diff --git a/src/contrib/persistence/Akka.Persistence.Query.InMemory.Tests/InMemoryAllEventsSpec.cs b/src/contrib/persistence/Akka.Persistence.Query.InMemory.Tests/InMemoryAllEventsSpec.cs
index 3067f87986b..5959c3475b6 100644
--- a/src/contrib/persistence/Akka.Persistence.Query.InMemory.Tests/InMemoryAllEventsSpec.cs
+++ b/src/contrib/persistence/Akka.Persistence.Query.InMemory.Tests/InMemoryAllEventsSpec.cs
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ private static Config Config() => ConfigurationFactory.ParseString("akka.logleve
 
         public InMemoryAllEventsSpec(ITestOutputHelper output) : base(Config(), nameof(InMemoryAllEventsSpec), output)
         {
+            // Proactively initialize the write journal to avoid cold-start delays on first persist
+            Persistence.Instance.Apply(Sys).JournalFor("akka.persistence.journal.inmem");
             ReadJournal = Sys.ReadJournalFor<InMemoryReadJournal>(InMemoryReadJournal.Identifier);
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/contrib/persistence/Akka.Persistence.Query.InMemory.Tests/InMemoryEventsByPersistenceIdSpec.cs b/src/contrib/persistence/Akka.Persistence.Query.InMemory.Tests/InMemoryEventsByPersistenceIdSpec.cs
index d349915ae01..7b9824b1a5d 100644
--- a/src/contrib/persistence/Akka.Persistence.Query.InMemory.Tests/InMemoryEventsByPersistenceIdSpec.cs
+++ b/src/contrib/persistence/Akka.Persistence.Query.InMemory.Tests/InMemoryEventsByPersistenceIdSpec.cs
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ private static Config Config() => ConfigurationFactory.ParseString("akka.logleve
         public InMemoryEventsByPersistenceIdSpec(ITestOutputHelper output) :
             base(Config(), nameof(InMemoryCurrentPersistenceIdsSpec), output)
         {
+            // Proactively initialize the write journal to avoid cold-start delays on first persist
+            Persistence.Instance.Apply(Sys).JournalFor("akka.persistence.journal.inmem");
             ReadJournal = Sys.ReadJournalFor<InMemoryReadJournal>(InMemoryReadJournal.Identifier);
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/contrib/persistence/Akka.Persistence.Query.InMemory.Tests/InMemoryEventsByTagSpec.cs b/src/contrib/persistence/Akka.Persistence.Query.InMemory.Tests/InMemoryEventsByTagSpec.cs
index b85629be893..9020ff74002 100644
--- a/src/contrib/persistence/Akka.Persistence.Query.InMemory.Tests/InMemoryEventsByTagSpec.cs
+++ b/src/contrib/persistence/Akka.Persistence.Query.InMemory.Tests/InMemoryEventsByTagSpec.cs
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ private static Config Config() => ConfigurationFactory.ParseString(@"
         public InMemoryEventsByTagSpec(ITestOutputHelper output) : 
             base(Config(), nameof(InMemoryCurrentPersistenceIdsSpec), output)
         {
+            // Proactively initialize the write journal to avoid cold-start delays on first persist
+            Persistence.Instance.Apply(Sys).JournalFor("akka.persistence.journal.inmem");
             ReadJournal = Sys.ReadJournalFor<InMemoryReadJournal>(InMemoryReadJournal.Identifier);
         }