diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/multi-node/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ilm/TimeSeriesLifecycleActionsIT.java b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/multi-node/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ilm/TimeSeriesLifecycleActionsIT.java
index 3eb7bd702be..ded6f7f5284 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/multi-node/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ilm/TimeSeriesLifecycleActionsIT.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/multi-node/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ilm/TimeSeriesLifecycleActionsIT.java
@@ -199,14 +199,14 @@ public class TimeSeriesLifecycleActionsIT extends ESRestTestCase {
         // asserts that rollover was called
         assertBusy(() -> assertTrue(indexExists(secondIndex)));
         // asserts that shrink deleted the original index
-        assertBusy(() -> assertFalse(indexExists(originalIndex)), 20, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        assertBusy(() -> assertFalse(indexExists(originalIndex)), 30, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
         // asserts that the delete phase completed for the managed shrunken index
         assertBusy(() -> assertFalse(indexExists(shrunkenOriginalIndex)));
     }
 
     public void testRetryFailedShrinkAction() throws Exception {
-        int numShards = 6;
-        int divisor = randomFrom(2, 3, 6);
+        int numShards = 4;
+        int divisor = randomFrom(2, 4);
         int expectedFinalShards = numShards / divisor;
         String shrunkenIndex = ShrinkAction.SHRUNKEN_INDEX_PREFIX + index;
         createIndexWithSettings(index, Settings.builder().put(IndexMetaData.SETTING_NUMBER_OF_SHARDS, numShards)
@@ -227,12 +227,11 @@ public class TimeSeriesLifecycleActionsIT extends ESRestTestCase {
         assertOK(client().performRequest(retryRequest));
 
         // assert corrected policy is picked up and index is shrunken
+        assertBusy(() -> assertTrue(indexExists(shrunkenIndex)), 30, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        assertBusy(() -> assertTrue(aliasExists(shrunkenIndex, index)));
+        assertBusy(() -> assertThat(getStepKeyForIndex(shrunkenIndex), equalTo(TerminalPolicyStep.KEY)));
         assertBusy(() -> {
-            logger.error(explainIndex(index));
-            assertTrue(indexExists(shrunkenIndex));
-            assertTrue(aliasExists(shrunkenIndex, index));
             Map<String, Object> settings = getOnlyIndexSettings(shrunkenIndex);
-            assertThat(getStepKeyForIndex(shrunkenIndex), equalTo(TerminalPolicyStep.KEY));
             assertThat(settings.get(IndexMetaData.SETTING_NUMBER_OF_SHARDS), equalTo(String.valueOf(expectedFinalShards)));
             assertThat(settings.get(IndexMetaData.INDEX_BLOCKS_WRITE_SETTING.getKey()), equalTo("true"));
             assertThat(settings.get(IndexMetaData.INDEX_ROUTING_REQUIRE_GROUP_SETTING.getKey() + "_id"), nullValue());
@@ -496,19 +495,19 @@ public class TimeSeriesLifecycleActionsIT extends ESRestTestCase {
     }
 
     public void testShrinkAction() throws Exception {
-        int numShards = 6;
-        int divisor = randomFrom(2, 3, 6);
+        int numShards = 4;
+        int divisor = randomFrom(2, 4);
         int expectedFinalShards = numShards / divisor;
         String shrunkenIndex = ShrinkAction.SHRUNKEN_INDEX_PREFIX + index;
         createIndexWithSettings(index, Settings.builder().put(IndexMetaData.SETTING_NUMBER_OF_SHARDS, numShards)
             .put(IndexMetaData.SETTING_NUMBER_OF_REPLICAS, 0));
         createNewSingletonPolicy("warm", new ShrinkAction(expectedFinalShards));
         updatePolicy(index, policy);
+        assertBusy(() -> assertTrue(indexExists(shrunkenIndex)), 30, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        assertBusy(() -> assertTrue(aliasExists(shrunkenIndex, index)));
+        assertBusy(() -> assertThat(getStepKeyForIndex(shrunkenIndex), equalTo(TerminalPolicyStep.KEY)));
         assertBusy(() -> {
-            assertTrue(indexExists(shrunkenIndex));
-            assertTrue(aliasExists(shrunkenIndex, index));
             Map<String, Object> settings = getOnlyIndexSettings(shrunkenIndex);
-            assertThat(getStepKeyForIndex(shrunkenIndex), equalTo(TerminalPolicyStep.KEY));
             assertThat(settings.get(IndexMetaData.SETTING_NUMBER_OF_SHARDS), equalTo(String.valueOf(expectedFinalShards)));
             assertThat(settings.get(IndexMetaData.INDEX_BLOCKS_WRITE_SETTING.getKey()), equalTo("true"));
             assertThat(settings.get(IndexMetaData.INDEX_ROUTING_REQUIRE_GROUP_SETTING.getKey() + "_id"), nullValue());