diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/AbstractAlertingTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/AbstractAlertingTests.java
index 5e438e85b5d..439a9109e7b 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/AbstractAlertingTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/AbstractAlertingTests.java
@@ -5,7 +5,12 @@
  */
 package org.elasticsearch.alerts;
 
+import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.indices.exists.indices.IndicesExistsResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchRequest;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchResponse;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.support.IndicesOptions;
+import org.elasticsearch.alerts.actions.AlertActionManager;
+import org.elasticsearch.alerts.actions.AlertActionState;
 import org.elasticsearch.alerts.client.AlertsClient;
 import org.elasticsearch.alerts.plugin.AlertsPlugin;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.bytes.BytesReference;
@@ -18,8 +23,13 @@ import org.elasticsearch.test.ElasticsearchIntegrationTest;
 import org.junit.After;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 import static org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentFactory.jsonBuilder;
+import static org.elasticsearch.index.query.QueryBuilders.boolQuery;
+import static org.elasticsearch.index.query.QueryBuilders.termQuery;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
+import static org.hamcrest.core.Is.is;
 
 /**
  */
@@ -80,4 +90,23 @@ public abstract class AbstractAlertingTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest
         return internalCluster().getInstance(AlertsClient.class);
     }
 
+    protected void assertAlertTriggered(final String alertName) throws Exception {
+        assertBusy(new Runnable() {
+            @Override
+            public void run() {
+                IndicesExistsResponse indicesExistsResponse = client().admin().indices().prepareExists(AlertActionManager.ALERT_HISTORY_INDEX).get();
+                assertThat(indicesExistsResponse.isExists(), is(true));
+
+                SearchResponse searchResponse = client().prepareSearch(AlertActionManager.ALERT_HISTORY_INDEX)
+                        .setIndicesOptions(IndicesOptions.lenientExpandOpen())
+                        .setQuery(boolQuery().must(termQuery("alert_name", alertName)).must(termQuery("state", AlertActionState.ACTION_PERFORMED.toString())))
+                        .addField("response.hits.total")
+                        .setSize(1)
+                        .get();
+                assertThat(searchResponse.getHits().getHits().length, equalTo(1));
+                assertThat((Integer) searchResponse.getHits().getAt(0).field("response.hits.total").getValue(), equalTo(1));
+            }
+        }, 30, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/BasicAlertingTest.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/BasicAlertingTest.java
index ecbbf490ad6..946b1f8cdc2 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/BasicAlertingTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/BasicAlertingTest.java
@@ -5,11 +5,7 @@
  */
 package org.elasticsearch.alerts;
 
-import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.indices.exists.indices.IndicesExistsResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchRequest;
-import org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchResponse;
-import org.elasticsearch.alerts.actions.AlertActionManager;
-import org.elasticsearch.alerts.actions.AlertActionState;
 import org.elasticsearch.alerts.client.AlertsClientInterface;
 import org.elasticsearch.alerts.transport.actions.delete.DeleteAlertRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.alerts.transport.actions.delete.DeleteAlertResponse;
@@ -17,14 +13,10 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.bytes.BytesReference;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.ElasticsearchIntegrationTest;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
-import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
-
 import static org.elasticsearch.index.query.QueryBuilders.matchAllQuery;
 import static org.elasticsearch.index.query.QueryBuilders.termQuery;
 import static org.elasticsearch.search.builder.SearchSourceBuilder.searchSource;
 import static org.elasticsearch.test.hamcrest.ElasticsearchAssertions.assertHitCount;
-import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
-import static org.hamcrest.core.Is.is;
 
