diff --git a/core/camel-core/src/test/java/org/apache/camel/component/direct/DirectProducerBlockingTest.java b/core/camel-core/src/test/java/org/apache/camel/component/direct/DirectProducerBlockingTest.java
index 4ad06aa15819c..a692a4685b416 100644
--- a/core/camel-core/src/test/java/org/apache/camel/component/direct/DirectProducerBlockingTest.java
+++ b/core/camel-core/src/test/java/org/apache/camel/component/direct/DirectProducerBlockingTest.java
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@
  */
 package org.apache.camel.component.direct;
 
-import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 import org.apache.camel.CamelExchangeException;
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Timeout;
 
-import static org.awaitility.Awaitility.await;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertThrows;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
 
@@ -74,32 +73,26 @@ public void testProducerBlocksWithNoConsumers() throws Exception {
 
     @Test
     public void testProducerBlocksResumeTest() throws Exception {
-        getMockEndpoint("mock:result").expectedMessageCount(1);
-
         context.getRouteController().suspendRoute("foo");
 
-        Thread mainThread = Thread.currentThread();
-        ExecutorService executor = Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor();
-        executor.submit(new Runnable() {
-            @Override
-            public void run() {
-                try {
-                    // Wait for the main thread to enter TIMED_WAITING state
-                    // (blocked on condition in DirectComponent.getConsumer)
-                    await().atMost(2, TimeUnit.SECONDS)
-                            .pollInterval(10, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
-                            .until(() -> mainThread.getState() == Thread.State.TIMED_WAITING);
-
-                    log.info("Resuming consumer");
-                    context.getRouteController().resumeRoute("foo");
-                } catch (Exception e) {
-                    log.error("Error in background thread", e);
-                }
+        // Schedule route resume after 200ms. This is race-tolerant by design:
+        // - If resume fires before sendBody starts blocking: route is already
+        //   resumed, sendBody finds the consumer immediately and succeeds
+        // - If resume fires while sendBody is blocking: sendBody gets unblocked
+        // Either outcome produces a passing test.
+        ScheduledExecutorService executor = Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor();
+        executor.schedule(() -> {
+            try {
+                log.info("Resuming consumer");
+                context.getRouteController().resumeRoute("foo");
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                log.error("Error resuming route", e);
             }
-        });
+        }, 200, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
+
+        getMockEndpoint("mock:result").expectedMessageCount(1);
 
-        // This call will block until the route is resumed by the background thread
-        template.sendBody("direct:suspended?block=true&timeout=2000", "hello world");
+        template.sendBody("direct:suspended?block=true&timeout=1000", "hello world");
 
         assertMockEndpointsSatisfied();