diff --git a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/trace/TestHTraceHooks.java b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/trace/TestHTraceHooks.java
index faf015cb347..3595c392e34 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/trace/TestHTraceHooks.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/trace/TestHTraceHooks.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import java.util.Collection;
 
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.HBaseTestingUtility;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.MediumTests;
+import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.Waiter;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.client.HTable;
 import org.apache.hadoop.hbase.client.Put;
 import org.cloudera.htrace.Sampler;
@@ -71,6 +72,15 @@ public class TestHTraceHooks {
       tableCreationSpan.close();
     }
 
+    // Some table creation is async.  Need to make sure that everything is full in before
+    // checking to see if the spans are there.
+    TEST_UTIL.waitFor(1000, new Waiter.Predicate<Exception>() {
+      @Override
+      public boolean evaluate() throws Exception {
+        return rcvr.getSpans().size() >= 5;
+      }
+    });
+
     Collection<Span> spans = rcvr.getSpans();
     TraceTree traceTree = new TraceTree(spans);
     Collection<Span> roots = traceTree.getRoots();