diff --git a/.github/workflows/foreign.yml b/.github/workflows/foreign.yml
index a279e367a..91adbf0d1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/foreign.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/foreign.yml
@@ -66,8 +66,11 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - uses: vmactions/omnios-vm@v1
         with:
+          # need inotify not installed so libev does not assume __linux
           # need gcc installed to compile greenlet from source
-          prepare: pkg install pip-311 python-311 sqlite-3 nginx gcc13
+          prepare: |
+            pkg uninstall --ignore-missing inotify \
+            && pkg install pip-311 python-311 sqlite-3 nginx gcc13
           usesh: true
           copyback: false
           run: |
@@ -76,6 +79,7 @@ jobs:
             && python3 --version \
             && openssl version \
             && pkg info nginx \
+            && gcc -dM -E - </dev/null \
             && python3 -m pip install tox \
             && python3 -m tox --version \
             && python3 -m tox -e run-module \
diff --git a/tests/test_wrk.py b/tests/test_wrk.py
index f89dc0131..f51d452bf 100644
--- a/tests/test_wrk.py
+++ b/tests/test_wrk.py
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ def test_wrk(*, ssl, worker_class, dummy_ssl_cert, read_size=1024):
             server.read_stdio(
                 key=STDERR,
                 wait_for_keyword="[INFO] Starting gunicorn",
-                timeout_sec=4,
+                timeout_sec=6,
                 expect={
                     "[INFO] Booting worker",
                 },