diff --git a/common/tests/test_ratekeeper.cc b/common/tests/test_ratekeeper.cc
index f5aa16a859..32c7dfe58c 100644
--- a/common/tests/test_ratekeeper.cc
+++ b/common/tests/test_ratekeeper.cc
@@ -6,11 +6,18 @@
 TEST_CASE("RateKeeper") {
   float freq = GENERATE(10, 50, 100);
   RateKeeper rk("Test RateKeeper", freq);
+
+  int lags = 0;
+  int bad_keep_times = 0;
   for (int i = 0; i < freq; ++i) {
     double begin = seconds_since_boot();
     util::sleep_for(util::random_int(0, 1000.0 / freq - 1));
     bool lagged = rk.keepTime();
-    REQUIRE(std::abs(seconds_since_boot() - begin - (1 / freq)) < 1e-3);
-    REQUIRE(lagged == false);
+    lags += lagged;
+    bad_keep_times += (seconds_since_boot() - begin - (1 / freq)) > 1e-3;
   }
+
+  // need a tolerance here due to scheduling
+  REQUIRE(lags < 5);
+  REQUIRE(bad_keep_times < 5);
 }