diff --git a/spec/async_watcher_spec.rb b/spec/async_watcher_spec.rb
index 486d4da..2750a62 100644
--- a/spec/async_watcher_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/async_watcher_spec.rb
@@ -30,7 +30,9 @@
     end
 
     # ensure children are ready
-    nr_fork.times { expect(rd.sysread(1)).to eq('.') }
+    # rd may be O_NONBLOCK on macOS Ruby 3.2+ (IO.pipe sets O_NONBLOCK); use read
+    # instead of sysread so EAGAIN on an empty pipe is retried transparently.
+    nr_fork.times { expect(rd.read(1)).to eq('.') }
 
     # send our signals
     nr_signal.times { aw.signal }