diff --git a/gio/tests/gsocketclient-slow.c b/gio/tests/gsocketclient-slow.c
index 34410f4cf..803ed9082 100644
--- a/gio/tests/gsocketclient-slow.c
+++ b/gio/tests/gsocketclient-slow.c
@@ -79,23 +79,26 @@ on_connected_cancelled (GObject      *source_object,
   g_main_loop_quit (user_data);
 }
 
-static int
-on_timer (GCancellable *cancel)
+typedef struct
 {
-  g_cancellable_cancel (cancel);
-  return G_SOURCE_REMOVE;
-}
+  GCancellable *cancellable;
+  gboolean completed;
+} EventCallbackData;
 
 static void
 on_event (GSocketClient      *client,
           GSocketClientEvent  event,
           GSocketConnectable *connectable,
           GIOStream          *connection,
-          gboolean           *got_completed_event)
+          EventCallbackData  *data)
 {
-  if (event == G_SOCKET_CLIENT_COMPLETE)
+  if (data->cancellable && event == G_SOCKET_CLIENT_CONNECTED)
     {
-      *got_completed_event = TRUE;
+      g_cancellable_cancel (data->cancellable);
+    }
+  else if (event == G_SOCKET_CLIENT_COMPLETE)
+    {
+      data->completed = TRUE;
       g_assert_null (connection);
     }
 }
@@ -108,8 +111,7 @@ test_happy_eyeballs_cancel_delayed (void)
   GError *error = NULL;
   guint16 port;
   GMainLoop *loop;
-  GCancellable *cancel;
-  gboolean got_completed_event = FALSE;
+  EventCallbackData data = { NULL, FALSE };
 
   /* This just tests that cancellation works as expected, still emits the completed signal,
    * and never returns a connection */
@@ -122,17 +124,16 @@ test_happy_eyeballs_cancel_delayed (void)
   g_socket_service_start (service);
 
   client = g_socket_client_new ();
-  cancel = g_cancellable_new ();
-  g_socket_client_connect_to_host_async (client, "localhost", port, cancel, on_connected_cancelled, loop);
-  g_timeout_add (1, (GSourceFunc) on_timer, cancel);
-  g_signal_connect (client, "event", G_CALLBACK (on_event), &got_completed_event);
+  data.cancellable = g_cancellable_new ();
+  g_socket_client_connect_to_host_async (client, "localhost", port, data.cancellable, on_connected_cancelled, loop);
+  g_signal_connect (client, "event", G_CALLBACK (on_event), &data);
   g_main_loop_run (loop);
 
-  g_assert_true (got_completed_event);
+  g_assert_true (data.completed);
   g_main_loop_unref (loop);
   g_object_unref (service);
   g_object_unref (client);
-  g_object_unref (cancel);
+  g_object_unref (data.cancellable);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -144,7 +145,7 @@ test_happy_eyeballs_cancel_instant (void)
   guint16 port;
   GMainLoop *loop;
   GCancellable *cancel;
-  gboolean got_completed_event = FALSE;
+  EventCallbackData data = { NULL, FALSE };
 
   /* This tests the same things as above, test_happy_eyeballs_cancel_delayed(), but
    * with different timing since it sends an already cancelled cancellable */
@@ -160,10 +161,10 @@ test_happy_eyeballs_cancel_instant (void)
   cancel = g_cancellable_new ();
   g_cancellable_cancel (cancel);
   g_socket_client_connect_to_host_async (client, "localhost", port, cancel, on_connected_cancelled, loop);
-  g_signal_connect (client, "event", G_CALLBACK (on_event), &got_completed_event);
+  g_signal_connect (client, "event", G_CALLBACK (on_event), &data);
   g_main_loop_run (loop);
 
-  g_assert_true (got_completed_event);
+  g_assert_true (data.completed);
   g_main_loop_unref (loop);
   g_object_unref (service);
   g_object_unref (client);