diff --git a/e2e/newenemy/newenemy_test.go b/e2e/newenemy/newenemy_test.go
index 0bb031eeca..8b9eace313 100644
--- a/e2e/newenemy/newenemy_test.go
+++ b/e2e/newenemy/newenemy_test.go
@@ -162,20 +162,20 @@ func TestNoNewEnemy(t *testing.T) {
 				protected, attempts = checkSchemaNoNewEnemy(ctx, t, schemaData, slowNodeId, crdb, vulnerableSpiceDb, 100)
 			}
 			require.False(t, protected)
-			t.Logf("determined spicedb vulnerable in %d attempts", attempts+1)
+			t.Logf("determined spicedb vulnerable in %d attempts", attempts)
 			return attempts
 		}
 		protectedFn := func(t *testing.T, count int) {
-			t.Logf("check spicedb is protected after %d attempts", count+1)
+			t.Logf("check spicedb is protected after %d attempts", count)
 			protected := true
 			var attempts int
 			for protected {
-				protected, attempts = checkDataNoNewEnemy(ctx, t, schemaData, slowNodeId, crdb, protectedSpiceDb, count)
+				protected, attempts = checkSchemaNoNewEnemy(ctx, t, schemaData, slowNodeId, crdb, protectedSpiceDb, count)
 				if attempts < count {
 					continue
 				}
 				require.True(t, protected, "protection is enabled, but newenemy detected")
-				require.Equal(t, attempts, count)
+				require.Equal(t, count, attempts)
 				t.Logf("spicedb is protected after %d attempts", count)
 				return
 			}
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ func TestNoNewEnemy(t *testing.T) {
 					continue
 				}
 				require.True(t, protected, "protection is enabled, but newenemy detected")
-				require.Equal(t, attempts, count)
+				require.Equal(t, count, attempts)
 				t.Logf("spicedb is protected after %d attempts", count)
 				return
 			}
@@ -276,7 +276,8 @@ func checkDataNoNewEnemy(ctx context.Context, t testing.TB, schemaData []SchemaD
 	t.Log("filling with data to span multiple ranges for prefix", prefix)
 	fill(t, spicedb[0].Client().V0().ACL(), prefix, 4000, 1000)
 
-	for attempts := 1; attempts < maxAttempts+1; attempts++ {
+	attempts := 1
+	for ; attempts <= maxAttempts; attempts++ {
 		direct, exclude := generateTuple(prefix, objIdGenerator)
 
 		// write to node 1
@@ -379,7 +380,8 @@ func checkSchemaNoNewEnemy(ctx context.Context, t testing.TB, schemaData []Schem
 	require.NoError(t, schemaTpl.Execute(&b, SchemaData{Prefixes: []string{prefix}}))
 	excludeSchema := b.String()
 
-	for attempts := 1; attempts < maxAttempts+1; attempts++ {
+	attempts := 1
+	for ; attempts <= maxAttempts; attempts++ {
 		direct, exclude := generateTuple(prefix, objIdGenerator)
 
 		// write the "allow" schema
@@ -448,7 +450,7 @@ func checkSchemaNoNewEnemy(ctx context.Context, t testing.TB, schemaData []Schem
 			continue
 		}
 	}
-	return true, maxAttempts + 1
+	return true, maxAttempts
 }
 
 func BenchmarkBatchWrites(b *testing.B) {