diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/multi-node/build.gradle b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/multi-node/build.gradle
index d8dbb2f130f..edd7f3aad47 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/multi-node/build.gradle
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/multi-node/build.gradle
@@ -15,6 +15,6 @@ integTestCluster {
     setting 'xpack.monitoring.enabled', 'false'
     setting 'xpack.ml.enabled', 'false'
     setting 'xpack.license.self_generated.type', 'trial'
-    setting 'indices.lifecycle.poll_interval', '2500ms'
+    setting 'indices.lifecycle.poll_interval', '1000ms'
 
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/multi-node/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/TimeSeriesLifecycleActionsIT.java b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/multi-node/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/TimeSeriesLifecycleActionsIT.java
index c06b30cf575..352f52bd1aa 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/multi-node/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/TimeSeriesLifecycleActionsIT.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/multi-node/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/TimeSeriesLifecycleActionsIT.java
@@ -82,9 +82,19 @@ public class TimeSeriesLifecycleActionsIT extends ESRestTestCase {
         updatePolicy(originalIndex, policy);
         // index document {"foo": "bar"} to trigger rollover
         index(client(), originalIndex, "_id", "foo", "bar");
+
+        /*
+         * These asserts are in the order that they should be satisfied in, in
+         * order to maximize the time for all operations to complete.
+         * An "out of order" assert here may result in this test occasionally
+         * timing out and failing inappropriately.
+         */
+        // asserts that rollover was called
         assertBusy(() -> assertTrue(indexExists(secondIndex)));
-        assertBusy(() -> assertFalse(indexExists(shrunkenOriginalIndex)));
+        // asserts that shrink deleted the original index
         assertBusy(() -> assertFalse(indexExists(originalIndex)));
+        // asserts that the delete phase completed for the managed shrunken index
+        assertBusy(() -> assertFalse(indexExists(shrunkenOriginalIndex)));
     }
 
     public void testMoveToAllocateStep() throws Exception {
@@ -150,9 +160,19 @@ public class TimeSeriesLifecycleActionsIT extends ESRestTestCase {
             "  }\n" +
             "}");
         client().performRequest(moveToStepRequest);
+
+        /*
+         * These asserts are in the order that they should be satisfied in, in
+         * order to maximize the time for all operations to complete.
+         * An "out of order" assert here may result in this test occasionally
+         * timing out and failing inappropriately.
+         */
+        // asserts that rollover was called
         assertBusy(() -> assertTrue(indexExists(secondIndex)));
-        assertBusy(() -> assertFalse(indexExists(shrunkenOriginalIndex)));
+        // asserts that shrink deleted the original index
         assertBusy(() -> assertFalse(indexExists(originalIndex)));
+        // asserts that the delete phase completed for the managed shrunken index
+        assertBusy(() -> assertFalse(indexExists(shrunkenOriginalIndex)));
     }
 
     public void testRolloverAction() throws Exception {