diff --git a/src/test/app/LedgerReplay_test.cpp b/src/test/app/LedgerReplay_test.cpp
index 7b521402a40..adc8c7b3241 100644
--- a/src/test/app/LedgerReplay_test.cpp
+++ b/src/test/app/LedgerReplay_test.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 
 #include <xrpl/basics/Slice.h>
 #include <xrpl/basics/base_uint.h>
-#include <xrpl/basics/random.h>
 #include <xrpl/beast/net/IPAddress.h>
 #include <xrpl/beast/net/IPEndpoint.h>
 #include <xrpl/beast/unit_test/suite.h>
@@ -53,6 +52,7 @@
 #include <xrpl.pb.h>
 
 #include <algorithm>
+#include <atomic>
 #include <cassert>
 #include <chrono>
 #include <cstddef>
@@ -443,17 +443,13 @@ struct TestPeerSet : public PeerSet
         protocol::MessageType type,
         std::shared_ptr<Peer> const& peer) override
     {
-        int dropRate = 0;
-        if (behavior == PeerSetBehavior::Drop50)
-        {
-            dropRate = 50;
-        }
-        else if (behavior == PeerSetBehavior::DropAll)
-        {
-            dropRate = 100;
-        }
+        if (behavior == PeerSetBehavior::DropAll)
+            return;
 
-        if (randInt(1, 100) <= dropRate)
+        // Drop every other message deterministically. Alternating drops
+        // still exercise the timeout/retry path while guaranteeing every
+        // subtask eventually gets a reply.
+        if (behavior == PeerSetBehavior::Drop50 && sendCount++ % 2 == 0)
             return;
 
         switch (type)
@@ -498,6 +494,7 @@ struct TestPeerSet : public PeerSet
     LedgerReplayMsgHandler& remote;
     std::shared_ptr<TestPeer> dummyPeer;
     PeerSetBehavior behavior;
+    std::atomic<int> sendCount{0};
 };
 
 /**