diff --git a/agent/consul/state/catalog_test.go b/agent/consul/state/catalog_test.go
index 8aeb0fa45c..fc637f9d40 100644
--- a/agent/consul/state/catalog_test.go
+++ b/agent/consul/state/catalog_test.go
@@ -1627,12 +1627,14 @@ func TestStateStore_Services(t *testing.T) {
 func TestStateStore_ServicesByNodeMeta(t *testing.T) {
 	s := testStateStore(t)
 
-	// Listing with no results returns nil.
 	ws := memdb.NewWatchSet()
-	idx, res, err := s.ServicesByNodeMeta(ws, map[string]string{"somekey": "somevalue"}, nil)
-	if idx != 0 || len(res) != 0 || err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("expected (0, nil, nil), got: (%d, %#v, %#v)", idx, res, err)
-	}
+
+	t.Run("Listing with no results returns nil", func(t *testing.T) {
+		idx, res, err := s.ServicesByNodeMeta(ws, map[string]string{"somekey": "somevalue"}, nil)
+		if idx != 0 || len(res) != 0 || err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("expected (0, nil, nil), got: (%d, %#v, %#v)", idx, res, err)
+		}
+	})
 
 	// Create some nodes and services in the state store.
 	node0 := &structs.Node{Node: "node0", Address: "127.0.0.1", Meta: map[string]string{"role": "client", "common": "1"}}
@@ -1664,94 +1666,97 @@ func TestStateStore_ServicesByNodeMeta(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
 	if !watchFired(ws) {
-		t.Fatalf("bad")
+		t.Fatalf("expected the watch to be triggered by the queries")
 	}
 
-	// Filter the services by the first node's meta value.
 	ws = memdb.NewWatchSet()
-	_, res, err = s.ServicesByNodeMeta(ws, map[string]string{"role": "client"}, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
-	}
-	expected := structs.Services{
-		"redis": []string{"master", "prod"},
-	}
-	sort.Strings(res["redis"])
-	if !reflect.DeepEqual(res, expected) {
-		t.Fatalf("bad: %v %v", res, expected)
-	}
 
-	// Get all services using the common meta value
-	_, res, err = s.ServicesByNodeMeta(ws, map[string]string{"common": "1"}, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
-	}
-	expected = structs.Services{
-		"redis": []string{"master", "prod", "slave"},
-	}
-	sort.Strings(res["redis"])
-	if !reflect.DeepEqual(res, expected) {
-		t.Fatalf("bad: %v %v", res, expected)
-	}
+	t.Run("Filter the services by the first node's meta value", func(t *testing.T) {
+		_, res, err := s.ServicesByNodeMeta(ws, map[string]string{"role": "client"}, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+		}
+		expected := structs.Services{
+			"redis": []string{"master", "prod"},
+		}
+		sort.Strings(res["redis"])
+		require.Equal(t, expected, res)
+	})
 
-	// Get an empty list for an invalid meta value
-	_, res, err = s.ServicesByNodeMeta(ws, map[string]string{"invalid": "nope"}, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
-	}
-	expected = structs.Services{}
-	if !reflect.DeepEqual(res, expected) {
-		t.Fatalf("bad: %v %v", res, expected)
-	}
+	t.Run("Get all services using the common meta value", func(t *testing.T) {
+		_, res, err := s.ServicesByNodeMeta(ws, map[string]string{"common": "1"}, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+		}
+		expected := structs.Services{
+			"redis": []string{"master", "prod", "slave"},
+		}
+		sort.Strings(res["redis"])
+		require.Equal(t, expected, res)
+	})
 
-	// Get the first node's service instance using multiple meta filters
-	_, res, err = s.ServicesByNodeMeta(ws, map[string]string{"role": "client", "common": "1"}, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
-	}
-	expected = structs.Services{
-		"redis": []string{"master", "prod"},
-	}
-	sort.Strings(res["redis"])
-	if !reflect.DeepEqual(res, expected) {
-		t.Fatalf("bad: %v %v", res, expected)
-	}
+	t.Run("Get an empty list for an invalid meta value", func(t *testing.T) {
+		_, res, err := s.ServicesByNodeMeta(ws, map[string]string{"invalid": "nope"}, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+		}
+		expected := structs.Services{}
+		require.Equal(t, expected, res)
+	})
 
-	// Sanity check the watch before we proceed.
-	if watchFired(ws) {
-		t.Fatalf("bad")
-	}
+	t.Run("Get the first node's service instance using multiple meta filters", func(t *testing.T) {
+		_, res, err := s.ServicesByNodeMeta(ws, map[string]string{"role": "client", "common": "1"}, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+		}
+		expected := structs.Services{
+			"redis": []string{"master", "prod"},
+		}
+		sort.Strings(res["redis"])
+		require.Equal(t, expected, res)
+	})
 
