diff --git a/tests/test_websocket.py b/tests/test_websocket.py
index 284123c..ee8d3fe 100644
--- a/tests/test_websocket.py
+++ b/tests/test_websocket.py
@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@ class AsyncWebsocket:
         self.url = url
         self.ws = WSConnection(ConnectionType.CLIENT)
         self.reader, self.writer = None, None
-        self.reader_task = None
-        self._events = asyncio.Queue()
 
     async def send(self, data):
         assert self.writer is not None
@@ -71,27 +69,6 @@ class AsyncWebsocket:
         self.writer.write(self.ws.send(data))
         await self.writer.drain()
 
-    async def _reader_loop_task(self):
-        # continuously read messages from the socket
-        # and fill up the _events queue with them
-        while True:
-            log.info("reading data")
-            in_data = await self.reader.read(4096)
-            if not in_data:
-                log.info("connection closed (no data)")
-                self.ws.receive_data(None)
-            else:
-                log.debug("received {} bytes", len(in_data))
-                self.ws.receive_data(in_data)
-
-            for event in self.ws.events():
-                log.debug("queued ws event {}", event)
-                await self._events.put(event)
-
-            # since we closed, we don't have to continue reading
-            if not in_data:
-                return
-
     async def recv(self, *, expect=Message, process_event: bool = True):
 
         # this loop is only done so we reply to pings while also being
@@ -101,11 +78,20 @@ class AsyncWebsocket:
         # that's why it's left out.
 
         while True:
+            # if there's already an unprocessed event we can try getting
+            # it from wsproto first
+            event = None
+            for event in self.ws.events():
+                break
+
+            if event is None:
+                data = await self.reader.read(4096)
+                assert data  # We expect the WebSocket to be closed correctly
+                self.ws.receive_data(data)
+                continue
+
             # if we get a ping, reply with pong immediately
             # and fetch the next event
-            event = await self._events.get()
-            log.debug("processing {}", event)
-
             if isinstance(event, Ping):
                 await self.send(event.response())
                 continue
@@ -154,7 +140,6 @@ class AsyncWebsocket:
 
         log.info("connecting to {!r} {}", host, port)
         self.reader, self.writer = await asyncio.open_connection(host, port)
-        self.reader_task = asyncio.create_task(self._reader_loop_task())
 
         path = parsed.path or "/"
         target = f"{path}?{parsed.query}" if parsed.query else path