diff --git a/msgq/__init__.py b/msgq/__init__.py
index 574e100a8..b47b3db12 100644
--- a/msgq/__init__.py
+++ b/msgq/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # must be built with scons
 from msgq.ipc_pyx import Context, Poller, SubSocket, PubSocket, SocketEventHandle, toggle_fake_events, \
-                                set_fake_prefix, get_fake_prefix, delete_fake_prefix, wait_for_one_event
+                                set_fake_prefix, get_fake_prefix, delete_fake_prefix, wait_for_one_event, \
+                                context_is_zmq
 from msgq.ipc_pyx import MultiplePublishersError, IpcError
 
 from typing import Optional, List, Union
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@
 assert get_fake_prefix
 assert delete_fake_prefix
 assert wait_for_one_event
+assert context_is_zmq
 
 NO_TRAVERSAL_LIMIT = 2**64-1
 
diff --git a/msgq/conftest.py b/msgq/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bfd77925c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/msgq/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import os
+import pytest
+import msgq
+
+@pytest.fixture(params=[False, True], ids=["msgq", "zmq"], autouse=True)
+def zmq_mode(request):
+  if request.param:
+    os.environ["ZMQ"] = "1"
+  else:
+    os.environ.pop("ZMQ", None)
+  msgq.context = msgq.Context()
+  assert msgq.context_is_zmq() == request.param
+  yield request.param
+  os.environ.pop("ZMQ", None)
diff --git a/msgq/ipc.pxd b/msgq/ipc.pxd
index 0760561d2..171ddf6b6 100644
--- a/msgq/ipc.pxd
+++ b/msgq/ipc.pxd
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ cdef extern from "msgq/impl_fake.h":
 
 
 cdef extern from "msgq/ipc.h":
+  bool messaging_use_zmq()
+
   cdef cppclass Context:
     @staticmethod
     Context * create()
diff --git a/msgq/ipc_pyx.pyx b/msgq/ipc_pyx.pyx
index 909262f4c..128f352ef 100644
--- a/msgq/ipc_pyx.pyx
+++ b/msgq/ipc_pyx.pyx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ from libc.string cimport strerror
 from cython.operator import dereference
 
 
+from .ipc cimport messaging_use_zmq
 from .ipc cimport Context as cppContext
 from .ipc cimport SubSocket as cppSubSocket
 from .ipc cimport PubSocket as cppPubSocket
@@ -18,6 +19,10 @@ from .ipc cimport Message as cppMessage
 from .ipc cimport Event as cppEvent, SocketEventHandle as cppSocketEventHandle
 
 
+def context_is_zmq():
+  return messaging_use_zmq()
+
+
 class IpcError(Exception):
   def __init__(self, endpoint=None):
     suffix = f"with {endpoint.decode('utf-8')}" if endpoint else ""
diff --git a/msgq/msgq.cc b/msgq/msgq.cc
index 92f0ec1df..5bafc7055 100644
--- a/msgq/msgq.cc
+++ b/msgq/msgq.cc
@@ -446,9 +446,18 @@ int msgq_poll(msgq_pollitem_t * items, size_t nitems, int timeout){
   }
 
   int ms = (timeout == -1) ? 100 : timeout;
+
+#ifdef __APPLE__
+  // On macOS, signals can't interrupt nanosleep, so poll more frequently
+  int poll_ms = std::min(ms, 10);
+  int remaining_ms = ms;
+#else
+  int poll_ms = ms;
+#endif
+
   struct timespec ts;
-  ts.tv_sec = ms / 1000;
-  ts.tv_nsec = (ms % 1000) * 1000 * 1000;
+  ts.tv_sec = poll_ms / 1000;
+  ts.tv_nsec = (poll_ms % 1000) * 1000 * 1000;
 
 
   while (num == 0) {
@@ -464,10 +473,23 @@ int msgq_poll(msgq_pollitem_t * items, size_t nitems, int timeout){
       }
     }
 
+#ifdef __APPLE__
+    // exit if we had a timeout and we've exhausted it
+    if (timeout != -1 && ret == 0){
+      remaining_ms -= poll_ms;
+      if (remaining_ms <= 0){
+        break;
+      }
+      poll_ms = std::min(remaining_ms, 10);
+      ts.tv_sec = poll_ms / 1000;
+      ts.tv_nsec = (poll_ms % 1000) * 1000 * 1000;
+    }
+#else
     // exit if we had a timeout and the sleep finished
     if (timeout != -1 && ret == 0){
       break;
     }
+#endif
   }
 
   return num;
diff --git a/msgq/tests/test_fake.py b/msgq/tests/test_fake.py
index d2c51313c..4513973b2 100644
--- a/msgq/tests/test_fake.py
+++ b/msgq/tests/test_fake.py
@@ -64,12 +64,13 @@ def test_wait_zero_timeout(self):
 
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(condition=platform.system() == "Darwin", reason="FakeSockets not supported on macOS")
-@pytest.mark.skipif(condition="ZMQ" in os.environ, reason="FakeSockets not supported on ZMQ")
 @parameterized_class([{"prefix": None}, {"prefix": "test"}])
 class TestFakeSockets:
   prefix: Optional[str] = None
 
   def setup_method(self):
+    if "ZMQ" in os.environ:
+      pytest.skip("FakeSockets not supported on ZMQ")
     msgq.toggle_fake_events(True)
     if self.prefix is not None:
       msgq.set_fake_prefix(self.prefix)
diff --git a/msgq/tests/test_messaging.py b/msgq/tests/test_messaging.py
index 8f9f65b2b..7c61cc5ed 100644
--- a/msgq/tests/test_messaging.py
+++ b/msgq/tests/test_messaging.py
@@ -61,12 +61,12 @@ def test_conflate(self):
   @pytest.mark.flaky(retries=3, delay=1)
   def test_receive_timeout(self):
     sock = random_sock()
-    for _ in range(10):
+    for _ in range(5):
       timeout = random.randrange(200)
       sub_sock = msgq.sub_sock(sock, timeout=timeout)
       zmq_sleep()
 
       start_time = time.monotonic()
       recvd = sub_sock.receive()
-      assert (time.monotonic() - start_time) < 0.2
+      assert (time.monotonic() - start_time) < (timeout + 0.1)
       assert recvd is None
diff --git a/setup.sh b/setup.sh
index 8d0611628..abba95d05 100755
--- a/setup.sh
+++ b/setup.sh
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ PLATFORM=$(uname -s)
 
 echo "installing dependencies"
 if [[ $PLATFORM == "Darwin" ]]; then
-  export ZMQ=1
-
   export HOMEBREW_NO_AUTO_UPDATE=1
   brew install python3 zeromq
 elif [[ $PLATFORM == "Linux" ]]; then