diff --git a/ably/export_test.go b/ably/export_test.go
index ee1e6a1d..9c4482bc 100644
--- a/ably/export_test.go
+++ b/ably/export_test.go
@@ -280,6 +280,11 @@ type DurationFromMsecs = durationFromMsecs
 type ProtoErrorInfo = errorInfo
 type ProtoFlag = protoFlag
 type ProtocolMessage = protocolMessage
+type WebsocketErr = websocketErr
+
+func (w *WebsocketErr) HttpResp() *http.Response {
+	return w.resp
+}
 
 const (
 	DefaultCipherKeyLength = defaultCipherKeyLength
diff --git a/ably/realtime_client_integration_test.go b/ably/realtime_client_integration_test.go
index 872e749d..857a022e 100644
--- a/ably/realtime_client_integration_test.go
+++ b/ably/realtime_client_integration_test.go
@@ -272,11 +272,28 @@ func TestRealtime_RTN17_Integration_HostFallback_Internal_Server_Error(t *testin
 	serverURL, err := url.Parse(server.URL)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
+	fallbackHost := "sandbox-a-fallback.ably-realtime.com"
+	connAttempts := 0
+
 	app, realtime := ablytest.NewRealtime(
 		ably.WithAutoConnect(false),
 		ably.WithTLS(false),
 		ably.WithUseTokenAuth(true),
-		ably.WithFallbackHosts([]string{"sandbox-a-fallback.ably-realtime.com"}),
+		ably.WithFallbackHosts([]string{fallbackHost}),
+		ably.WithDial(func(protocol string, u *url.URL, timeout time.Duration) (ably.Conn, error) {
+			connAttempts += 1
+			conn, err := ably.DialWebsocket(protocol, u, timeout)
+			if connAttempts == 1 {
+				assert.Equal(t, serverURL.Host, u.Host)
+				var websocketErr *ably.WebsocketErr
+				assert.ErrorAs(t, err, &websocketErr)
+				assert.Equal(t, http.StatusInternalServerError, websocketErr.HttpResp().StatusCode)
+			} else {
+				assert.NoError(t, err)
+				assert.Equal(t, fallbackHost, u.Hostname())
+			}
+			return conn, err
+		}),
 		ably.WithRealtimeHost(serverURL.Host))
 
 	defer safeclose(t, ablytest.FullRealtimeCloser(realtime), app)
@@ -284,24 +301,46 @@ func TestRealtime_RTN17_Integration_HostFallback_Internal_Server_Error(t *testin
 	err = ablytest.Wait(ablytest.ConnWaiter(realtime, realtime.Connect, ably.ConnectionEventConnected), nil)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
-	assert.Equal(t, "sandbox-a-fallback.ably-realtime.com", realtime.Rest().ActiveRealtimeHost())
+	assert.Equal(t, 2, connAttempts)
+	assert.Equal(t, fallbackHost, realtime.Rest().ActiveRealtimeHost())
 }
 
 func TestRealtime_RTN17_Integration_HostFallback_Timeout(t *testing.T) {
+	timedOut := make(chan bool)
 	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-		time.Sleep(3 * time.Second)
+		<-timedOut
 		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusSwitchingProtocols)
 	}))
 	defer server.Close()
 	serverURL, err := url.Parse(server.URL)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
+	fallbackHost := "sandbox-a-fallback.ably-realtime.com"
+	requestTimeout := 2 * time.Second
+	connAttempts := 0
+
 	app, realtime := ablytest.NewRealtime(
 		ably.WithAutoConnect(false),
 		ably.WithTLS(false),
 		ably.WithUseTokenAuth(true),
-		ably.WithFallbackHosts([]string{"sandbox-a-fallback.ably-realtime.com"}),
-		ably.WithRealtimeRequestTimeout(2*time.Second),
+		ably.WithFallbackHosts([]string{fallbackHost}),
+		ably.WithRealtimeRequestTimeout(requestTimeout),
+		ably.WithDial(func(protocol string, u *url.URL, timeout time.Duration) (ably.Conn, error) {
+			connAttempts += 1
+			assert.Equal(t, requestTimeout, timeout)
+			conn, err := ably.DialWebsocket(protocol, u, timeout)
+			if connAttempts == 1 {
+				assert.Equal(t, serverURL.Host, u.Host)
+				var timeoutError net.Error
+				assert.ErrorAs(t, err, &timeoutError)
+				assert.True(t, timeoutError.Timeout())
+				timedOut <- true
+			} else {
+				assert.NoError(t, err)
+				assert.Equal(t, fallbackHost, u.Hostname())
+			}
+			return conn, err
+		}),
 		ably.WithRealtimeHost(serverURL.Host))
 
 	defer safeclose(t, ablytest.FullRealtimeCloser(realtime), app)
@@ -309,7 +348,8 @@ func TestRealtime_RTN17_Integration_HostFallback_Timeout(t *testing.T) {
 	err = ablytest.Wait(ablytest.ConnWaiter(realtime, realtime.Connect, ably.ConnectionEventConnected), nil)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
-	assert.Equal(t, "sandbox-a-fallback.ably-realtime.com", realtime.Rest().ActiveRealtimeHost())
+	assert.Equal(t, 2, connAttempts)
+	assert.Equal(t, fallbackHost, realtime.Rest().ActiveRealtimeHost())
 }
 
 func checkUnique(ch chan string, typ string, n int) error {