diff --git a/tests/unit/active/test_active_send.cc b/tests/unit/active/test_active_send.cc
index 2ad575a35c..c8748fef27 100644
--- a/tests/unit/active/test_active_send.cc
+++ b/tests/unit/active/test_active_send.cc
@@ -132,19 +132,19 @@ TEST_F(TestActiveSend, test_type_safe_active_fn_send) {
     fmt::print("test_type_safe_active_fn_send: node={}\n", my_node);
   #endif
 
-  if (my_node == from_node) {
-    for (int i = 0; i < num_msg_sent; i++) {
-      #if DEBUG_TEST_HARNESS_PRINT
-        fmt::print("{}: sendMsg: i={}\n", my_node, i);
-      #endif
-      auto msg = makeMessage<TestMsg>();
-      theMsg()->sendMsg<TestMsg, test_handler>(1, msg.get());
+  runInEpochCollective([=]{
+    if (my_node == from_node) {
+      for (int i = 0; i < num_msg_sent; i++) {
+        #if DEBUG_TEST_HARNESS_PRINT
+          fmt::print("{}: sendMsg: i={}\n", my_node, i);
+        #endif
+        auto msg = makeMessage<TestMsg>();
+        theMsg()->sendMsg<TestMsg, test_handler>(1, msg.get());
+      }
+    } else if (my_node == to_node) {
+        EXPECT_EQ(handler_count, num_msg_sent);
     }
-  } else if (my_node == to_node) {
-    theTerm()->addAction([=]{
-      EXPECT_EQ(handler_count, num_msg_sent);
-    });
-  }
+  });
 
   // Spin here so test_vec does not go out of scope before the send completes
   while (not vt::rt->isTerminated()) {
diff --git a/tests/unit/active/test_pending_send.cc b/tests/unit/active/test_pending_send.cc
index 5782afa45c..bdb6e728f3 100644
--- a/tests/unit/active/test_pending_send.cc
+++ b/tests/unit/active/test_pending_send.cc
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ TEST_F(TestPendingSend, test_pending_send_hold) {
   EXPECT_EQ(envelopeGetEpoch(msg->env), ep);
 
   theMsg()->popEpoch(ep);
-  theTerm()->addAction(ep, [&done] { done = true; });
+  runInEpochCollective(ep, [&done] { done = true; });
   theTerm()->finishedEpoch(ep);
 
   // It should not break out of this loop because of `done`, thus `k` is used to
diff --git a/tests/unit/collection/test_checkpoint.extended.cc b/tests/unit/collection/test_checkpoint.extended.cc
index 86ea5cda9b..0418e4c0d8 100644
--- a/tests/unit/collection/test_checkpoint.extended.cc
+++ b/tests/unit/collection/test_checkpoint.extended.cc
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ static void runInEpoch(std::function<void()> fn) {
   vt::theMsg()->popEpoch(ep);
   vt::theTerm()->finishedEpoch(ep);
   bool done = false;
-  vt::theTerm()->addAction(ep, [&]{ done = true; });
+  runInEpochCollective(ep, [&]{ done = true; });
   vt::theSched()->runSchedulerWhile([&] { return not done; });
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/collection/test_destroy.cc b/tests/unit/collection/test_destroy.cc
index 4dcba01480..aaa2771cbd 100644
--- a/tests/unit/collection/test_destroy.cc
+++ b/tests/unit/collection/test_destroy.cc
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ TEST_F(TestDestroy, test_destroy_1) {
     // ::fmt::print("broadcasting proxy={:x}\n", proxy.getProxy());
     proxy.broadcast<WorkMsg,DestroyTest::work>(msg.get());
   }
-  theTerm()->addAction([]{
+  runInEpochCollective([]{
     // ::fmt::print("num destroyed={}\n", num_destroyed);
     // Relies on default mapping equally distributing
     EXPECT_EQ(num_destroyed, num_elms_per_node);
diff --git a/tests/unit/collection/test_insert.extended.cc b/tests/unit/collection/test_insert.extended.cc
index 5bf882c7ce..c0ba83a54d 100644
--- a/tests/unit/collection/test_insert.extended.cc
+++ b/tests/unit/collection/test_insert.extended.cc
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ TEST_F(TestInsert, test_insert_sparse_1) {
       proxy[i].insert();
     }
   }
-  theTerm()->addAction([]{
+  runInEpochCollective([]{
     /// ::fmt::print("num inserted={}\n", num_inserted);
     // Relies on default mapping equally distributing
     EXPECT_EQ(num_inserted, num_elms_per_node);
diff --git a/tests/unit/collectives/test_mpi_collective.cc b/tests/unit/collectives/test_mpi_collective.cc
index 5cd29ac905..fbf4d48d4a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/collectives/test_mpi_collective.cc
+++ b/tests/unit/collectives/test_mpi_collective.cc
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ TEST_F(TestMPICollective, test_mpi_collective_1) {
     done = true;
   });
 
-  theTerm()->addAction([&done]{
+  runInEpochCollective([&done]{
     EXPECT_TRUE(done);
   });
 
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ TEST_F(TestMPICollective, test_mpi_collective_2) {
     done++;
   });
 
-  theTerm()->addAction([&done,&bcast_val,&reduce_val_out]{
+  runInEpochCollective([&done,&bcast_val,&reduce_val_out]{
     auto num_nodes = theContext()->getNumNodes();
     EXPECT_EQ(done, 3);
     EXPECT_EQ(bcast_val, 29);
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ TEST_F(TestMPICollective, test_mpi_collective_4) {
 
   bool finished_spin = false;
 
-  theTerm()->addAction(epoch, [&done,&bcast_val,&reduce_val_out,&finished_spin]{
+  runInEpochCollective(epoch, [&done,&bcast_val,&reduce_val_out,&finished_spin]{
     auto num_nodes = theContext()->getNumNodes();
     EXPECT_EQ(done, 3);
     EXPECT_EQ(bcast_val, 29);