diff --git a/fuzzers/fuzzer_load.c b/fuzzers/fuzzer_load.c
index 4b3c1f2ff3..0024f5e6e8 100644
--- a/fuzzers/fuzzer_load.c
+++ b/fuzzers/fuzzer_load.c
@@ -81,9 +81,12 @@ int LLVMFuzzerTestOneInput(const uint8_t *data, size_t size)
     check_error(mpv_command(ctx, cmd));
 
 #ifdef MPV_LOADFILE
+    bool loaded = false;
     while (1) {
-        mpv_event *event = mpv_wait_event(ctx, 10000);
-        if (event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_IDLE)
+        mpv_event *event = mpv_wait_event(ctx, -1);
+        if (event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_START_FILE)
+            loaded = true;
+        if (loaded && event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_IDLE)
             break;
     }
 #endif
diff --git a/fuzzers/fuzzer_loadfile_direct.c b/fuzzers/fuzzer_loadfile_direct.c
index c955f6449b..506670d9d4 100644
--- a/fuzzers/fuzzer_loadfile_direct.c
+++ b/fuzzers/fuzzer_loadfile_direct.c
@@ -75,9 +75,12 @@ int LLVMFuzzerTestOneInput(const uint8_t *data, size_t size)
     const char *cmd[] = {"loadfile", data, NULL};
     check_error(mpv_command(ctx, cmd));
 
+    bool loaded = false;
     while (1) {
-        mpv_event *event = mpv_wait_event(ctx, 10000);
-        if (event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_IDLE)
+        mpv_event *event = mpv_wait_event(ctx, -1);
+        if (event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_START_FILE)
+            loaded = true;
+        if (loaded && event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_IDLE)
             break;
     }
 
diff --git a/fuzzers/fuzzer_set_property.c b/fuzzers/fuzzer_set_property.c
index f8b00722c1..a8377837d1 100644
--- a/fuzzers/fuzzer_set_property.c
+++ b/fuzzers/fuzzer_set_property.c
@@ -104,9 +104,12 @@ int LLVMFuzzerTestOneInput(const uint8_t *data, size_t size)
     const char *cmd[] = {"loadfile", "av://lavfi:yuvtestsrc=d=0.01", NULL};
     check_error(mpv_command(ctx, cmd));
 
+    bool loaded = false;
     while (1) {
-        mpv_event *event = mpv_wait_event(ctx, 10000);
-        if (event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_IDLE)
+        mpv_event *event = mpv_wait_event(ctx, -1);
+        if (event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_START_FILE)
+            loaded = true;
+        if (loaded && event->event_id == MPV_EVENT_IDLE)
             break;
     }
 #endif