diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/LeaderElector.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/LeaderElector.java
index a2fd4c70e96..9335097bfd7 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/LeaderElector.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/LeaderElector.java
@@ -63,12 +63,20 @@ public  class LeaderElector {
   protected SolrZkClient zkClient;
   
   private ZkCmdExecutor zkCmdExecutor;
-  
+
+  // for tests
+  private volatile ElectionContext context;
+
   public LeaderElector(SolrZkClient zkClient) {
     this.zkClient = zkClient;
     zkCmdExecutor = new ZkCmdExecutor((int) (zkClient.getZkClientTimeout()/1000.0 + 3000));
   }
   
+  // for tests
+  public ElectionContext getContext() {
+    return context;
+  }
+  
   /**
    * Check if the candidate with the given n_* sequence number is the leader.
    * If it is, set the leaderId on the leader zk node. If it is not, start
@@ -273,6 +281,7 @@ public  class LeaderElector {
    */
   public void setup(final ElectionContext context) throws InterruptedException,
       KeeperException {
+    this.context = context;
     String electZKPath = context.electionPath + LeaderElector.ELECTION_NODE;
     
     zkCmdExecutor.ensureExists(electZKPath, zkClient);
diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/Overseer.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/Overseer.java
index 7da3abb75b8..df2630193b4 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/Overseer.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/Overseer.java
@@ -935,9 +935,9 @@ public class Overseer {
     
   }
   
-  private OverseerThread ccThread;
+  private volatile OverseerThread ccThread;
 
-  private OverseerThread updaterThread;
+  private volatile OverseerThread updaterThread;
 
   private volatile boolean isClosed;
 
@@ -970,6 +970,10 @@ public class Overseer {
     ccThread.start();
   }
   
+  public OverseerThread getUpdaterThread() {
+    return updaterThread;
+  }
+  
   public void close() {
     isClosed = true;
     if (updaterThread != null) {
diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ZkController.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ZkController.java
index d32f37db637..2b016a39edf 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ZkController.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ZkController.java
@@ -1567,6 +1567,14 @@ public final class ZkController {
     return updateShardHandler;
   }
 
+  public Overseer getOverseer() {
+    return overseer;
+  }
+
+  public LeaderElector getOverseerElector() {
+    return overseerElector;
+  }
+  
   /**
    * Returns the nodeName that should be used based on the specified properties.
    *
diff --git a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/SliceStateUpdateTest.java b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/SliceStateUpdateTest.java
index d896c75887e..c72273efafe 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/SliceStateUpdateTest.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/SliceStateUpdateTest.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package org.apache.solr.cloud;
 
 import org.apache.lucene.util.LuceneTestCase.Slow;
 import org.apache.solr.SolrTestCaseJ4;
+import org.apache.solr.cloud.Overseer.OverseerThread;
 import org.apache.solr.common.cloud.ClusterState;
 import org.apache.solr.common.cloud.DocCollection;
 import org.apache.solr.common.cloud.DocRouter;
@@ -59,8 +60,6 @@ public class SliceStateUpdateTest extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
 
   private File dataDir2;
 
-  private File dataDir3;
-
   @BeforeClass
   public static void beforeClass() {
     System.setProperty("solrcloud.skip.autorecovery", "true");
@@ -105,9 +104,6 @@ public class SliceStateUpdateTest extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
     dataDir2 = new File(dataDir + File.separator + "data2");
     dataDir2.mkdirs();
 
-    dataDir3 = new File(dataDir + File.separator + "data3");
-    dataDir3.mkdirs();
-
     // set some system properties for use by tests
     System.setProperty("solr.test.sys.prop1", "propone");
     System.setProperty("solr.test.sys.prop2", "proptwo");
@@ -116,21 +112,19 @@ public class SliceStateUpdateTest extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
     System.setProperty("hostPort", "1661");
     System.setProperty("solr.data.dir", SliceStateUpdateTest.this.dataDir1.getAbsolutePath());
     container1 = new CoreContainer();
-
+    container1.load();
     System.clearProperty("hostPort");
 
     System.setProperty("hostPort", "1662");
     System.setProperty("solr.data.dir", SliceStateUpdateTest.this.dataDir2.getAbsolutePath());
     container2 = new CoreContainer();
+    container2.load();
     System.clearProperty("hostPort");
 
     System.clearProperty("solr.solr.home");
 
-    container1.load();
-    container2.load();
 
     log.info("####SETUP_END " + getTestName());
-
   }
 
 
@@ -139,7 +133,14 @@ public class SliceStateUpdateTest extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
     System.setProperty("solrcloud.update.delay", "1");
     
     /* Get ClusterState, update slice state and publish it to Zookeeper */
-
+    container1.getZkController().getZkStateReader().updateClusterState(true);
+    
+    // we don't want to race with legit overseer updates
+    OverseerThread updaterThread = container1.getZkController().getOverseer().getUpdaterThread();
+    closeThread(updaterThread);
+    updaterThread = container2.getZkController().getOverseer().getUpdaterThread();
+    closeThread(updaterThread);
+    
     ClusterState clusterState = container1.getZkController().getClusterState();
     Map<String, DocCollection> collectionStates =
         new LinkedHashMap<String, DocCollection>(clusterState.getCollectionStates());
@@ -167,7 +168,7 @@ public class SliceStateUpdateTest extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
     ZkController zkController2 = container2.getZkController();
     ClusterState clusterState2 = null;
     Map<String, Slice> slices = null;
-    for (int i = 100; i > 0; i--) {
+    for (int i = 60; i > 0; i--) {
       clusterState2 = zkController2.getClusterState();
       slices = clusterState2.getSlicesMap("collection1");
       if (slices != null && slices.containsKey("shard1")
@@ -181,6 +182,20 @@ public class SliceStateUpdateTest extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
 
     assertEquals("shard1", slices.get("shard1").getName());
     assertEquals("inactive", slices.get("shard1").getState());
+
+    container1.getZkController().getOverseerElector().getContext().cancelElection();
+    container2.getZkController().getOverseerElector().getContext().cancelElection();
+  }
+
+  private void closeThread(OverseerThread updaterThread) {
+    if (updaterThread != null) {
+      try {
+        updaterThread.close();
+        updaterThread.interrupt();
+      } catch (Throwable t) {
+        log.error("Error closing updaterThread", t);
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   @Override