diff --git a/tests/test_web_websocket_functional.py b/tests/test_web_websocket_functional.py
index c5567ac5e2a..0c3bcdd54a5 100644
--- a/tests/test_web_websocket_functional.py
+++ b/tests/test_web_websocket_functional.py
@@ -246,8 +246,10 @@ async def handler(request):
 
 async def test_close_timeout(loop, aiohttp_client) -> None:
     aborted = loop.create_future()
+    elapsed = 1e10  # something big
 
     async def handler(request):
+        nonlocal elapsed
         ws = web.WebSocketResponse(timeout=0.1)
         await ws.prepare(request)
         assert 'request' == (await ws.receive_str())
@@ -255,9 +257,6 @@ async def handler(request):
         begin = ws._loop.time()
         assert (await ws.close())
         elapsed = ws._loop.time() - begin
-        assert elapsed < 0.201, \
-            'close() should have returned before ' \
-            'at most 2x timeout.'
         assert ws.close_code == 1006
         assert isinstance(ws.exception(), asyncio.TimeoutError)
         aborted.set_result(1)
@@ -281,6 +280,10 @@ async def handler(request):
     await asyncio.sleep(0.08)
     assert (await aborted)
 
+    assert elapsed < 0.201, \
+        'close() should have returned before ' \
+        'at most 2x timeout.'
+
     await ws.close()