diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/PrimaryAllocationIT.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/PrimaryAllocationIT.java
index 989dc22ee0a..b00cacd013f 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/PrimaryAllocationIT.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/PrimaryAllocationIT.java
@@ -25,9 +25,11 @@ import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.indices.shards.IndicesShardStoresResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.index.IndexResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.ActiveShardCount;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterState;
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterStateListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.metadata.IndexMetaData;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.allocation.command.AllocateEmptyPrimaryAllocationCommand;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.allocation.command.AllocateStalePrimaryAllocationCommand;
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.service.ClusterService;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.collect.ImmutableOpenIntMap;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.util.set.Sets;
@@ -54,6 +56,7 @@ import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
@@ -212,14 +215,26 @@ public class PrimaryAllocationIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
                 rerouteBuilder.add(new AllocateEmptyPrimaryAllocationCommand(idxName, shardId, storeStatus.getNode().getId(), true));
             }
         }
-        rerouteBuilder.get();
 
-        ClusterState state = client().admin().cluster().prepareState().get().getState();
-
-        Set<String> expectedAllocationIds = useStaleReplica
+        final Set<String> expectedAllocationIds = useStaleReplica
             ? Collections.singleton(RecoverySource.ExistingStoreRecoverySource.FORCED_ALLOCATION_ID)
             : Collections.emptySet();
-        assertEquals(expectedAllocationIds, state.metaData().index(idxName).inSyncAllocationIds(0));
+
+        final CountDownLatch clusterStateChangeLatch = new CountDownLatch(1);
+        final ClusterStateListener clusterStateListener = event -> {
+            final Set<String> allocationIds = event.state().metaData().index(idxName).inSyncAllocationIds(0);
+            if (expectedAllocationIds.equals(allocationIds)) {
+                clusterStateChangeLatch.countDown();
+            }
+            logger.info("expected allocation ids: {} actual allocation ids: {}", expectedAllocationIds, allocationIds);
+        };
+        final ClusterService clusterService = internalCluster().getInstance(ClusterService.class, master);
+        clusterService.addListener(clusterStateListener);
+
+        rerouteBuilder.get();
+
+        assertTrue(clusterStateChangeLatch.await(30, TimeUnit.SECONDS));
+        clusterService.removeListener(clusterStateListener);
 
         logger.info("--> check that the stale primary shard gets allocated and that documents are available");
         ensureYellow(idxName);
@@ -235,7 +250,7 @@ public class PrimaryAllocationIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
         assertHitCount(client().prepareSearch(idxName).setSize(0).setQuery(matchAllQuery()).get(), useStaleReplica ? 1L : 0L);
 
         // allocation id of old primary was cleaned from the in-sync set
-        state = client().admin().cluster().prepareState().get().getState();
+        final ClusterState state = client().admin().cluster().prepareState().get().getState();
 
         assertEquals(Collections.singleton(state.routingTable().index(idxName).shard(0).primary.allocationId().getId()),
             state.metaData().index(idxName).inSyncAllocationIds(0));