-	// Registering some unrelated node + service should not fire the watch.
-	testRegisterNode(t, s, 4, "nope")
-	testRegisterService(t, s, 5, "nope", "nope")
-	if watchFired(ws) {
-		t.Fatalf("bad")
-	}
+	t.Run("Registering some unrelated node + service should not fire the watch.", func(t *testing.T) {
+		testRegisterNode(t, s, 4, "nope")
+		testRegisterService(t, s, 5, "nope", "nope")
+		if watchFired(ws) {
+			t.Fatalf("expected the watch to timeout and not be triggered")
+		}
+	})
 
-	// Overwhelm the service tracking.
-	idx = 6
-	for i := 0; i < 2*watchLimit; i++ {
-		node := fmt.Sprintf("many%d", i)
-		testRegisterNodeWithMeta(t, s, idx, node, map[string]string{"common": "1"})
-		idx++
-		testRegisterService(t, s, idx, node, "nope")
-		idx++
-	}
+	t.Run("Uses watchLimit to limit the number of watches", func(t *testing.T) {
+		patchWatchLimit(t, 10)
 
-	// Now get a fresh watch, which will be forced to watch the whole
-	// service table.
-	ws = memdb.NewWatchSet()
-	_, _, err = s.ServicesByNodeMeta(ws, map[string]string{"common": "1"}, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
-	}
+		var idx uint64 = 6
+		for i := 0; i < watchLimit+2; i++ {
+			node := fmt.Sprintf("many%d", i)
+			testRegisterNodeWithMeta(t, s, idx, node, map[string]string{"common": "1"})
+			idx++
+			testRegisterService(t, s, idx, node, "nope")
+			idx++
+		}
 
-	// Registering some unrelated node + service should not fire the watch.
-	testRegisterService(t, s, idx, "nope", "more-nope")
-	if !watchFired(ws) {
-		t.Fatalf("bad")
-	}
+		// Now get a fresh watch, which will be forced to watch the whole
+		// service table.
+		ws := memdb.NewWatchSet()
+		_, _, err := s.ServicesByNodeMeta(ws, map[string]string{"common": "1"}, nil)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		testRegisterService(t, s, idx, "nope", "more-nope")
+		if !watchFired(ws) {
+			t.Fatalf("expected the watch to timeout and not be triggered")
+		}
+	})
+}
+
+// patchWatchLimit package variable. Not safe for concurrent use. Do not use
+// with t.Parallel.
+func patchWatchLimit(t *testing.T, limit int) {
+	oldLimit := watchLimit
+	watchLimit = limit
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		watchLimit = oldLimit
+	})
 }
 
 func TestStateStore_ServiceNodes(t *testing.T) {
@@ -1870,7 +1875,8 @@ func TestStateStore_ServiceNodes(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Overwhelm the node tracking.
 	idx = 19
-	for i := 0; i < 2*watchLimit; i++ {
+	patchWatchLimit(t, 10)
+	for i := 0; i < watchLimit+2; i++ {
 		node := fmt.Sprintf("many%d", i)
 		if err := s.EnsureNode(idx, &structs.Node{Node: node, Address: "127.0.0.1"}); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
@@ -2639,7 +2645,8 @@ func TestStateStore_ServiceChecksByNodeMeta(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Overwhelm the node tracking.
-	for i := 0; i < 2*watchLimit; i++ {
+	patchWatchLimit(t, 10)
+	for i := 0; i < watchLimit+2; i++ {
 		node := fmt.Sprintf("many%d", idx)
 		testRegisterNodeWithMeta(t, s, idx, node, map[string]string{"common": "1"})
 		idx++
@@ -2819,7 +2826,8 @@ func TestStateStore_ChecksInStateByNodeMeta(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Overwhelm the node tracking.
-	for i := 0; i < 2*watchLimit; i++ {
+	patchWatchLimit(t, 10)
+	for i := 0; i < watchLimit+2; i++ {
 		node := fmt.Sprintf("many%d", idx)
 		testRegisterNodeWithMeta(t, s, idx, node, map[string]string{"common": "1"})
 		idx++
diff --git a/agent/consul/state/state_store.go b/agent/consul/state/state_store.go
index 3692deb9dc..bab348fefa 100644
--- a/agent/consul/state/state_store.go
+++ b/agent/consul/state/state_store.go
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ var (
 	ErrMissingIntentionID = errors.New("Missing Intention ID")
 )
 
-const (
+var (
 	// watchLimit is used as a soft limit to cap how many watches we allow
 	// for a given blocking query. If this is exceeded, then we will use a
 	// higher-level watch that's less fine-grained.  Choosing the perfect