diff --git a/test_utils.go b/test_utils.go
index caabfc9..ba07aed 100644
--- a/test_utils.go
+++ b/test_utils.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"net/http"
 	"os/exec"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -63,40 +64,74 @@ func Sleep() {
 	time.Sleep(sleepDuration)
 }
 
+// doWithRetryOn409 retries a request while the server reports 409 Conflict,
+// which now happens when a stream with the same name was deleted moments
+// earlier and its deletion is still running in the background (deletion
+// became asynchronous in parseablehq/parseable#1770 -- a stream isn't
+// actually gone the instant DeleteStream returns). buildRequest is called
+// again on every attempt since a request (and any body reader it holds)
+// can't be reused once sent.
+func doWithRetryOn409(t *testing.T, client HTTPClient, buildRequest func() (*http.Request, error)) *http.Response {
+	deadline := time.Now().Add(15 * time.Second)
+	for {
+		req, err := buildRequest()
+		require.NoErrorf(t, err, "failed to build request: %s", err)
+		response, err := client.Do(req)
+		require.NoErrorf(t, err, "Request failed: %s", err)
+		if response.StatusCode != 409 || time.Now().After(deadline) {
+			return response
+		}
+		response.Body.Close()
+		time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
+	}
+}
+
 func CreateStream(t *testing.T, client HTTPClient, stream string) {
-	req, _ := client.NewRequest("PUT", "logstream/"+stream, nil)
-	response, err := client.Do(req)
-	require.NoErrorf(t, err, "Request failed: %s", err)
+	response := doWithRetryOn409(t, client, func() (*http.Request, error) {
+		return client.NewRequest("PUT", "logstream/"+stream, nil)
+	})
 	require.Equalf(t, 200, response.StatusCode, "Server returned http code: %s", response.Status)
 }
 
 func CreateStreamWithHeader(t *testing.T, client HTTPClient, stream string, header map[string]string) {
-	req, _ := client.NewRequest("PUT", "logstream/"+stream, nil)
-	for k, v := range header {
-		req.Header.Add(k, v)
-	}
-	response, err := client.Do(req)
-	require.NoErrorf(t, err, "Request failed: %s", err)
+	response := doWithRetryOn409(t, client, func() (*http.Request, error) {
+		req, err := client.NewRequest("PUT", "logstream/"+stream, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			return req, err
+		}
+		for k, v := range header {
+			req.Header.Add(k, v)
+		}
+		return req, nil
+	})
 	require.Equalf(t, 200, response.StatusCode, "Server returned http code: %s", response.Status)
 }
 
 func CreateStreamWithCustompartitionError(t *testing.T, client HTTPClient, stream string, header map[string]string) {
-	req, _ := client.NewRequest("PUT", "logstream/"+stream, nil)
-	for k, v := range header {
-		req.Header.Add(k, v)
-	}
-	response, _ := client.Do(req)
+	response := doWithRetryOn409(t, client, func() (*http.Request, error) {
+		req, err := client.NewRequest("PUT", "logstream/"+stream, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			return req, err
+		}
+		for k, v := range header {
+			req.Header.Add(k, v)
+		}
+		return req, nil
+	})
 	require.Equalf(t, 500, response.StatusCode, "Server returned http code: %s", response.Status)
 }
 
 func CreateStreamWithSchemaBody(t *testing.T, client HTTPClient, stream string, header map[string]string, schema_payload string) {
-
-	req, _ := client.NewRequest("PUT", "logstream/"+stream, bytes.NewBufferString(schema_payload))
-	for k, v := range header {
-		req.Header.Add(k, v)
-	}
-	response, err := client.Do(req)
-	require.NoErrorf(t, err, "Request failed: %s", err)
+	response := doWithRetryOn409(t, client, func() (*http.Request, error) {
+		req, err := client.NewRequest("PUT", "logstream/"+stream, bytes.NewBufferString(schema_payload))
+		if err != nil {
+			return req, err
+		}
+		for k, v := range header {
+			req.Header.Add(k, v)
+		}
+		return req, nil
+	})
 	require.Equalf(t, 200, response.StatusCode, "Server returned http code: %s", response.Status)
 }
 
@@ -113,7 +148,11 @@ func DeleteStream(t *testing.T, client HTTPClient, stream string) {
 	req, _ := client.NewRequest("DELETE", "logstream/"+stream, nil)
 	response, err := client.Do(req)
 	require.NoErrorf(t, err, "Request failed: %s", err)
-	require.Equalf(t, 200, response.StatusCode, "Server returned http code: %s", response.Status)
+	// Deletion runs in the background (parseablehq/parseable#1770); 202 means
+	// accepted, not finished. Callers that immediately recreate the same
+	// stream name rely on CreateStream et al. retrying past a transient 409
+	// while the old stream's deletion is still in flight.
+	require.Equalf(t, 202, response.StatusCode, "Server returned http code: %s", response.Status)
 }
 
 func DeleteAlert(t *testing.T, client HTTPClient, alert_id string) {
@@ -455,7 +494,7 @@ func checkAPIAccess(t *testing.T, queryClient HTTPClient, ingestClient HTTPClien
 		req, _ = queryClient.NewRequest("DELETE", "logstream/"+stream, nil)
 		response, err = queryClient.Do(req)
 		require.NoErrorf(t, err, "Request failed: %s", err)
-		require.Equalf(t, 200, response.StatusCode, "Server returned http code: %s and response: %s", response.Status, readAsString(response.Body))
+		require.Equalf(t, 202, response.StatusCode, "Server returned http code: %s and response: %s", response.Status, readAsString(response.Body))
 
 	case "writer":
 		// Check access to non-protected API