diff --git a/ee/agent/timemachine/timemachine_darwin_test.go b/ee/agent/timemachine/timemachine_darwin_test.go
index a5f2f0011..aa1ca4375 100644
--- a/ee/agent/timemachine/timemachine_darwin_test.go
+++ b/ee/agent/timemachine/timemachine_darwin_test.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ package timemachine
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"os/user"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -15,13 +14,16 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/kolide/launcher/ee/agent/types/mocks"
 	"github.com/kolide/launcher/ee/allowedcmd"
-	"github.com/kolide/launcher/pkg/backoff"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
 func TestAddExclusions(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
+	if os.Getenv("GITHUB_ACTIONS") == "true" {
+		t.Skip("Skipping test on GitHub Actions because it's flaky there")
+	}
+
 	u, err := user.Current()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
@@ -91,30 +93,18 @@ func TestAddExclusions(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// ensure the files are included / excluded as expected
 	for fileName, shouldBeExcluded := range shouldBeExcluded {
-		// Allow for a couple retries for the file to show up as excluded appropriately --
-		// we've seen this be a little flaky in CI
-		err := backoff.WaitFor(func() error {
-			cmd, err := allowedcmd.Tmutil(context.TODO(), "isexcluded", filepath.Join(testDir, fileName))
-			if err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("creating tmutil command: %w", err)
-			}
-
-			out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
-			if err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("running tmutil isexcluded: %w", err)
-			}
-
-			if shouldBeExcluded && !strings.Contains(string(out), "[Excluded]") {
-				return fmt.Errorf("output `%s` does not contain [Excluded], but file should be excluded", string(out))
-			}
-
-			if !shouldBeExcluded && !strings.Contains(string(out), "[Included]") {
-				return fmt.Errorf("output `%s` does not contain [Included], but file should be included", string(out))
-			}
-
-			return nil
-		}, 1*time.Second, 200*time.Millisecond)
-
-		require.NoError(t, err, "file not handled as expected")
+		cmd, err := allowedcmd.Tmutil(context.TODO(), "isexcluded", filepath.Join(testDir, fileName))
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		if shouldBeExcluded {
+			require.Contains(t, string(out), "[Excluded]")
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// should be included
+		require.Contains(t, string(out), "[Included]")
 	}
 }