diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/AbstractAlertingTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/AbstractAlertingTests.java
index 439a9109e7b..555542226b8 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/AbstractAlertingTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/AbstractAlertingTests.java
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ 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.cluster.ClusterState;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.bytes.BytesReference;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.ImmutableSettings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
@@ -23,11 +24,10 @@ 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.elasticsearch.index.query.QueryBuilders.matchQuery;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.core.Is.is;
 
@@ -94,19 +94,22 @@ public abstract class AbstractAlertingTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest
         assertBusy(new Runnable() {
             @Override
             public void run() {
+                // The alerthistory index gets created in the background when the first alert fires, so we to check first is this index is created and shards are started
                 IndicesExistsResponse indicesExistsResponse = client().admin().indices().prepareExists(AlertActionManager.ALERT_HISTORY_INDEX).get();
                 assertThat(indicesExistsResponse.isExists(), is(true));
+                ClusterState state = client().admin().cluster().prepareState().get().getState();
+                assertThat(state.getRoutingTable().index(AlertActionManager.ALERT_HISTORY_INDEX).allPrimaryShardsActive(), 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())))
+                        .setQuery(boolQuery().must(matchQuery("alert_name", alertName)).must(matchQuery("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);
+        });
     }
 
 }