diff --git a/apis/glacier/src/main/java/org/jclouds/glacier/blobstore/strategy/internal/BasePollingStrategy.java b/apis/glacier/src/main/java/org/jclouds/glacier/blobstore/strategy/internal/BasePollingStrategy.java
index d02137bbb4..eeb179f119 100644
--- a/apis/glacier/src/main/java/org/jclouds/glacier/blobstore/strategy/internal/BasePollingStrategy.java
+++ b/apis/glacier/src/main/java/org/jclouds/glacier/blobstore/strategy/internal/BasePollingStrategy.java
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ public class BasePollingStrategy implements PollingStrategy {
 
    @Inject
    public BasePollingStrategy(GlacierClient client) {
-      this(client, DEFAULT_INITIAL_WAIT, DEFAULT_TIME_BETWEEN_POLLS);
+      this(client, Long.parseLong(System.getProperty("test.glacier.initial-wait",
+              Long.toString(DEFAULT_INITIAL_WAIT))), DEFAULT_TIME_BETWEEN_POLLS);
    }
 
    private boolean inProgress(String job, String vault) {