 /**
  */
@@ -42,22 +34,7 @@ public class BasicAlertingTest extends AbstractAlertingTests {
         alertsClient.prepareIndexAlert("my-first-alert")
                 .setAlertSource(alertSource)
                 .get();
-
-        assertBusy(new Runnable() {
-            @Override
-            public void run() {
-                IndicesExistsResponse indicesExistsResponse = client().admin().indices().prepareExists(AlertActionManager.ALERT_HISTORY_INDEX).get();
-                assertThat(indicesExistsResponse.isExists(), is(true));
-
-                SearchResponse searchResponse = client().prepareSearch(AlertActionManager.ALERT_HISTORY_INDEX)
-                        .setQuery(termQuery("state", AlertActionState.ACTION_PERFORMED.toString()))
-                        .addField("response.hits.total")
-                        .setSize(1)
-                        .get();
-                assertThat(searchResponse.getHits().getHits().length, equalTo(1));
-                assertThat((Integer) searchResponse.getHits().getAt(0).field("response.hits.total").getValue(), equalTo(1));
-            }
-        }, 30, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        assertAlertTriggered("my-first-alert");
     }
 
     @Test
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/NoMasterNodeTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/NoMasterNodeTests.java
index 5706a7c7348..d24727b7e7f 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/NoMasterNodeTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/NoMasterNodeTests.java
@@ -6,11 +6,7 @@
 package org.elasticsearch.alerts;
 
 import org.elasticsearch.ExceptionsHelper;
-import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.indices.exists.indices.IndicesExistsResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchRequest;
-import org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchResponse;
-import org.elasticsearch.alerts.actions.AlertActionManager;
-import org.elasticsearch.alerts.actions.AlertActionState;
 import org.elasticsearch.alerts.client.AlertsClientInterface;
 import org.elasticsearch.alerts.transport.actions.delete.DeleteAlertResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterState;
@@ -25,9 +21,6 @@ import org.elasticsearch.discovery.zen.elect.ElectMasterService;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.ElasticsearchIntegrationTest;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
-import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
-
-import static org.elasticsearch.index.query.QueryBuilders.boolQuery;
 import static org.elasticsearch.index.query.QueryBuilders.termQuery;
 import static org.elasticsearch.search.builder.SearchSourceBuilder.searchSource;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
@@ -60,22 +53,7 @@ public class NoMasterNodeTests extends AbstractAlertingTests {
         alertsClient.prepareIndexAlert("my-first-alert")
                 .setAlertSource(alertSource)
                 .get();
-
-        assertBusy(new Runnable() {
-            @Override
-            public void run() {
-                IndicesExistsResponse indicesExistsResponse = client().admin().indices().prepareExists(AlertActionManager.ALERT_HISTORY_INDEX).get();
-                assertThat(indicesExistsResponse.isExists(), is(true));
-
-                SearchResponse searchResponse = client().prepareSearch(AlertActionManager.ALERT_HISTORY_INDEX)
-                        .setQuery(termQuery("state", AlertActionState.ACTION_PERFORMED.toString()))
-                        .addField("response.hits.total")
-                        .setSize(1)
-                        .get();
-                assertThat(searchResponse.getHits().getHits().length, equalTo(1));
-                assertThat((Integer) searchResponse.getHits().getAt(0).field("response.hits.total").getValue(), equalTo(1));
-            }
-        }, 30, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        assertAlertTriggered("my-first-alert");
 
         // Stop the elected master, no new master will be elected b/c of m_m_n is set to 2
         internalCluster().stopCurrentMasterNode();
@@ -107,18 +85,7 @@ public class NoMasterNodeTests extends AbstractAlertingTests {
         alertsClient.prepareIndexAlert("my-second-alert")
                 .setAlertSource(alertSource)
                 .get();
-        assertBusy(new Runnable() {
-            @Override
-            public void run() {
-                SearchResponse searchResponse = client().prepareSearch(AlertActionManager.ALERT_HISTORY_INDEX)
-                        .setQuery(boolQuery().must(termQuery("state", AlertActionState.ACTION_PERFORMED.toString())).must(termQuery("alert_name", "my-second-alert")))
-                        .addField("response.hits.total")
-                        .setSize(1)
-                        .get();
-                assertThat(searchResponse.getHits().getHits().length, equalTo(1));
-                assertThat((Integer) searchResponse.getHits().getAt(0).field("response.hits.total").getValue(), equalTo(1));
-            }
-        }, 30, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        assertAlertTriggered("my-second-alert");
     }
 
 }