diff --git a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/AssignBackwardCompatibilityTest.java b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/AssignBackwardCompatibilityTest.java
index 8700e14f506..c1ba9721449 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/AssignBackwardCompatibilityTest.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/AssignBackwardCompatibilityTest.java
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ public class AssignBackwardCompatibilityTest extends SolrCloudTestCase {
     CollectionAdminRequest.createCollection(COLLECTION, 1, 4)
         .setMaxShardsPerNode(1000)
         .process(cluster.getSolrClient());
+    cluster.waitForActiveCollection(COLLECTION, 1, 4);
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ public class AssignBackwardCompatibilityTest extends SolrCloudTestCase {
         clearedCounter = true;
       }
       if (deleteReplica) {
-        waitForState("Expected " + numLiveReplicas + " active replicas", COLLECTION, clusterShape(1, numLiveReplicas));
+        cluster.waitForActiveCollection(COLLECTION, 1, numLiveReplicas);
         DocCollection dc = getCollectionState(COLLECTION);
         Replica replica = getRandomReplica(dc.getSlice("shard1"), (r) -> r.getState() == Replica.State.ACTIVE);
         CollectionAdminRequest.deleteReplica(COLLECTION, "shard1", replica.getName()).process(cluster.getSolrClient());
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ public class AssignBackwardCompatibilityTest extends SolrCloudTestCase {
         assertFalse("Core name is not unique coreName=" + coreName + " " + coreNames, coreNames.contains(coreName));
         coreNames.add(coreName);
         numLiveReplicas++;
-        waitForState("Expected " + numLiveReplicas + " active replicas", COLLECTION, clusterShape(1, numLiveReplicas));
+        cluster.waitForActiveCollection(COLLECTION, 1, numLiveReplicas);
 
         Replica newReplica = getCollectionState(COLLECTION).getReplicas().stream()
             .filter(r -> r.getCoreName().equals(coreName))
diff --git a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/TestCloudConsistency.java b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/TestCloudConsistency.java
index db558c5b7ab..9b275223024 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/TestCloudConsistency.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/TestCloudConsistency.java
@@ -229,6 +229,8 @@ public class TestCloudConsistency extends SolrCloudTestCase {
       return newLeader != null && newLeader.getName().equals(leader.getName());
     });
     waitForState("Timeout waiting for active collection", collection, clusterShape(1, 3));
+    
+    cluster.waitForActiveCollection(collection, 1, 3);
   }
 
   private void addDocs(String collection, int numDocs, int startId) throws SolrServerException, IOException {
diff --git a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/TestMiniSolrCloudClusterSSL.java b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/TestMiniSolrCloudClusterSSL.java
index 37080e1523e..7cb82c5d8a6 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/TestMiniSolrCloudClusterSSL.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/TestMiniSolrCloudClusterSSL.java
@@ -263,8 +263,7 @@ public class TestMiniSolrCloudClusterSSL extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
     CollectionAdminRequest.createCollection(collection, CONF_NAME, NUM_SERVERS, 1)
         .withProperty("config", "solrconfig-tlog.xml")
         .process(cloudClient);
-    ZkStateReader zkStateReader = cloudClient.getZkStateReader();
-    AbstractDistribZkTestBase.waitForRecoveriesToFinish(collection, zkStateReader, true, true, 330);
+    cluster.waitForActiveCollection(collection, NUM_SERVERS, NUM_SERVERS);
     assertEquals("sanity query", 0, cloudClient.query(collection, params("q","*:*")).getStatus());
   }
   
diff --git a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/api/collections/CustomCollectionTest.java b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/api/collections/CustomCollectionTest.java
index 5a14a235168..d4f3783a2ef 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/api/collections/CustomCollectionTest.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/api/collections/CustomCollectionTest.java
@@ -161,6 +161,8 @@ public class CustomCollectionTest extends SolrCloudTestCase {
         .setMaxShardsPerNode(maxShardsPerNode)
         .setRouterField(shard_fld)
         .process(cluster.getSolrClient());
+    
+    cluster.waitForActiveCollection(collectionName, numShards, numShards * replicationFactor);
 
     new UpdateRequest()
         .add("id", "6", shard_fld, "a")