/internal/manager/timeout_checker/workers_test.go b/internal/manager/timeout_checker/workers_test.go
index 5be02249..713d1a3d 100644
--- a/internal/manager/timeout_checker/workers_test.go
+++ b/internal/manager/timeout_checker/workers_test.go
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ import (
 const workerTimeout = 20 * time.Minute
 
 func TestWorkerTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	canaryTest(t)
+
 	ttc, finish, mocks := timeoutCheckerTestFixtures(t)
 	defer finish()