diff --git a/artiq/test/sync_struct.py b/artiq/test/sync_struct.py
index 00e4af878..ece90360b 100644
--- a/artiq/test/sync_struct.py
+++ b/artiq/test/sync_struct.py
@@ -29,18 +29,9 @@ def write_test_data(test_dict):
     test_dict["finished"] = True
 
 
-async def start_server(publisher_future, test_dict_future):
-    test_dict = sync_struct.Notifier(dict())
-    publisher = sync_struct.Publisher(
-        {"test": test_dict})
-    await publisher.start(test_address, test_port)
-    publisher_future.set_result(publisher)
-    test_dict_future.set_result(test_dict)
-
-
 class SyncStructCase(unittest.TestCase):
     def init_test_dict(self, init):
-        self.test_dict = init
+        self.received_dict = init
         return init
 
     def notify(self, mod):
@@ -52,29 +43,27 @@ class SyncStructCase(unittest.TestCase):
         self.loop = asyncio.new_event_loop()
         asyncio.set_event_loop(self.loop)
 
-    def test_recv(self):
-        loop = self.loop
+    async def _do_test_recv(self):
         self.receiving_done = asyncio.Event()
-        publisher = asyncio.Future()
-        test_dict = asyncio.Future()
-        asyncio.ensure_future(start_server(publisher, test_dict))
-        loop.run_until_complete(publisher)
-        loop.run_until_complete(test_dict)
 
-        self.publisher = publisher.result()
-        test_dict = test_dict.result()
-        test_vector = dict()
-        write_test_data(test_vector)
+        test_dict = sync_struct.Notifier(dict())
+        publisher = sync_struct.Publisher({"test": test_dict})
+        await publisher.start(test_address, test_port)
+
+        subscriber = sync_struct.Subscriber("test", self.init_test_dict,
+                                            self.notify)
+        await subscriber.connect(test_address, test_port)
 
         write_test_data(test_dict)
-        self.subscriber = sync_struct.Subscriber("test", self.init_test_dict,
-                                                 self.notify)
-        loop.run_until_complete(self.subscriber.connect(test_address,
-                                                        test_port))
-        loop.run_until_complete(self.receiving_done.wait())
-        self.assertEqual(self.test_dict, test_vector)
-        self.loop.run_until_complete(self.subscriber.close())
-        self.loop.run_until_complete(self.publisher.stop())
+        await self.receiving_done.wait()
+
+        await subscriber.close()
+        await publisher.stop()
+
+        self.assertEqual(self.received_dict, test_dict.read)
+
+    def test_recv(self):
+        self.loop.run_until_complete(self._do_test_recv())
 
     def tearDown(self):
         self.loop.close()