diff --git a/tests/test_workspacebuilder.py b/tests/test_workspacebuilder.py
index bdfb5138aa8..79a89f9b2db 100644
--- a/tests/test_workspacebuilder.py
+++ b/tests/test_workspacebuilder.py
@@ -9,22 +9,42 @@
 
 import kaptan
 import pytest
-
-from . import fixtures_dir
 from libtmux import Window
 from libtmux.common import has_gte_version
 from libtmux.test import temp_session
+
 from tmuxp import config, exc
 from tmuxp._compat import text_type
 from tmuxp.workspacebuilder import WorkspaceBuilder
 
-from . import example_dir
+from . import example_dir, fixtures_dir
 from .fixtures._util import loadfixture
 
-
 RETRY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS = int(os.getenv('RETRY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS', 8))
 
 
+def retry(seconds=RETRY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS):
+    """Retry a block of code until a time limit or ``break``.
+
+    .. code-block:: python
+
+        while retry():
+            p = w.attached_pane
+            p.server._update_panes()
+            if p.current_path == pane_path:
+                break
+
+
+    :param seconds: Seconds to retry, defaults to ``RETRY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS``,
+        which is configurable via environmental variables.
+    :type seconds: int
+    :rtype: void
+
+    :todo: Move to libtmux.test
+    """
+    return (lambda: time.time() < time.time() + seconds)()
+
+
 def test_split_windows(session):
     yaml_config = loadfixture("workspacebuilder/two_pane.yaml")
     s = session
@@ -110,15 +130,11 @@ def test_focus_pane_index(session):
 
     pane_path = '/usr'
 
-    timeout = time.time() + RETRY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS  # seconds timeout
-
-    while True:
+    while retry():
         p = w.attached_pane
         p.server._update_panes()
         if p.current_path == pane_path:
             break
-        elif time.time() > timeout:
-            break
 
     assert p.current_path == pane_path
 
@@ -131,14 +147,12 @@ def test_focus_pane_index(session):
 
     p = None
     pane_path = '/'
-    timeout = time.time() + RETRY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS  # seconds timeout
-    while True:
+
+    while retry():
         p = window3.attached_pane
         p.server._update_panes()
         if p.current_path == pane_path:
             break
-        elif time.time() > timeout:
-            break
 
     assert p.current_path == pane_path
 
@@ -302,17 +316,14 @@ def test_window_options_after(session):
 
     def assert_last_line(p, s):
         correct = False
-        timeout = time.time() + RETRY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS  # seconds timeout
 
-        while True:
+        while retry():
             pane_out = p.cmd('capture-pane', '-p', '-J').stdout
             while not pane_out[-1].strip():  # delete trailing lines tmux 1.8
                 pane_out.pop()
             if len(pane_out) > 1 and pane_out[-2].strip() == s:
                 correct = True
                 break
-            elif time.time() > timeout:
-                break
 
         # Print output for easier debugging if assertion fails
         if not correct:
@@ -351,13 +362,11 @@ def test_window_shell(session):
     for w, wconf in builder.iter_create_windows(s):
         if 'window_shell' in wconf:
             assert wconf['window_shell'] == text_type('top')
-        timeout = time.time() + RETRY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS  # seconds timeout
-        while True:
+
+        while retry():
             session.server._update_windows()
             if w['window_name'] != 'top':
                 break
-            elif time.time() > timeout:
-                break
 
         assert w.name != text_type('top')
 
@@ -403,38 +412,29 @@ def test_automatic_rename_option(session):
     assert s.name != 'tmuxp'
     w = s.windows[0]
 
-    timeout = time.time() + RETRY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS  # seconds timeout
-    while True:
+    while retry():
         session.server._update_windows()
         if w.name != 'sh':
             break
-        elif time.time() > timeout:
-            break
 
     assert w.name != 'sh'
 
     pane_base_index = w.show_window_option('pane-base-index', g=True)
     w.select_pane(pane_base_index)
 
-    timeout = time.time() + RETRY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS  # seconds timeout
-    while True:
+    while retry():
         session.server._update_windows()
         if w.name == 'sh':
             break
-        elif time.time() > timeout:
-            break
 
     assert w.name == text_type('sh')
 
     w.select_pane('-D')
 
-    timeout = time.time() + RETRY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS  # seconds timeout
-    while True:
+    while retry():
         session.server._update_windows()
         if w['window_name'] != 'sh':
             break
-        elif time.time() > timeout:
-            break
 
     assert w.name != text_type('sh')
 
@@ -490,8 +490,7 @@ def test_start_directory(session, tmpdir):
 
     for path, window in zip(dirs, session.windows):
         for p in window.panes:
-            timeout = time.time() + RETRY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS  # seconds timeout
-            while True:
+            while retry():
                 p.server._update_panes()
                 pane_path = p.current_path
                 if pane_path is None:
@@ -505,8 +504,6 @@ def test_start_directory(session, tmpdir):
                         path in pane_path
                     )
                     break
-                elif time.time() > timeout:
-                    break
 
             # handle case with OS X adding /private/ to /tmp/ paths
             assert result
@@ -558,8 +555,7 @@ def test_start_directory_relative(session, tmpdir):
 
     for path, window in zip(dirs, session.windows):
         for p in window.panes:
-            timeout = time.time() + RETRY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS  # seconds timeout
-            while True:
+            while retry():
                 p.server._update_panes()
                 # Handle case where directories resolve to /private/ in OSX
                 pane_path = p.current_path
@@ -574,8 +570,6 @@ def test_start_directory_relative(session, tmpdir):
                         path in pane_path
                     )
                     break
-                elif time.time() > timeout:
-                    break
 
             assert result
 
@@ -629,13 +623,10 @@ def test_pane_order(session):
             # at 0 since python list.
             pane_path = pane_paths[p_index - pane_base_index]
 
-            timeout = time.time() + RETRY_TIMEOUT_SECONDS  # seconds timeout
-            while True:
+            while retry():
                 p.server._update_panes()
                 if p.current_path == pane_path:
                     break
-                elif time.time() > timeout:
-                    break
 
             assert p.current_path, pane_path