diff --git a/scripts/runner.node.mjs b/scripts/runner.node.mjs
index 70c7cd5def..147f6ccc41 100755
--- a/scripts/runner.node.mjs
+++ b/scripts/runner.node.mjs
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ async function runTests() {
   const okResults = [];
   const flakyResults = [];
   const failedResults = [];
-  const maxAttempts = 1 + (parseInt(options["retries"]) || 0);
+  const defaultMaxAttempts = 1 + (parseInt(options["retries"]) || 0);
 
   /**
    * @param {string} title
@@ -321,11 +321,23 @@ async function runTests() {
    * @returns {Promise<TestResult>}
    */
   const runTest = async (title, fn) => {
+    // suspicious tests are run a minimum number of times, larger than the normal retry count, even
+    // if they pass on the first attempt. we are giving them N chances to fail instead of N chances
+    // to pass.
+    const suspiciousTests = [
+      "test-worker-arraybuffer-zerofill.js",
+      "worker_destruction.test.ts",
+      "worker.test.ts",
+      "test-worker-message-port-transfer-terminate.js",
+      "worker-lifecycle-message-port.test.ts",
+    ];
+    const suspicious = suspiciousTests.some(name => title.includes(name));
+    const maxAttempts = suspicious ? 50 : defaultMaxAttempts;
     const index = ++i;
 
     let result, failure, flaky;
     for (let attempt = 1; attempt <= maxAttempts; attempt++) {
-      if (attempt > 1) {
+      if (attempt > 1 && !suspicious) {
         await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 5000 + Math.random() * 10_000));
       }
 
@@ -343,7 +355,11 @@ async function runTests() {
         } else {
           okResults.push(result);
         }
-        break;
+        if (suspicious) {
+          continue;
+        } else {
+          break;
+        }
       }
 
       const color = attempt >= maxAttempts ? "red" : "yellow";