diff --git a/selfdrive/athena/tests/test_athenad.py b/selfdrive/athena/tests/test_athenad.py
index 9c7582a260..2fecab1b1b 100755
--- a/selfdrive/athena/tests/test_athenad.py
+++ b/selfdrive/athena/tests/test_athenad.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
-from functools import partial
+from functools import partial, wraps
 import json
 import multiprocessing
 import os
@@ -42,6 +42,20 @@ def seed_athena_server(host, port):
 with_mock_athena = partial(with_http_server, handler=HTTPRequestHandler, setup=seed_athena_server)
 
 
+def with_upload_handler(func):
+  @wraps(func)
+  def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+    end_event = threading.Event()
+    thread = threading.Thread(target=athenad.upload_handler, args=(end_event,))
+    thread.start()
+    try:
+      return func(*args, **kwargs)
+    finally:
+      end_event.set()
+      thread.join()
+  return wrapper
+
+
 class TestAthenadMethods(unittest.TestCase):
   @classmethod
   def setUpClass(cls):
@@ -209,77 +223,59 @@ class TestAthenadMethods(unittest.TestCase):
     self.assertEqual(not_exists_resp, {'enqueued': 0, 'items': [], 'failed': ['does_not_exist.bz2']})
 
   @with_mock_athena
+  @with_upload_handler
   def test_upload_handler(self, host):
     fn = self._create_file('qlog.bz2')
     item = athenad.UploadItem(path=fn, url=f"{host}/qlog.bz2", headers={}, created_at=int(time.time()*1000), id='', allow_cellular=True)
 
-    end_event = threading.Event()
-    thread = threading.Thread(target=athenad.upload_handler, args=(end_event,))
-    thread.start()
-
     athenad.upload_queue.put_nowait(item)
-    try:
-      self._wait_for_upload()
-      time.sleep(0.1)
+    self._wait_for_upload()
+    time.sleep(0.1)
 
-      # TODO: verify that upload actually succeeded
-      self.assertEqual(athenad.upload_queue.qsize(), 0)
-    finally:
-      end_event.set()
+    # TODO: verify that upload actually succeeded
+    self.assertEqual(athenad.upload_queue.qsize(), 0)
 
+  @parameterized.expand([(500, True), (412, False)])
   @with_mock_athena
   @mock.patch('requests.put')
-  def test_upload_handler_retry(self, host, mock_put):
-    for status, retry in ((500, True), (412, False)):
-      mock_put.return_value.status_code = status
-      fn = self._create_file('qlog.bz2')
-      item = athenad.UploadItem(path=fn, url=f"{host}/qlog.bz2", headers={}, created_at=int(time.time()*1000), id='', allow_cellular=True)
-
-      end_event = threading.Event()
-      thread = threading.Thread(target=athenad.upload_handler, args=(end_event,))
-      thread.start()
+  @with_upload_handler
+  def test_upload_handler_retry(self, status, retry, mock_put, host):
+    mock_put.return_value.status_code = status
+    fn = self._create_file('qlog.bz2')
+    item = athenad.UploadItem(path=fn, url=f"{host}/qlog.bz2", headers={}, created_at=int(time.time()*1000), id='', allow_cellular=True)
 
-      athenad.upload_queue.put_nowait(item)
-      try:
-        self._wait_for_upload()
-        time.sleep(0.1)
+    athenad.upload_queue.put_nowait(item)
+    self._wait_for_upload()
+    time.sleep(0.1)
 
-        self.assertEqual(athenad.upload_queue.qsize(), 1 if retry else 0)
-      finally:
-        end_event.set()
+    self.assertEqual(athenad.upload_queue.qsize(), 1 if retry else 0)
 
-      if retry:
-        self.assertEqual(athenad.upload_queue.get().retry_count, 1)
+    if retry:
+      self.assertEqual(athenad.upload_queue.get().retry_count, 1)
 
+  @with_upload_handler
   def test_upload_handler_timeout(self):
     """When an upload times out or fails to connect it should be placed back in the queue"""
     fn = self._create_file('qlog.bz2')
     item = athenad.UploadItem(path=fn, url="http://localhost:44444/qlog.bz2", headers={}, created_at=int(time.time()*1000), id='', allow_cellular=True)
     item_no_retry = replace(item, retry_count=MAX_RETRY_COUNT)
 
