diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/IndicesLifecycleListenerTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/IndicesLifecycleListenerTests.java
index c0d71e8b483..77762e5d345 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/IndicesLifecycleListenerTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/IndicesLifecycleListenerTests.java
@@ -18,8 +18,10 @@
  */
 package org.elasticsearch.indices;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Predicate;
 import com.google.common.collect.Maps;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.Nullable;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.Strings;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.shard.IndexShardState;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.shard.ShardId;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.shard.service.IndexShard;
@@ -27,8 +29,10 @@ import org.elasticsearch.test.ElasticsearchIntegrationTest;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 import static org.elasticsearch.cluster.metadata.IndexMetaData.SETTING_NUMBER_OF_REPLICAS;
 import static org.elasticsearch.cluster.metadata.IndexMetaData.SETTING_NUMBER_OF_SHARDS;
@@ -38,8 +42,6 @@ import static org.elasticsearch.index.shard.IndexShardState.*;
 import static org.elasticsearch.test.ElasticsearchIntegrationTest.ClusterScope;
 import static org.elasticsearch.test.ElasticsearchIntegrationTest.Scope;
 import static org.elasticsearch.test.hamcrest.ElasticsearchAssertions.assertAcked;
-import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.equalTo;
-import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.notNullValue;
 
 @ClusterScope(scope = Scope.TEST, numNodes = 0)
 public class IndicesLifecycleListenerTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest {
@@ -99,15 +101,34 @@ public class IndicesLifecycleListenerTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest
         assertShardStatesMatch(stateChangeListenerNode2, 6, CLOSED);
     }
 
-    private static void assertShardStatesMatch(IndexShardStateChangeListener stateChangeListener, int numShards, IndexShardState... shardStates) {
-        assertThat(stateChangeListener.shardStates.size(), equalTo(numShards));
-        for (List<IndexShardState> indexShardStates : stateChangeListener.shardStates.values()) {
-            assertThat(indexShardStates, notNullValue());
-            assertThat(indexShardStates.size(), equalTo(shardStates.length));
-            for (int i = 0; i < shardStates.length; i++) {
-                assertThat(indexShardStates.get(i), equalTo(shardStates[i]));
+    private static void assertShardStatesMatch(final IndexShardStateChangeListener stateChangeListener, final int numShards, final IndexShardState... shardStates)
+            throws InterruptedException {
+
+        Predicate<Object> waitPredicate = new Predicate<Object>() {
+            @Override
+            public boolean apply(Object input) {
+                if (stateChangeListener.shardStates.size() != numShards) {
+                    return false;
+                }
+                for (List<IndexShardState> indexShardStates : stateChangeListener.shardStates.values()) {
+                    if (indexShardStates == null || indexShardStates.size() != shardStates.length) {
+                        return false;
+                    }
+                    for (int i = 0; i < shardStates.length; i++) {
+                        if (indexShardStates.get(i) != shardStates[i]) {
+                            return false;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                return true;
             }
+        };
+        if (!awaitBusy(waitPredicate, 1, TimeUnit.MINUTES)) {
+            fail("failed to observe expect shard states\n" +
+                    "expected: [" + numShards + "] shards with states: " + Strings.arrayToCommaDelimitedString(shardStates) + "\n" +
+                    "observed:\n" + stateChangeListener);
         }
+
         stateChangeListener.shardStates.clear();
     }
 
@@ -123,5 +144,14 @@ public class IndicesLifecycleListenerTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest
                 shardStates.add(newState);
             }
         }
+
+        @Override
+        public String toString() {
+            StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
+            for (Map.Entry<ShardId, List<IndexShardState>> entry : shardStates.entrySet()) {
+                sb.append(entry.getKey()).append(" --> ").append(Strings.collectionToCommaDelimitedString(entry.getValue())).append("\n");
+            }
+            return sb.toString();
+        }
     }
 }