diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/Module.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/Module.java
index aec30a30..bb78a5b8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/Module.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/Module.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 import java.util.Properties;
 import java.util.Random;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.TreeMap;
 import java.util.TreeSet;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
@@ -342,8 +343,9 @@ public void visit(final State state, final RandWalkEnv env, Properties props) th
             log.debug("  " + entry.getKey() + ": " + entry.getValue());
           }
           log.debug("State information");
-          for (String key : new TreeSet<>(state.getMap().keySet())) {
-            Object value = state.getMap().get(key);
+          var stateSnapshot = new TreeMap<>(state.getMap());
+          for (String key : stateSnapshot.keySet()) {
+            Object value = stateSnapshot.get(key);
             String logMsg = "  " + key + ": ";
             if (value == null)
               logMsg += "null";
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/State.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/State.java
index c79a7256..3125e868 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/State.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/State.java
@@ -19,8 +19,10 @@
 package org.apache.accumulo.testing.randomwalk;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Random;
 
 /**
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@
  */
 public class State {
 
-  private final HashMap<String,Object> stateMap = new HashMap<>();
+  private final Map<String,Object> stateMap = Collections.synchronizedMap(new HashMap<>());
   private final List<String> tables = new ArrayList<>();
   private final List<String> namespaces = new ArrayList<>();
   private final List<String> users = new ArrayList<>();
@@ -80,10 +82,12 @@ public void remove(String key) {
    * @throws RuntimeException if state object is not present
    */
   public Object get(String key) {
-    if (!stateMap.containsKey(key)) {
-      throw new RuntimeException("State does not contain " + key);
+    synchronized (stateMap) {
+      if (!stateMap.containsKey(key)) {
+        throw new RuntimeException("State does not contain " + key);
+      }
+      return stateMap.get(key);
     }
-    return stateMap.get(key);
   }
 
   public List<String> getTableNames() {
@@ -135,8 +139,10 @@ public Object getOkIfAbsent(String key) {
    *
    * @return state map
    */
-  HashMap<String,Object> getMap() {
-    return stateMap;
+  Map<String,Object> getMap() {
+    synchronized (stateMap) {
+      return Map.copyOf(stateMap);
+    }
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/bulk/BulkPlusOne.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/bulk/BulkPlusOne.java
index 39d3f5f9..7287da22 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/bulk/BulkPlusOne.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/bulk/BulkPlusOne.java
@@ -56,9 +56,12 @@ public class BulkPlusOne extends BulkImportTest {
   private static final Value ONE = new Value("1".getBytes());
 
   static void bulkLoadLots(Logger log, State state, RandWalkEnv env, Value value) throws Exception {
+    String markerColumnQualifier = String.format("%07d", counter.incrementAndGet());
+    String markerLog = "marker:" + markerColumnQualifier;
+
     final FileSystem fs = (FileSystem) state.get("fs");
     final Path dir = new Path(fs.getUri() + "/tmp", "bulk_" + UUID.randomUUID());
-    log.debug("Bulk loading from {}", dir);
+    log.debug("{} bulk loading from {}", markerLog, dir);
     final int parts = env.getRandom().nextInt(10) + 1;
 
     // The set created below should always contain 0. So its very important that zero is first in
@@ -70,9 +73,8 @@ static void bulkLoadLots(Logger log, State state, RandWalkEnv env, Value value)
     List<String> printRows =
         startRows.stream().map(row -> String.format(FMT, row)).collect(Collectors.toList());
 
-    String markerColumnQualifier = String.format("%07d", counter.incrementAndGet());
-    log.debug("preparing bulk files with start rows " + printRows + " last row "
-        + String.format(FMT, LOTS - 1) + " marker " + markerColumnQualifier);
+    log.debug("{} preparing bulk files with start rows {} last row {} marker ", markerLog,
+        printRows, String.format(FMT, LOTS - 1));
 
     List<Integer> rows = new ArrayList<>(startRows);
     rows.add(LOTS);
@@ -80,7 +82,7 @@ static void bulkLoadLots(Logger log, State state, RandWalkEnv env, Value value)
     for (int i = 0; i < parts; i++) {
       String fileName = dir + "/" + String.format("part_%d.rf", i);
 
