diff --git a/test/utils/ktesting/contexthelper_test.go b/test/utils/ktesting/contexthelper_test.go
index 6ed9c5ce52c..5d785628912 100644
--- a/test/utils/ktesting/contexthelper_test.go
+++ b/test/utils/ktesting/contexthelper_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"testing/synctest"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/onsi/gomega"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
@@ -132,3 +133,40 @@ func TestCause(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+// TestCancel checks how cancellation propagates or doesn't propagate
+// when setting up child contexts through WithCancel or WithoutCancel.
+func TestCancel(t *testing.T) {
+	tCtx := Init(t)
+	tCtx2 := tCtx.WithoutCancel()
+	tCtx3 := tCtx.WithoutCancel()
+	tCtx4 := tCtx.WithCancel()
+	tCtx5 := tCtx.WithCancel()
+
+	tCtx.AssertNoError(tCtx.Err())
+	tCtx.AssertNoError(tCtx2.Err())
+	tCtx.AssertNoError(tCtx3.Err())
+	tCtx.AssertNoError(tCtx4.Err())
+	tCtx.AssertNoError(tCtx5.Err())
+
+	tCtx2.Cancel("cancel 2")
+	tCtx.AssertNoError(tCtx.Err())
+	tCtx.Assert(context.Cause(tCtx2)).To(gomega.MatchError(gomega.ContainSubstring("cancel 2")))
+	tCtx.AssertNoError(tCtx3.Err())
+	tCtx.AssertNoError(tCtx4.Err())
+	tCtx.AssertNoError(tCtx5.Err())
+
+	tCtx4.Cancel("cancel 4")
+	tCtx.AssertNoError(tCtx.Err())
+	tCtx.Assert(context.Cause(tCtx2)).To(gomega.MatchError(gomega.ContainSubstring("cancel 2")))
+	tCtx.AssertNoError(tCtx3.Err())
+	tCtx.Assert(context.Cause(tCtx4)).To(gomega.MatchError(gomega.ContainSubstring("cancel 4")))
+	tCtx.AssertNoError(tCtx5.Err())
+
+	tCtx.Cancel("cancel root")
+	tCtx.Assert(context.Cause(tCtx)).To(gomega.MatchError(gomega.ContainSubstring("cancel root")))
+	tCtx.Assert(context.Cause(tCtx2)).To(gomega.MatchError(gomega.ContainSubstring("cancel 2")))
+	tCtx.AssertNoError(tCtx3.Err())
+	tCtx.Assert(context.Cause(tCtx4)).To(gomega.MatchError(gomega.ContainSubstring("cancel 4")))
+	tCtx.Assert(context.Cause(tCtx5)).To(gomega.MatchError(gomega.ContainSubstring("cancel root")))
+}
diff --git a/test/utils/ktesting/withcontext.go b/test/utils/ktesting/withcontext.go
index 7a192748fd7..adfb7a13a8c 100644
--- a/test/utils/ktesting/withcontext.go
+++ b/test/utils/ktesting/withcontext.go
@@ -41,13 +41,13 @@ func (tCtx TContext) WithCancel() TContext {
 }
 
 // WithoutCancel causes the returned context to ignore cancellation of its parent.
-// Calling Cancel will not cancel the parent either.
+// Calling Cancel will only cancel the new context.
 // This matches [context.WithoutCancel].
 func (tCtx TContext) WithoutCancel() TContext {
 	ctx := context.WithoutCancel(tCtx)
 
 	tCtx.Context = ctx
-	tCtx.cancel = nil
+	tCtx = tCtx.WithCancel() // Re-create a cancelable TContext.
 	return tCtx
 }