diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 38c3337c6f..1decad4d08 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tool.pytest.ini_options]
 minversion = "6.0"
-addopts = "--ignore=openpilot/ --ignore=cereal/ --ignore=opendbc/ --ignore=panda/ --ignore=rednose_repo/ --ignore=tinygrad_repo/ -Werror --strict-config --strict-markers --durations=10 -n auto --dist=loadgroup"
+addopts = "--ignore=openpilot/ --ignore=cereal/ --ignore=opendbc/ --ignore=panda/ --ignore=rednose_repo/ --ignore=tinygrad_repo/ -Werror --strict-config --strict-markers --durations=10 -n auto --dist=loadgroup --random-order"
 cpp_files = "test_*"
 python_files = "test_*.py"
 #timeout = "30"  # you get this long by default
diff --git a/selfdrive/athena/tests/test_athenad.py b/selfdrive/athena/tests/test_athenad.py
index 8829ebfbf1..a31e510ff0 100755
--- a/selfdrive/athena/tests/test_athenad.py
+++ b/selfdrive/athena/tests/test_athenad.py
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ class TestAthenadMethods(unittest.TestCase):
     athenad.LOCAL_PORT_WHITELIST = {cls.SOCKET_PORT}
 
   def setUp(self):
+    dispatcher["listUploadQueue"]() # ensure queue is empty at start
+
     MockParams.restore_defaults()
     athenad.upload_queue = queue.Queue()
     athenad.cur_upload_items.clear()
@@ -46,8 +48,6 @@ class TestAthenadMethods(unittest.TestCase):
       else:
         os.unlink(p)
 
-    dispatcher["listUploadQueue"]() # ensure queue is empty at start
-
   # *** test helpers ***
 
   @staticmethod
diff --git a/selfdrive/controls/tests/test_state_machine.py b/selfdrive/controls/tests/test_state_machine.py
index bdeed9fb7a..d626f94015 100755
--- a/selfdrive/controls/tests/test_state_machine.py
+++ b/selfdrive/controls/tests/test_state_machine.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
+import copy
 import unittest
+from unittest import mock
 
 from cereal import car, log
 from openpilot.common.realtime import DT_CTRL
@@ -17,6 +19,7 @@ ALL_STATES = tuple(State.schema.enumerants.values())
 # The event types checked in DISABLED section of state machine
 ENABLE_EVENT_TYPES = (ET.ENABLE, ET.PRE_ENABLE, ET.OVERRIDE_LATERAL, ET.OVERRIDE_LONGITUDINAL)
 
+EVENTS = copy.copy(EVENTS)
 
 def make_event(event_types):
   event = {}
@@ -27,6 +30,7 @@ def make_event(event_types):
   return 0
 
 
+@mock.patch("openpilot.selfdrive.controls.lib.events.EVENTS", EVENTS)
 class TestStateMachine(unittest.TestCase):
 
   def setUp(self):