diff --git a/src/tool/subcommands/api_cmd/generate_test_snapshot.rs b/src/tool/subcommands/api_cmd/generate_test_snapshot.rs
index ec15584c689..0e439b7fd5e 100644
--- a/src/tool/subcommands/api_cmd/generate_test_snapshot.rs
+++ b/src/tool/subcommands/api_cmd/generate_test_snapshot.rs
@@ -119,13 +119,17 @@ async fn ctx(
         read_genesis_header(None, chain_config.genesis_bytes(&db).await?.as_deref(), &db).await?;
     let chain_store = ChainStore::new(db.clone(), chain_config, genesis_header)?;
     let state_manager = StateManager::new(chain_store.shallow_clone())?;
+    let mut services: JoinSet<anyhow::Result<()>> = JoinSet::new();
     let message_pool = MessagePool::new(
         chain_store,
         network_send.clone(),
         Default::default(),
         state_manager.chain_config().clone(),
-        &mut JoinSet::new(),
+        &mut services,
     )?;
+    // See `super::test_snapshot::drain_mpool_services` for rationale.
+    services.abort_all();
+    tokio::spawn(super::test_snapshot::drain_mpool_services(services));
 
     let peer_manager = Arc::new(PeerManager::default());
     let sync_network_context =
diff --git a/src/tool/subcommands/api_cmd/test_snapshot.rs b/src/tool/subcommands/api_cmd/test_snapshot.rs
index 4149f33dba8..37a386eeb40 100644
--- a/src/tool/subcommands/api_cmd/test_snapshot.rs
+++ b/src/tool/subcommands/api_cmd/test_snapshot.rs
@@ -144,13 +144,21 @@ async fn ctx(
         read_genesis_header(None, chain_config.genesis_bytes(&db).await?.as_deref(), &db).await?;
     let chain_store = ChainStore::new(db, chain_config, genesis_header.clone())?;
     let state_manager = StateManager::new(chain_store.shallow_clone()).unwrap();
+    let mut services: JoinSet<anyhow::Result<()>> = JoinSet::new();
     let message_pool = MessagePool::new(
         chain_store,
         network_send.clone(),
         Default::default(),
         state_manager.chain_config().clone(),
-        &mut JoinSet::new(),
+        &mut services,
     )?;
+    // The mpool services are not needed in this snapshot test context; abort
+    // them right away so they don't compete with the test for runtime time
+    // (the inherited `&mut JoinSet::new()` pattern was a temporary that
+    // dropped — same end state). The detached drain still polls the aborted
+    // set so any pre-abort error or panic is surfaced rather than dropped.
+    services.abort_all();
+    tokio::spawn(drain_mpool_services(services));
 
     let peer_manager = Arc::new(PeerManager::default());
     let sync_network_context =
@@ -176,6 +184,21 @@ async fn ctx(
     Ok((rpc_state, network_rx, shutdown_recv))
 }
 
+/// Drains a `MessagePool` service [`JoinSet`] to completion, logging any
+/// errors or panics it produces. Intended to be used with `tokio::spawn` from
+/// test-utility `ctx()` helpers so that service-task errors are surfaced
+/// instead of being silently dropped when the `JoinSet` is dropped.
+pub(super) async fn drain_mpool_services(mut services: JoinSet<anyhow::Result<()>>) {
+    while let Some(result) = services.join_next().await {
+        match result {
+            Ok(Ok(())) => {}
+            Ok(Err(e)) => tracing::warn!("message pool service task error: {e:#}"),
+            Err(je) if je.is_cancelled() => {}
+            Err(je) => tracing::warn!("message pool service task panicked: {je}"),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;