diff --git a/writer_test.go b/writer_test.go
index d9ba2b0e4..15cedc465 100644
--- a/writer_test.go
+++ b/writer_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"io"
 	"math"
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -664,16 +665,30 @@ func testWriterSmallBatchBytes(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 type testRetryWriter struct {
-	errs int
+	ch   chan writerMessage
+	join sync.WaitGroup
 }
 
 func (w *testRetryWriter) messages() chan<- writerMessage {
-	ch := make(chan writerMessage, 1)
+	return w.ch
+}
 
-	go func() {
-		for {
-			msg := <-ch
-			if w.errs > 0 {
+func (w *testRetryWriter) close() {
+	close(w.ch)
+	w.join.Wait()
+}
+
+func (w *testRetryWriter) run(errs int) {
+	w.join.Add(1)
+	defer w.join.Done()
+
+	var done bool
+	for !done {
+		msg, ok := <-w.ch
+		if !ok {
+			done = true
+		} else {
+			if errs > 0 {
 				msg.res <- writerResponse{
 					id: msg.id,
 					err: &WriterError{
@@ -681,7 +696,7 @@ func (w *testRetryWriter) messages() chan<- writerMessage {
 						Err: errors.New("bad attempt"),
 					},
 				}
-				w.errs -= 1
+				errs -= 1
 			} else {
 				msg.res <- writerResponse{
 					id:  msg.id,
@@ -689,13 +704,13 @@ func (w *testRetryWriter) messages() chan<- writerMessage {
 				}
 			}
 		}
-	}()
-
-	return ch
+	}
 }
 
-func (w *testRetryWriter) close() {
-
+func newTestRetryWriter(_ int, _ WriterConfig, _ *writerStats) partitionWriter {
+	w := &testRetryWriter{ch: make(chan writerMessage, 1)}
+	go w.run(2)
+	return w
 }
 
 func testWriterRetries(t *testing.T) {
@@ -737,12 +752,10 @@ func testWriterRetries(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for i, tc := range tcs {
 		w := newTestWriter(WriterConfig{
-			Topic:       topic,
-			MaxAttempts: 2,
-			Balancer:    &RoundRobin{},
-			newPartitionWriter: func(_ int, _ WriterConfig, _ *writerStats) partitionWriter {
-				return &testRetryWriter{errs: 2}
-			},
+			Topic:              topic,
+			MaxAttempts:        2,
+			Balancer:           &RoundRobin{},
+			newPartitionWriter: newTestRetryWriter,
 		})
 
 		err := w.WriteMessages(context.Background(), tc.msgs()...)