diff --git a/tests/boards/intel_adsp/smoke/src/cpus.c b/tests/boards/intel_adsp/smoke/src/cpus.c
index 2f5c7694727..61f4b23ae48 100644
--- a/tests/boards/intel_adsp/smoke/src/cpus.c
+++ b/tests/boards/intel_adsp/smoke/src/cpus.c
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ void halt_and_restart(int cpu)
 	/* Startup can be slow */
 	k_msleep(50);
 
-	zassert_true(WAIT_FOR(alive_flag == true, 10000, k_msleep(1)), NULL);
+	AWAIT(alive_flag == true);
 
 	k_thread_abort(&run_on_threads[cpu]);
 }
diff --git a/tests/boards/intel_adsp/smoke/src/hostipc.c b/tests/boards/intel_adsp/smoke/src/hostipc.c
index acc736834fd..ae2e9e98548 100644
--- a/tests/boards/intel_adsp/smoke/src/hostipc.c
+++ b/tests/boards/intel_adsp/smoke/src/hostipc.c
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ void test_host_ipc(void)
 	done_flag = false;
 	ret = cavs_ipc_send_message(CAVS_HOST_DEV, IPCCMD_SIGNAL_DONE, 0);
 	zassert_true(ret, "send failed");
-	zassert_true(WAIT_FOR(cavs_ipc_is_complete(CAVS_HOST_DEV), 10000, k_msleep(1)), NULL);
-	zassert_true(WAIT_FOR(done_flag, 10000, k_msleep(1)), NULL);
+	AWAIT(cavs_ipc_is_complete(CAVS_HOST_DEV));
+	AWAIT(done_flag);
 
 	/* Request the host to return a message which we will complete
 	 * immediately.
@@ -53,9 +53,9 @@ void test_host_ipc(void)
 	ret = cavs_ipc_send_message(CAVS_HOST_DEV, IPCCMD_RETURN_MSG,
 				    RETURN_MSG_SYNC_VAL);
 	zassert_true(ret, "send failed");
-	zassert_true(WAIT_FOR(done_flag, 10000, k_msleep(1)), NULL);
-	zassert_true(WAIT_FOR(cavs_ipc_is_complete(CAVS_HOST_DEV), 10000, k_msleep(1)), NULL);
-	zassert_true(WAIT_FOR(msg_flag, 10000, k_msleep(1)), NULL);
+	AWAIT(done_flag);
+	AWAIT(cavs_ipc_is_complete(CAVS_HOST_DEV));
+	AWAIT(msg_flag);
 
 	/* Do exactly the same thing again to check for state bugs
 	 * (e.g. failing to signal done on one side or the other)
@@ -66,9 +66,9 @@ void test_host_ipc(void)
 	ret = cavs_ipc_send_message(CAVS_HOST_DEV, IPCCMD_RETURN_MSG,
 				    RETURN_MSG_SYNC_VAL);
 	zassert_true(ret, "send failed");
-	zassert_true(WAIT_FOR(done_flag, 10000, k_msleep(1)), NULL);
-	zassert_true(WAIT_FOR(cavs_ipc_is_complete(CAVS_HOST_DEV), 10000, k_msleep(1)), NULL);
-	zassert_true(WAIT_FOR(msg_flag, 10000, k_msleep(1)), NULL);
+	AWAIT(done_flag);
+	AWAIT(cavs_ipc_is_complete(CAVS_HOST_DEV));
+	AWAIT(msg_flag);
 
 	/* Same, but we'll complete it asynchronously (1.8+ only) */
 	if (!IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_SOC_SERIES_INTEL_CAVS_V15)) {
@@ -78,10 +78,9 @@ void test_host_ipc(void)
 		ret = cavs_ipc_send_message(CAVS_HOST_DEV, IPCCMD_RETURN_MSG,
 					    RETURN_MSG_ASYNC_VAL);
 		zassert_true(ret, "send failed");
-		zassert_true(WAIT_FOR(done_flag, 10000, k_msleep(1)), NULL);
-		zassert_true(WAIT_FOR(cavs_ipc_is_complete(CAVS_HOST_DEV), 10000, k_msleep(1)),
-			     NULL);
-		zassert_true(WAIT_FOR(msg_flag, 10000, k_msleep(1)), NULL);
+		AWAIT(done_flag);
+		AWAIT(cavs_ipc_is_complete(CAVS_HOST_DEV));
+		AWAIT(msg_flag);
 		cavs_ipc_complete(CAVS_HOST_DEV);
 	}
 
diff --git a/tests/boards/intel_adsp/smoke/src/main.c b/tests/boards/intel_adsp/smoke/src/main.c
index 6ec18736bea..f1cb1be90d1 100644
--- a/tests/boards/intel_adsp/smoke/src/main.c
+++ b/tests/boards/intel_adsp/smoke/src/main.c
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ void test_clock_calibrate(void)
 	/* Now do it again, but with a handler to catch the result */
 	cyc1 = k_cycle_get_32();
 	cavs_ipc_send_message(CAVS_HOST_DEV, IPCCMD_TIMESTAMP, 0);
-	zassert_true(WAIT_FOR(host_dt != 0, 10000, k_msleep(1)), NULL);
+	AWAIT(host_dt != 0);
 	cavs_ipc_set_message_handler(CAVS_HOST_DEV, NULL, NULL);
 
 	hz = 1000000ULL * (cyc1 - cyc0) / host_dt;
diff --git a/tests/boards/intel_adsp/smoke/src/tests.h b/tests/boards/intel_adsp/smoke/src/tests.h
index 48d8adcbe17..f5cd691625e 100644
--- a/tests/boards/intel_adsp/smoke/src/tests.h
+++ b/tests/boards/intel_adsp/smoke/src/tests.h
@@ -7,6 +7,19 @@
 #include <cavs_ipc.h>
 #include <cavstool.h>
 
+/* Helper to escape from infinite polling loops with a test failure
+ * instead of a hang.  Spins with a relaxation loop so that it works
+ * in interrupt context and doesn't stress shared resources like SRAM
+ */
+#define AWAIT(expr) do {                                                \
+		int i;							\
+		for (i = 0; !(expr) && i < 10000; i++) {		\
+			for (volatile int j = 0; j < 1000; j++) {	\
+			}						\
+		}							\
+		zassert_true(i < 10000, "timeout waiting for %s", #expr); \
+	} while (0)
+
 void test_post_boot_ipi(void);
 void test_smp_boot_delay(void);
 void test_host_ipc(void);