diff --git a/pkg/sql/stmtdiagnostics/BUILD.bazel b/pkg/sql/stmtdiagnostics/BUILD.bazel
index 9f15611735fc..c24b3ce48ee0 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/stmtdiagnostics/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pkg/sql/stmtdiagnostics/BUILD.bazel
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ go_test(
         "//pkg/security",
         "//pkg/security/securitytest",
         "//pkg/server",
+        "//pkg/settings/cluster",
         "//pkg/sql",
         "//pkg/testutils",
         "//pkg/testutils/serverutils",
diff --git a/pkg/sql/stmtdiagnostics/stament_diagnostics_helpers_test.go b/pkg/sql/stmtdiagnostics/stament_diagnostics_helpers_test.go
index 4a018278b5ef..69cf34ab388b 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/stmtdiagnostics/stament_diagnostics_helpers_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/stmtdiagnostics/stament_diagnostics_helpers_test.go
@@ -18,3 +18,6 @@ func (r *Registry) InsertRequestInternal(ctx context.Context, fprint string) (in
 	id, err := r.insertRequestInternal(ctx, fprint)
 	return int64(id), err
 }
+
+// PollingInterval is exposed to override in tests.
+var PollingInterval = pollingInterval
diff --git a/pkg/sql/stmtdiagnostics/statement_diagnostics_test.go b/pkg/sql/stmtdiagnostics/statement_diagnostics_test.go
index 1443a253bc5c..e22ee15caec1 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/stmtdiagnostics/statement_diagnostics_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/stmtdiagnostics/statement_diagnostics_test.go
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/keys"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/kv/kvserver"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/roachpb"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/settings/cluster"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/sql/stmtdiagnostics"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/testutils"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/testutils/serverutils"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/leaktest"
@@ -184,7 +186,13 @@ func TestChangePollInterval(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 		return seen
 	}
+	settings := cluster.MakeTestingClusterSettings()
+
+	// Set an extremely long initial polling interval to not hit flakes due to
+	// server startup taking more than 10s.
+	stmtdiagnostics.PollingInterval.Override(&settings.SV, time.Hour)
 	args := base.TestServerArgs{
+		Settings: settings,
 		Knobs: base.TestingKnobs{
 			Store: &kvserver.StoreTestingKnobs{
 				TestingRequestFilter: func(ctx context.Context, request roachpb.BatchRequest) *roachpb.Error {