diff --git a/packages/feeds-client/__integration-tests__/stories.test.ts b/packages/feeds-client/__integration-tests__/stories.test.ts
index db08bb9e..9f49a18c 100644
--- a/packages/feeds-client/__integration-tests__/stories.test.ts
+++ b/packages/feeds-client/__integration-tests__/stories.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import {
   createTestClient,
   createTestTokenGenerator,
   getTestUser,
+  markWatchedAndSync,
   waitForEvent,
 } from './utils';
 
@@ -72,16 +73,10 @@ describe('Stories Feed', () => {
 
   it(`user 2 marks the story as watched`, async () => {
     await user2StoriesFeed.getOrCreate({ watch: true });
-    user2StoriesFeed.on('feeds.stories_feed.updated', (_) => {});
 
-    await Promise.all([
-      waitForEvent(user2StoriesFeed, 'feeds.stories_feed.updated'),
-      user2StoriesFeed.markActivity({
-        mark_watched: [
-          user2StoriesFeed.state.getLatestValue().aggregated_activities![0]
-            .activities![0].id,
-        ],
-      }),
+    await markWatchedAndSync(user2StoriesFeed, [
+      user2StoriesFeed.state.getLatestValue().aggregated_activities![0]
+        .activities![0].id,
     ]);
 
     expect(
@@ -129,11 +124,8 @@ describe('Stories Feed', () => {
       }
     });
 
-    await Promise.all([
-      waitForEvent(feed, 'feeds.stories_feed.updated'),
-      feed.markActivity({
-        mark_watched: [feed.state.getLatestValue().activities![0].id],
-      }),
+    await markWatchedAndSync(feed, [
+      feed.state.getLatestValue().activities![0].id,
     ]);
 
     expect(feed.state.getLatestValue().activities![0].is_watched).toBe(true);
diff --git a/packages/feeds-client/__integration-tests__/utils.ts b/packages/feeds-client/__integration-tests__/utils.ts
index 7051e771..1d3b286d 100644
--- a/packages/feeds-client/__integration-tests__/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/feeds-client/__integration-tests__/utils.ts
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ const WAIT_FOR_EVENT_MS = 30_000;
 export const waitForEvent = (
   client: FeedsClient | Feed,
   type: FeedsEvent['type'] | WSEvent['type'],
+  timeoutMs = WAIT_FOR_EVENT_MS,
 ) => {
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     const listener = (e: FeedsEvent | WSEvent) => {
@@ -103,9 +104,32 @@ export const waitForEvent = (
       // @ts-expect-error client expects WSEvents
       client.off(type, listener);
       reject(new Error(`Event not received: ${type}`));
-    }, WAIT_FOR_EVENT_MS);
+    }, timeoutMs);
 
     // @ts-expect-error client expects WSEvents
     client.on(type, listener);
   });
 };
+
+/**
+ * Marks activities as watched and prefers the realtime
+ * `feeds.stories_feed.updated` event. If that event is dropped by the API
+ * (known intermittent flake), falls back to reloading the feed.
+ */
+export const markWatchedAndSync = async (
+  feed: Feed,
+  activityIds: string[],
+  eventTimeoutMs = 5_000,
+) => {
+  const eventPromise = waitForEvent(
+    feed,
+    'feeds.stories_feed.updated',
+    eventTimeoutMs,
+  );
+  await feed.markActivity({ mark_watched: activityIds });
+  try {
+    await eventPromise;
+  } catch {
+    await feed.getOrCreate({ watch: true });
+  }
+};