-      log.debug("Creating {}", fileName);
+      log.debug("{} creating {}", markerLog, fileName);
       try (RFileWriter writer = RFile.newWriter().to(fileName).withFileSystem(fs).build()) {
         writer.startDefaultLocalityGroup();
         int start = rows.get(i);
@@ -97,8 +99,7 @@ static void bulkLoadLots(Logger log, State state, RandWalkEnv env, Value value)
     env.getAccumuloClient().tableOperations().importDirectory(dir.toString())
         .to(Setup.getTableName()).tableTime(true).load();
     fs.delete(dir, true);
-    log.debug("Finished bulk import, start rows " + printRows + " last row "
-        + String.format(FMT, LOTS - 1) + " marker " + markerColumnQualifier);
+    log.debug("{} Finished bulk import", markerLog);
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/bulk/BulkTest.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/bulk/BulkTest.java
index 26e8c20c..f584b5d4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/bulk/BulkTest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/bulk/BulkTest.java
@@ -26,12 +26,22 @@
 
 public abstract class BulkTest extends Test {
 
+  public static final String BACKGROUND_FAILURE_KEY = "sawBackgroundFailure";
+
   @Override
   public void visit(final State state, final RandWalkEnv env, Properties props) throws Exception {
+
+    if ((Boolean) state.get(BACKGROUND_FAILURE_KEY)) {
+      // fail the test early because a previous background task failed
+      throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+          "One or more previous background task failed, aborting test");
+    }
+
     Setup.run(state, () -> {
       try {
         runLater(state, env);
       } catch (Throwable ex) {
+        state.set(BACKGROUND_FAILURE_KEY, Boolean.TRUE);
         log.error(ex.toString(), ex);
       }
     });
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/bulk/Setup.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/bulk/Setup.java
index 3c6d46a3..3fd2d8de 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/bulk/Setup.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/bulk/Setup.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 package org.apache.accumulo.testing.randomwalk.bulk;
 
 import java.net.InetAddress;
+import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Properties;
 import java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor;
 
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@
 import org.apache.accumulo.core.client.TableExistsException;
 import org.apache.accumulo.core.client.admin.NewTableConfiguration;
 import org.apache.accumulo.core.client.admin.TableOperations;
+import org.apache.accumulo.core.conf.Property;
 import org.apache.accumulo.core.iterators.LongCombiner;
 import org.apache.accumulo.core.iterators.user.SummingCombiner;
 import org.apache.accumulo.core.util.threads.ThreadPools;
@@ -52,14 +54,17 @@ public void visit(State state, RandWalkEnv env, Properties props) throws Excepti
         IteratorSetting is = new IteratorSetting(10, SummingCombiner.class);
         SummingCombiner.setEncodingType(is, LongCombiner.Type.STRING);
         SummingCombiner.setCombineAllColumns(is, true);
-        tableOps.create(getTableName(), new NewTableConfiguration().attachIterator(is));
+        var tableProps = Map.of(Property.TABLE_BULK_MAX_TABLET_FILES.getKey(), "1000");
+
+        tableOps.create(getTableName(),
+            new NewTableConfiguration().attachIterator(is).setProperties(tableProps));
       }
     } catch (TableExistsException ex) {
       // expected if there are multiple walkers
     }
     state.setRandom(env.getRandom());
     state.set("fs", FileSystem.get(env.getHadoopConfiguration()));
-    state.set("bulkImportSuccess", "true");
+    state.set(BulkTest.BACKGROUND_FAILURE_KEY, Boolean.FALSE);
     BulkPlusOne.counter.set(0L);
     ThreadPoolExecutor e = ThreadPools.getServerThreadPools().getPoolBuilder("bulkImportPool")
         .numCoreThreads(MAX_POOL_SIZE).build();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/bulk/Verify.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/bulk/Verify.java
index 8d611499..6db6ab5e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/bulk/Verify.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/testing/randomwalk/bulk/Verify.java
@@ -59,15 +59,17 @@ public void visit(State state, RandWalkEnv env, Properties props) throws Excepti
       lastSize = size;
       threadPool.awaitTermination(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
     }
-    if (!"true".equals(state.get("bulkImportSuccess"))) {
-      log.info("Not verifying bulk import test due to import failures");
-      return;
+
+    boolean errorFound = false;
+
+    if ((Boolean) state.get(BulkTest.BACKGROUND_FAILURE_KEY)) {
+      log.error("One or more background task failed");
+      errorFound = true;
     }
 
     String user = env.getAccumuloClient().whoami();
     Authorizations auths = env.getAccumuloClient().securityOperations().getUserAuthorizations(user);
     RowIterator rowIter;
-    boolean errorFound = false;
     try (Scanner scanner = env.getAccumuloClient().createScanner(Setup.getTableName(), auths)) {
       scanner.fetchColumnFamily(BulkPlusOne.CHECK_COLUMN_FAMILY);
       for (Entry<Key,Value> entry : scanner) {