diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 64d4423ed..e23b663d1 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -10,6 +10,14 @@ if(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "Linux")
     find_program(VALGRIND_EXECUTABLE NAMES valgrind)
 endif()
 
+# Some hosts (notably macOS, whose default soft limit is 256) start test
+# processes with too few file descriptors for descriptor-heavy tests such as
+# test_event. Raise the soft limit before exec'ing each test; a failure to
+# raise it (hard limit too low) is ignored so the test still runs.
+if(NOT WIN32)
+    set(SS_TEST_LAUNCHER sh -c "ulimit -n 1024 2>/dev/null\; exec \"$0\" \"$@\"")
+endif()
+
 # Helper function to add a unit test
 function(ss_add_test name sources libs)
     if(WIN32 AND "${sources}" MATCHES "utils.c")
@@ -28,12 +36,12 @@ function(ss_add_test name sources libs)
     else()
         target_compile_options(${name} PRIVATE -UNDEBUG)
     endif()
-    add_test(NAME ${name} COMMAND ${name})
+    add_test(NAME ${name} COMMAND ${SS_TEST_LAUNCHER} $<TARGET_FILE:${name}>)
     set_tests_properties(${name} PROPERTIES LABELS "unit")
 
     if(VALGRIND_EXECUTABLE)
         add_test(NAME memcheck_${name}
-            COMMAND ${VALGRIND_EXECUTABLE}
+            COMMAND ${SS_TEST_LAUNCHER} ${VALGRIND_EXECUTABLE}
                 --tool=memcheck
                 --leak-check=full
                 --show-leak-kinds=definite,indirect
diff --git a/tests/test_event.c b/tests/test_event.c
index ab250dd71..311810846 100644
--- a/tests/test_event.c
+++ b/tests/test_event.c
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ static void must_not_run(struct ss_loop *loop, ss_io *io, int events)
 int main(void)
 {
     test_network_init();
+    /* 256 receivers + sender + loop internals must fit under RLIMIT_NOFILE. */
+    test_raise_fd_limit(512);
     struct ss_loop *loop = ss_loop_new(0);
     assert(loop);
 #ifdef _WIN32
@@ -48,8 +50,10 @@ int main(void)
     /* Exceed Winsock select's default 64 descriptors. */
     struct receiver receivers[256] = {0};
     ss_socket_t sender = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
+    assert((int)sender >= 0);
     for (unsigned i = 0; i < 256; i++) {
         int fd = (int)socket(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
+        assert(fd >= 0);
         struct sockaddr_in address = {0};
         address.sin_family = AF_INET;
         address.sin_addr.s_addr = htonl(INADDR_LOOPBACK);
diff --git a/tests/test_helpers.h b/tests/test_helpers.h
index b37e80946..d1744a52f 100644
--- a/tests/test_helpers.h
+++ b/tests/test_helpers.h
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include "platform.h"
+#ifndef _WIN32
+#include <sys/resource.h>
+#endif
 
 static inline void test_network_cleanup(void)
 {
@@ -19,6 +22,25 @@ static inline void test_network_init(void)
     assert(atexit(test_network_cleanup) == 0);
 #endif
 }
+/* Make sure at least `want` descriptors can be opened; the default soft
+ * limit is only 256 on macOS, which is below what descriptor-heavy tests
+ * such as test_event need. Windows sockets are not bounded by RLIMIT_NOFILE. */
+static inline void test_raise_fd_limit(unsigned want)
+{
+#ifndef _WIN32
+    struct rlimit limit;
+    assert(getrlimit(RLIMIT_NOFILE, &limit) == 0);
+    if (limit.rlim_cur != RLIM_INFINITY && limit.rlim_cur < want) {
+        limit.rlim_cur = want;
+        if (limit.rlim_max != RLIM_INFINITY && limit.rlim_max < limit.rlim_cur) {
+            limit.rlim_cur = limit.rlim_max;
+        }
+        assert(setrlimit(RLIMIT_NOFILE, &limit) == 0);
+    }
+#else
+    (void)want;
+#endif
+}
 static inline FILE *test_tempfile(char *path, size_t size)
 {
 #ifdef _WIN32