diff --git a/tests/integration/lib.sh b/tests/integration/lib.sh
index a218276b..e09608bc 100644
--- a/tests/integration/lib.sh
+++ b/tests/integration/lib.sh
@@ -473,7 +473,20 @@ _pred_share_stats_nonempty() {
     [ -n "$n" ] && [ "$n" -gt 0 ] 2>/dev/null
 }
 
+# Predicate: the proxy's stratum counters show hashes accumulating — proof a rig is actually
+# submitting work, not merely listed. A REAL borrowed rig fails over to its secondary pool when
+# the bench stratum bounces between scenarios and returns on xmrig's own retry clock (~60-90s),
+# so a single early sample legitimately reads 0 on a rig that is mining a minute later (#831).
+_pred_stratum_hashes() {
+    local st h
+    st="$(api_state)"
+    [ -n "$st" ] || return 1
+    h="$(jq_get "$st" '.stratum.total_hashes')"
+    [ -n "$h" ] && [ "$h" -gt 0 ] 2>/dev/null
+}
+
 wait_status_ok() { wait_for "${1:-180}" 5 "pithead status OK" _pred_status_ok; }
+wait_stratum_hashes() { wait_for "${1:-180}" 10 "stratum hashes accumulating" _pred_stratum_hashes; }
 wait_monero_synced() { wait_for "${1:-300}" 10 "Monero sync complete" _pred_monero_synced; }
 wait_miner_running() { wait_for "${1:-180}" 5 "miner released" _pred_miner_running; }
 wait_tari_synced() { wait_for "${1:-300}" 10 "Tari sync complete" _pred_tari_synced; }
diff --git a/tests/integration/run.sh b/tests/integration/run.sh
index 01bbcfbe..984ab6a1 100755
--- a/tests/integration/run.sh
+++ b/tests/integration/run.sh
@@ -569,8 +569,16 @@ assert_running_state() {
     assert_pool_type "pool type" "$(jq_get "$st" '.pool.type')" "$(pool_label "$pool")"
 
     # 6. End-to-end mining: workers online + hashes accumulating (#28). proxy_workers is the
-    #    reliable liveness signal; stratum.conns is reported but informational (can be 0).
+    #    reliable liveness signal; stratum.conns is reported but informational (can be 0). The
+    #    hashes figure gets a bounded wait first (#831): between scenarios the bench stratum
+    #    bounces, a REAL rig fails over to its secondary pool and returns on xmrig's own retry
+    #    clock (~60-90s) — a single early sample reads 0 while the rig is genuinely mining a
+    #    minute later, and which scenario loses that race moves run to run. The re-fetched
+    #    assertion below stays the arbiter: a rig that never returns still fails after the
+    #    timeout.
     local workers conns hashes
+    wait_stratum_hashes 180 || true
+    st="$(api_state)" # re-fetch so this step and everything after read post-wait state
     workers="$(jq_get "$st" '.proxy_workers')"
     conns="$(jq_get "$st" '.stratum.conns')"
     hashes="$(jq_get "$st" '.stratum.total_hashes')"