diff --git a/tests/parallel/cancellation.rs b/tests/parallel/cancellation.rs
index 2ca97894..a60e663e 100644
--- a/tests/parallel/cancellation.rs
+++ b/tests/parallel/cancellation.rs
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@ fn in_par_get_set_cancellation() {
     let thread1 = std::thread::spawn({
         let db = db.fork();
         move || {
-            let v1 = db.sum_signal_on_entry().with_value(1, || {
-                db.sum_await_cancellation()
+            let v1 = db.knobs().sum_signal_on_entry.with_value(1, || {
+                db.knobs()
+                    .sum_await_cancellation
                     .with_value(true, || db.sum("abc"))
             });
 
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ fn in_par_get_set_cancellation() {
 
             // at this point, we have observed cancellation, so let's
             // wait until the `set` is known to have occurred.
-            db.signal().await(2);
+            db.await(2);
 
             // Now when we read we should get the correct sums. Note
             // in particular that we re-compute the sum of `"abc"`
@@ -40,12 +41,12 @@ fn in_par_get_set_cancellation() {
         let db = db.fork();
         move || {
             // Wait until we have entered `sum` in the other thread.
-            db.signal().await(1);
+            db.await(1);
 
             db.query(Input).set('d', 1000);
 
             // Signal that we have *set* `d`
-            db.signal().signal(2);
+            db.signal(2);
 
             db.sum("d")
         }
diff --git a/tests/parallel/setup.rs b/tests/parallel/setup.rs
index 67f6413e..cf4927e6 100644
--- a/tests/parallel/setup.rs
+++ b/tests/parallel/setup.rs
@@ -21,14 +21,11 @@ salsa::query_group! {
 /// Various "knobs" and utilities used by tests to force
 /// a certain behavior.
 pub(crate) trait Knobs {
-    fn signal(&self) -> &Signal;
+    fn knobs(&self) -> &KnobsStruct;
 
-    /// Invocations of `sum` will signal `stage` this stage on entry.
-    fn sum_signal_on_entry(&self) -> &Cell<usize>;
+    fn signal(&self, stage: usize);
 
-    /// If set to true, invocations of `sum` will await cancellation
-    /// before they exit.
-    fn sum_await_cancellation(&self) -> &Cell<bool>;
+    fn await(&self, stage: usize);
 }
 
 pub(crate) trait WithValue<T> {
@@ -47,11 +44,30 @@ impl<T> WithValue<T> for Cell<T> {
     }
 }
 
+/// Various "knobs" that can be used to customize how the queries
+/// behave on one specific thread. Note that this state is
+/// intentionally thread-local (apart from `signal`).
 #[derive(Clone, Default)]
-struct KnobsStruct {
-    signal: Arc<Signal>,
-    sum_signal_on_entry: Cell<usize>,
-    sum_await_cancellation: Cell<bool>,
+pub(crate) struct KnobsStruct {
+    /// A kind of flexible barrier used to coordinate execution across
+    /// threads to ensure we reach various weird states.
+    pub(crate) signal: Arc<Signal>,
+
+    /// Invocations of `sum` will signal this stage on entry.
+    pub(crate) sum_signal_on_entry: Cell<usize>,
+
+    /// Invocations of `sum` will await this stage on entry.
+    pub(crate) sum_await_on_entry: Cell<usize>,
+
+    /// If true, invocations of `sum` will await cancellation before
+    /// they exit.
+    pub(crate) sum_await_cancellation: Cell<bool>,
+
+    /// Invocations of `sum` will await this stage prior to exiting.
+    pub(crate) sum_await_on_exit: Cell<usize>,
+
+    /// Invocations of `sum` will signal this stage prior to exiting.
+    pub(crate) sum_signal_on_exit: Cell<usize>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Default)]
@@ -63,10 +79,18 @@ pub(crate) struct Signal {
 impl Signal {
     pub(crate) fn signal(&self, stage: usize) {
         log::debug!("signal({})", stage);
-        let mut v = self.value.lock();
-        if stage > *v {
-            *v = stage;
-            self.cond_var.notify_all();
+
+        // This check avoids acquiring the lock for things that will
+        // clearly be a no-op. Not *necessary* but helps to ensure we
+        // are more likely to encounter weird race conditions;
+        // otherwise calls to `sum` will tend to be unnecessarily
+        // synchronous.
+        if stage > 0 {
+            let mut v = self.value.lock();
+            if stage > *v {
+                *v = stage;
+                self.cond_var.notify_all();
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -74,9 +98,13 @@ impl Signal {
     /// with the current stage.
     pub(crate) fn await(&self, stage: usize) {
         log::debug!("await({})", stage);
-        let mut v = self.value.lock();
-        while *v < stage {
-            self.cond_var.wait(&mut v);
+
+        // As above, avoid lock if clearly a no-op.
+        if stage > 0 {
+            let mut v = self.value.lock();
+            while *v < stage {
+                self.cond_var.wait(&mut v);
+            }
         }
     }
 }
@@ -84,14 +112,15 @@ impl Signal {
 fn sum(db: &impl ParDatabase, key: &'static str) -> usize {
     let mut sum = 0;
 
-    let stage = db.sum_signal_on_entry().get();
-    db.signal().signal(stage);
+    db.signal(db.knobs().sum_signal_on_entry.get());
+
+    db.await(db.knobs().sum_await_on_entry.get());
 
     for ch in key.chars() {
         sum += db.input(ch);
     }
 
-    if db.sum_await_cancellation().get() {
+    if db.knobs().sum_await_cancellation.get() {
         log::debug!("awaiting cancellation");
         while !db.salsa_runtime().is_current_revision_canceled() {
             std::thread::yield_now();
@@ -100,6 +129,10 @@ fn sum(db: &impl ParDatabase, key: &'static str) -> usize {
         return std::usize::MAX; // when we are cancelled, we return usize::MAX.
     }
 
+    db.await(db.knobs().sum_await_on_exit.get());
+
+    db.signal(db.knobs().sum_signal_on_exit.get());
+
     sum
 }
 
@@ -125,16 +158,16 @@ impl ParallelDatabase for ParDatabaseImpl {
 }
 
 impl Knobs for ParDatabaseImpl {
-    fn signal(&self) -> &Signal {
-        &self.knobs.signal
+    fn knobs(&self) -> &KnobsStruct {
+        &self.knobs
     }
 
-    fn sum_signal_on_entry(&self) -> &Cell<usize> {
-        &self.knobs.sum_signal_on_entry
+    fn signal(&self, stage: usize) {
+        self.knobs.signal.signal(stage);
     }
 
-    fn sum_await_cancellation(&self) -> &Cell<bool> {
-        &self.knobs.sum_await_cancellation
+    fn await(&self, stage: usize) {
+        self.knobs.signal.await(stage);
     }
 }