diff --git a/dnssec_test.go b/dnssec_test.go
index 32c195d2..a43afeba 100644
--- a/dnssec_test.go
+++ b/dnssec_test.go
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ func Test65534(t *testing.T) {
 	key.Flags = 256
 	key.Protocol = 3
 	key.Algorithm = RSASHA256
-	privkey, _ := key.Generate(1024)
+	privkey, _ := key.Generate(512)
 
 	sig := new(RRSIG)
 	sig.Hdr = RR_Header{"miek.nl.", TypeRRSIG, ClassINET, 14400, 0}
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ func TestKeyRSA(t *testing.T) {
 	key.Flags = 256
 	key.Protocol = 3
 	key.Algorithm = RSASHA256
-	priv, _ := key.Generate(2048)
+	priv, _ := key.Generate(512)
 
 	soa := new(SOA)
 	soa.Hdr = RR_Header{"miek.nl.", TypeSOA, ClassINET, 14400, 0}
diff --git a/issue_test.go b/issue_test.go
index 7299d314..c7b19f34 100644
--- a/issue_test.go
+++ b/issue_test.go
@@ -7,24 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 )
 
-func TestTCPRtt(t *testing.T) {
-	m := new(Msg)
-	m.RecursionDesired = true
-	m.SetQuestion("example.org.", TypeA)
-
-	c := &Client{}
-	for _, proto := range []string{"udp", "tcp"} {
-		c.Net = proto
-		_, rtt, err := c.Exchange(m, "8.8.4.4:53")
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatal(err)
-		}
-		if rtt == 0 {
-			t.Fatalf("expecting non zero rtt %s, got zero", c.Net)
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 func TestNSEC3MissingSalt(t *testing.T) {
 	rr := testRR("ji6neoaepv8b5o6k4ev33abha8ht9fgc.example. NSEC3 1 1 12 aabbccdd K8UDEMVP1J2F7EG6JEBPS17VP3N8I58H")
 	m := new(Msg)
diff --git a/parse_test.go b/parse_test.go
index 272da6cd..d839562a 100644
--- a/parse_test.go
+++ b/parse_test.go
@@ -1312,8 +1312,8 @@ func TestNewPrivateKey(t *testing.T) {
 	algorithms := []algorithm{
 		{ECDSAP256SHA256, 256},
 		{ECDSAP384SHA384, 384},
-		{RSASHA1, 1024},
-		{RSASHA256, 2048},
+		{RSASHA1, 512},
+		{RSASHA256, 512},
 		{ED25519, 256},
 	}
 
diff --git a/remote_test.go b/remote_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 4cf701fe..00000000
--- a/remote_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-package dns
-
-import "testing"
-
-const LinodeAddr = "176.58.119.54:53"
-
-func TestClientRemote(t *testing.T) {
-	m := new(Msg)
-	m.SetQuestion("go.dns.miek.nl.", TypeTXT)
-
-	c := new(Client)
-	r, _, err := c.Exchange(m, LinodeAddr)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("failed to exchange: %v", err)
-	}
-	if r != nil && r.Rcode != RcodeSuccess {
-		t.Errorf("failed to get an valid answer\n%v", r)
-	}
-}
diff --git a/server_test.go b/server_test.go
index 15a3bc85..864b52f5 100644
--- a/server_test.go
+++ b/server_test.go
@@ -635,7 +635,8 @@ func TestServingResponse(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal("failed to exchange", err)
 	}
-	m.Response = true
+	m.Response = true // this holds up the reply, set short read time out to avoid waiting too long
+	c.ReadTimeout = 100 * time.Millisecond
 	_, _, err = c.Exchange(m, addrstr)
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("exchanged response message")
@@ -668,7 +669,7 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 func checkInProgressQueriesAtShutdownServer(t *testing.T, srv *Server, addr string, client *Client) {
-	const requests = 100
+	const requests = 15 // enough to make this interesting? TODO: find a proper value
 
 	var errOnce sync.Once
 	// t.Fail will panic if it's called after the test function has
@@ -698,7 +699,7 @@ func checkInProgressQueriesAtShutdownServer(t *testing.T, srv *Server, addr stri
 	})
 	defer HandleRemove("example.com.")
 
-	client.Timeout = 10 * time.Second
+	client.Timeout = 1 * time.Second
 
 	conns := make([]*Conn, requests)
 	eg := new(errgroup.Group)
diff --git a/sig0_test.go b/sig0_test.go
index 122de6a8..1abdc4af 100644
--- a/sig0_test.go
+++ b/sig0_test.go
@@ -19,12 +19,14 @@ func TestSIG0(t *testing.T) {
 		keyrr.Hdr.Rrtype = TypeKEY
 		keyrr.Hdr.Class = ClassINET
 		keyrr.Algorithm = alg
-		keysize := 1024
+		keysize := 512
 		switch alg {
 		case ECDSAP256SHA256:
 			keysize = 256
 		case ECDSAP384SHA384:
 			keysize = 384
+		case RSASHA512:
+			keysize = 1024
 		}
 		pk, err := keyrr.Generate(keysize)
 		if err != nil {