diff --git a/zio-kafka-test/src/test/scala/zio/kafka/consumer/ConsumerSpec.scala b/zio-kafka-test/src/test/scala/zio/kafka/consumer/ConsumerSpec.scala
index defc9484e..2df17a78d 100644
--- a/zio-kafka-test/src/test/scala/zio/kafka/consumer/ConsumerSpec.scala
+++ b/zio-kafka-test/src/test/scala/zio/kafka/consumer/ConsumerSpec.scala
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ object ConsumerSpec extends ZIOSpecDefaultSlf4j with KafkaRandom {
                    }.tap { case (_, idx) => ZIO.logDebug(s"Consumed $idx") }
                  }
                  .runDrain
-                 .tap(_ => ZIO.logDebug("Stream completed"))
+                 .zipLeft(ZIO.logDebug("Stream completed"))
                  .provideSomeLayer[Kafka](
                    consumer(client, Some(group))
                  )
@@ -530,18 +530,30 @@ object ConsumerSpec extends ZIOSpecDefaultSlf4j with KafkaRandom {
 
           // Consume messages
           subscription = Subscription.topics(topic)
+          assignedPartitionsRef <- Ref.make(Set.empty[Int]) // Set of partition numbers
+          // Create a Promise to signal when consumer1 has processed half the partitions
+          consumer1Ready <- Promise.make[Nothing, Unit]
           consumer1 <- Consumer
                          .partitionedStream(subscription, Serde.string, Serde.string)
                          .flatMapPar(nrPartitions) { case (tp, partition) =>
                            ZStream
-                             .fromZIO(partition.runDrain)
+                             .fromZIO(
+                               consumer1Ready
+                                 .succeed(())
+                                 .whenZIO(
+                                   assignedPartitionsRef
+                                     .updateAndGet(_ + tp.partition())
+                                     .map(_.size >= (nrPartitions / 2))
+                                 ) *>
+                                 partition.runDrain
+                             )
                              .as(tp)
                          }
                          .take(nrPartitions.toLong / 2)
                          .runDrain
                          .provideSomeLayer[Kafka](consumer(client1, Some(group)))
                          .fork
-          _ <- Live.live(ZIO.sleep(5.seconds))
+          _ <- consumer1Ready.await
           consumer2 <- Consumer
                          .partitionedStream(subscription, Serde.string, Serde.string)
                          .take(nrPartitions.toLong / 2)
@@ -574,11 +586,22 @@ object ConsumerSpec extends ZIOSpecDefaultSlf4j with KafkaRandom {
 
                 // Consume messages
                 subscription = Subscription.topics(topic)
+                consumer1Ready        <- Promise.make[Nothing, Unit]
+                assignedPartitionsRef <- Ref.make(Set.empty[Int]) // Set of partition numbers
                 consumer1 <- Consumer
                                .partitionedStream(subscription, Serde.string, Serde.string)
                                .flatMapPar(nrPartitions) { case (tp, partition) =>
                                  ZStream
-                                   .fromZIO(partition.runDrain)
+                                   .fromZIO(
+                                     consumer1Ready
+                                       .succeed(())
+                                       .whenZIO(
+                                         assignedPartitionsRef
+                                           .updateAndGet(_ + tp.partition())
+                                           .map(_.size >= (nrPartitions / 2))
+                                       ) *>
+                                       partition.runDrain
+                                   )
                                    .as(tp)
                                }
                                .take(nrPartitions.toLong / 2)
@@ -592,7 +615,7 @@ object ConsumerSpec extends ZIOSpecDefaultSlf4j with KafkaRandom {
                                       .collect { case rebalance: DiagnosticEvent.Rebalance => rebalance }
                                       .runCollect
                                       .fork
-                _ <- ZIO.sleep(5.seconds)
+                _ <- consumer1Ready.await
                 consumer2 <- Consumer
                                .partitionedStream(subscription, Serde.string, Serde.string)
                                .take(nrPartitions.toLong / 2)
@@ -600,7 +623,6 @@ object ConsumerSpec extends ZIOSpecDefaultSlf4j with KafkaRandom {
                                .provideSomeLayer[Kafka](consumer(client2, Some(group)))
                                .fork
                 _ <- consumer1.join
-                _ <- consumer1.join
                 _ <- consumer2.join
               } yield diagnosticStream.join
             }
@@ -1481,6 +1503,7 @@ object ConsumerSpec extends ZIOSpecDefaultSlf4j with KafkaRandom {
             "it's possible to start a new consumption session from a Consumer that had a consumption session stopped previously"
           ) {
             val numberOfMessages: Int           = 100000
+            val messagesToConsumeBeforeStop     = 1000 // Adjust this threshold as needed
             val kvs: Iterable[(String, String)] = Iterable.tabulate(numberOfMessages)(i => (s"key-$i", s"msg-$i"))
 
             def test(diagnostics: Diagnostics): ZIO[Producer & Scope & Kafka, Throwable, TestResult] =
@@ -1490,22 +1513,28 @@ object ConsumerSpec extends ZIOSpecDefaultSlf4j with KafkaRandom {
                 settings <- consumerSettings(clientId = clientId)
                 consumer <- Consumer.make(settings, diagnostics = diagnostics)
                 _        <- produceMany(topic, kvs)
+                // Create a Ref to track messages consumed and a Promise to signal when to stop consumption
+                messagesConsumedRef <- Ref.make(0)
+                stopPromise         <- Promise.make[Nothing, Unit]
                 // Starting a consumption session to start the Runloop.
-                fiber <-
-                  consumer
-                    .plainStream(Subscription.manual(topic -> 0), Serde.string, Serde.string)
-                    .tap(_ => ZIO.sleep(1.millisecond)) // sleep to avoid consuming all messages in under 200 millis
-                    .take(numberOfMessages.toLong)
-                    .runCount
-                    .forkScoped
-                _         <- ZIO.sleep(200.millis)
+                fiber <- consumer
+                           .plainStream(Subscription.manual(topic -> 0), Serde.string, Serde.string)
+                           .mapZIO { _ =>
+                             messagesConsumedRef.updateAndGet(_ + 1).flatMap { count =>
+                               if (count >= messagesToConsumeBeforeStop) stopPromise.succeed(()).as(1L)
+                               else ZIO.succeed(1L)
+                             }
+                           }
+                           .take(numberOfMessages.toLong)
+                           .runSum
+                           .forkScoped
+
+                // Wait for the consumption to reach the desired threshold
+                _         <- stopPromise.await
                 _         <- consumer.stopConsumption
                 consumed0 <- fiber.join
                 _         <- ZIO.logDebug(s"consumed0: $consumed0")
 
-                _ <- ZIO.logDebug("About to sleep 5 seconds")
-                _ <- ZIO.sleep(5.seconds)
-                _ <- ZIO.logDebug("Slept 5 seconds")
                 consumed1 <- consumer
                                .plainStream(Subscription.manual(topic -> 0), Serde.string, Serde.string)
                                .take(numberOfMessages.toLong)