-    end_event = threading.Event()
-    thread = threading.Thread(target=athenad.upload_handler, args=(end_event,))
-    thread.start()
-
-    try:
-      athenad.upload_queue.put_nowait(item_no_retry)
-      self._wait_for_upload()
-      time.sleep(0.1)
-
-      # Check that upload with retry count exceeded is not put back
-      self.assertEqual(athenad.upload_queue.qsize(), 0)
+    athenad.upload_queue.put_nowait(item_no_retry)
+    self._wait_for_upload()
+    time.sleep(0.1)
 
-      athenad.upload_queue.put_nowait(item)
-      self._wait_for_upload()
-      time.sleep(0.1)
+    # Check that upload with retry count exceeded is not put back
+    self.assertEqual(athenad.upload_queue.qsize(), 0)
 
-      # Check that upload item was put back in the queue with incremented retry count
-      self.assertEqual(athenad.upload_queue.qsize(), 1)
-      self.assertEqual(athenad.upload_queue.get().retry_count, 1)
+    athenad.upload_queue.put_nowait(item)
+    self._wait_for_upload()
+    time.sleep(0.1)
 
-    finally:
-      end_event.set()
+    # Check that upload item was put back in the queue with incremented retry count
+    self.assertEqual(athenad.upload_queue.qsize(), 1)
+    self.assertEqual(athenad.upload_queue.get().retry_count, 1)
 
+  @with_upload_handler
   def test_cancelUpload(self):
     item = athenad.UploadItem(path="qlog.bz2", url="http://localhost:44444/qlog.bz2", headers={},
                               created_at=int(time.time()*1000), id='id', allow_cellular=True)
@@ -288,18 +284,13 @@ class TestAthenadMethods(unittest.TestCase):
 
     self.assertIn(item.id, athenad.cancelled_uploads)
 
-    end_event = threading.Event()
-    thread = threading.Thread(target=athenad.upload_handler, args=(end_event,))
-    thread.start()
-    try:
-      self._wait_for_upload()
-      time.sleep(0.1)
+    self._wait_for_upload()
+    time.sleep(0.1)
 
-      self.assertEqual(athenad.upload_queue.qsize(), 0)
-      self.assertEqual(len(athenad.cancelled_uploads), 0)
-    finally:
-      end_event.set()
+    self.assertEqual(athenad.upload_queue.qsize(), 0)
+    self.assertEqual(len(athenad.cancelled_uploads), 0)
 
+  @with_upload_handler
   def test_cancelExpiry(self):
     t_future = datetime.now() - timedelta(days=40)
     ts = int(t_future.strftime("%s")) * 1000
@@ -308,42 +299,28 @@ class TestAthenadMethods(unittest.TestCase):
     fn = self._create_file('qlog.bz2')
     item = athenad.UploadItem(path=fn, url="http://localhost:44444/qlog.bz2", headers={}, created_at=ts, id='', allow_cellular=True)
 
+    athenad.upload_queue.put_nowait(item)
+    self._wait_for_upload()
+    time.sleep(0.1)
 
-    end_event = threading.Event()
-    thread = threading.Thread(target=athenad.upload_handler, args=(end_event,))
-    thread.start()
-    try:
-      athenad.upload_queue.put_nowait(item)
-      self._wait_for_upload()
-      time.sleep(0.1)
-
-      self.assertEqual(athenad.upload_queue.qsize(), 0)
-    finally:
-      end_event.set()
+    self.assertEqual(athenad.upload_queue.qsize(), 0)
 
   def test_listUploadQueueEmpty(self):
     items = dispatcher["listUploadQueue"]()
     self.assertEqual(len(items), 0)
 
   @with_http_server
+  @with_upload_handler
   def test_listUploadQueueCurrent(self, host: str):
     fn = self._create_file('qlog.bz2')
     item = athenad.UploadItem(path=fn, url=f"{host}/qlog.bz2", headers={}, created_at=int(time.time()*1000), id='', allow_cellular=True)
 
-    end_event = threading.Event()
-    thread = threading.Thread(target=athenad.upload_handler, args=(end_event,))
-    thread.start()
-
-    try:
-      athenad.upload_queue.put_nowait(item)
-      self._wait_for_upload()
-
-      items = dispatcher["listUploadQueue"]()
-      self.assertEqual(len(items), 1)
-      self.assertTrue(items[0]['current'])
+    athenad.upload_queue.put_nowait(item)
+    self._wait_for_upload()
 
-    finally:
-      end_event.set()
+    items = dispatcher["listUploadQueue"]()
+    self.assertEqual(len(items), 1)
+    self.assertTrue(items[0]['current'])
 
   def test_listUploadQueue(self):
     item = athenad.UploadItem(path="qlog.bz2", url="http://localhost:44444/qlog.bz2", headers={},