diff --git a/stackslib/src/net/api/postblock_proposal.rs b/stackslib/src/net/api/postblock_proposal.rs
index e5377a782f..13ffc069be 100644
--- a/stackslib/src/net/api/postblock_proposal.rs
+++ b/stackslib/src/net/api/postblock_proposal.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 // along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 use std::io::{Read, Write};
+#[cfg(any(test, feature = "testing"))]
+use std::sync::LazyLock;
 use std::thread::{self, JoinHandle, Thread};
 #[cfg(any(test, feature = "testing"))]
 use std::time::Duration;
@@ -35,6 +37,8 @@ use stacks_common::types::net::PeerHost;
 use stacks_common::types::StacksPublicKeyBuffer;
 use stacks_common::util::hash::{hex_bytes, to_hex, Hash160, Sha256Sum, Sha512Trunc256Sum};
 use stacks_common::util::retry::BoundReader;
+#[cfg(any(test, feature = "testing"))]
+use stacks_common::util::tests::TestFlag;
 use stacks_common::util::{get_epoch_time_ms, get_epoch_time_secs};
 
 use crate::burnchains::affirmation::AffirmationMap;
@@ -67,11 +71,11 @@ use crate::net::{
 use crate::util_lib::db::Error as DBError;
 
 #[cfg(any(test, feature = "testing"))]
-pub static TEST_VALIDATE_STALL: std::sync::Mutex<Option<bool>> = std::sync::Mutex::new(None);
+pub static TEST_VALIDATE_STALL: LazyLock<TestFlag<bool>> = LazyLock::new(TestFlag::default);
 #[cfg(any(test, feature = "testing"))]
 /// Artificial delay to add to block validation.
-pub static TEST_VALIDATE_DELAY_DURATION_SECS: std::sync::Mutex<Option<u64>> =
-    std::sync::Mutex::new(None);
+pub static TEST_VALIDATE_DELAY_DURATION_SECS: LazyLock<TestFlag<u64>> =
+    LazyLock::new(TestFlag::default);
 
 // This enum is used to supply a `reason_code` for validation
 //  rejection responses. This is serialized as an enum with string
@@ -185,16 +189,9 @@ impl BlockValidateResponse {
     }
 }
 
-#[cfg(any(test, feature = "testing"))]
-fn get_test_delay() -> Option<u64> {
-    TEST_VALIDATE_DELAY_DURATION_SECS.lock().unwrap().clone()
-}
-
 #[cfg(any(test, feature = "testing"))]
 fn inject_validation_delay() {
-    let Some(delay) = get_test_delay() else {
-        return;
-    };
+    let delay = TEST_VALIDATE_DELAY_DURATION_SECS.get();
     warn!("Sleeping for {} seconds to simulate slow processing", delay);
     thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(delay));
 }
@@ -379,10 +376,10 @@ impl NakamotoBlockProposal {
     ) -> Result<BlockValidateOk, BlockValidateRejectReason> {
         #[cfg(any(test, feature = "testing"))]
         {
-            if *TEST_VALIDATE_STALL.lock().unwrap() == Some(true) {
+            if TEST_VALIDATE_STALL.get() {
                 // Do an extra check just so we don't log EVERY time.
                 warn!("Block validation is stalled due to testing directive.");
-                while *TEST_VALIDATE_STALL.lock().unwrap() == Some(true) {
+                while TEST_VALIDATE_STALL.get() {
                     std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(10));
                 }
                 info!("Block validation is no longer stalled due to testing directive.");
diff --git a/testnet/stacks-node/src/tests/signer/v0.rs b/testnet/stacks-node/src/tests/signer/v0.rs
index fd67b976d5..bc85732af7 100644
--- a/testnet/stacks-node/src/tests/signer/v0.rs
+++ b/testnet/stacks-node/src/tests/signer/v0.rs
@@ -2263,7 +2263,7 @@ fn end_of_tenure() {
     );
 
     info!("------------------------- Test Block Validation Stalled -------------------------");
-    TEST_VALIDATE_STALL.lock().unwrap().replace(true);
+    TEST_VALIDATE_STALL.set(true);
 
     let proposals_before = signer_test
         .running_nodes
@@ -2335,7 +2335,7 @@ fn end_of_tenure() {
 
     info!("Unpausing block validation and waiting for block to be processed");
     // Disable the stall and wait for the block to be processed
-    TEST_VALIDATE_STALL.lock().unwrap().replace(false);
+    TEST_VALIDATE_STALL.set(false);
     wait_for(short_timeout.as_secs(), || {
         let processed_now = get_chain_info(&signer_test.running_nodes.conf).stacks_tip_height;
         Ok(processed_now > blocks_before)
@@ -2831,7 +2831,7 @@ fn stx_transfers_dont_effect_idle_timeout() {
     signer_test.boot_to_epoch_3();
 
     // Add a delay to the block validation process
-    TEST_VALIDATE_DELAY_DURATION_SECS.lock().unwrap().replace(5);
+    TEST_VALIDATE_DELAY_DURATION_SECS.set(5);
 
     let info_before = signer_test.get_peer_info();
     let blocks_before = signer_test.running_nodes.nakamoto_blocks_mined.get();
@@ -2975,7 +2975,7 @@ fn idle_tenure_extend_active_mining() {
     signer_test.boot_to_epoch_3();
 
     // Add a delay to the block validation process
-    TEST_VALIDATE_DELAY_DURATION_SECS.lock().unwrap().replace(3);
+    TEST_VALIDATE_DELAY_DURATION_SECS.set(3);
 
     signer_test.mine_nakamoto_block(Duration::from_secs(30), true);
 
@@ -7598,7 +7598,7 @@ fn block_validation_response_timeout() {
     info!("------------------------- Test Mine and Verify Confirmed Nakamoto Block -------------------------");
     signer_test.mine_and_verify_confirmed_naka_block(timeout, num_signers, true);
     info!("------------------------- Test Block Validation Stalled -------------------------");
-    TEST_VALIDATE_STALL.lock().unwrap().replace(true);
+    TEST_VALIDATE_STALL.set(true);
     let validation_stall_start = Instant::now();
 
     let proposals_before = signer_test
@@ -7700,7 +7700,7 @@ fn block_validation_response_timeout() {
     let info_before = info_after;
     info!("Unpausing block validation");
     // Disable the stall and wait for the block to be processed successfully
-    TEST_VALIDATE_STALL.lock().unwrap().replace(false);
+    TEST_VALIDATE_STALL.set(false);
     wait_for(30, || {
         let info = get_chain_info(&signer_test.running_nodes.conf);
         Ok(info.stacks_tip_height > info_before.stacks_tip_height)
@@ -7770,10 +7770,7 @@ fn block_validation_pending_table() {
         "db_path" => db_path.clone().to_str(),
     );
     signer_test.mine_and_verify_confirmed_naka_block(timeout, num_signers, true);
-    TEST_VALIDATE_DELAY_DURATION_SECS
-        .lock()
-        .unwrap()
-        .replace(30);
+    TEST_VALIDATE_DELAY_DURATION_SECS.set(30);
 
     let signer_db = SignerDb::new(db_path).unwrap();
 
@@ -7853,7 +7850,7 @@ fn block_validation_pending_table() {
     info!("----- Waiting for pending block validation to be submitted -----");
 
     // Set the delay to 0 so that the block validation finishes quickly
-    *TEST_VALIDATE_DELAY_DURATION_SECS.lock().unwrap() = None;
+    TEST_VALIDATE_DELAY_DURATION_SECS.set(0);
 
     wait_for(30, || {
         let proposal_responses = test_observer::get_proposal_responses();