diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexing/AsyncTwoPhaseIndexerTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexing/AsyncTwoPhaseIndexerTests.java
index 46d09e30eae5a..0a4c4990880d8 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexing/AsyncTwoPhaseIndexerTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexing/AsyncTwoPhaseIndexerTests.java
@@ -20,9 +20,11 @@
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 
@@ -34,11 +36,14 @@ public class AsyncTwoPhaseIndexerTests extends ESTestCase {
 
     private class MockIndexer extends AsyncTwoPhaseIndexer<Integer, MockJobStats> {
 
+        private final CountDownLatch latch;
         // test the execution order
         private int step;
 
-        protected MockIndexer(Executor executor, AtomicReference<IndexerState> initialState, Integer initialPosition) {
+        protected MockIndexer(Executor executor, AtomicReference<IndexerState> initialState, Integer initialPosition,
+                              CountDownLatch latch) {
             super(executor, initialState, initialPosition, new MockJobStats());
+            this.latch = latch;
         }
 
         @Override
@@ -48,11 +53,20 @@ protected String getJobId() {
 
         @Override
         protected IterationResult<Integer> doProcess(SearchResponse searchResponse) {
+            awaitForLatch();
             assertThat(step, equalTo(3));
             ++step;
             return new IterationResult<Integer>(Collections.emptyList(), 3, true);
         }
 
+        private void awaitForLatch() {
+            try {
+                latch.await(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+            } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+                throw new RuntimeException(e);
+            }
+        }
+
         @Override
         protected SearchRequest buildSearchRequest() {
             assertThat(step, equalTo(1));
@@ -195,12 +209,14 @@ public void testStateMachine() throws InterruptedException {
         final ExecutorService executor = Executors.newFixedThreadPool(1);
         isFinished.set(false);
         try {
-
-            MockIndexer indexer = new MockIndexer(executor, state, 2);
+            CountDownLatch countDownLatch = new CountDownLatch(1);
+            MockIndexer indexer = new MockIndexer(executor, state, 2, countDownLatch);
             indexer.start();
             assertThat(indexer.getState(), equalTo(IndexerState.STARTED));
             assertTrue(indexer.maybeTriggerAsyncJob(System.currentTimeMillis()));
             assertThat(indexer.getState(), equalTo(IndexerState.INDEXING));
+            countDownLatch.countDown();
+
             assertThat(indexer.getPosition(), equalTo(2));
             ESTestCase.awaitBusy(() -> isFinished.get());
             assertThat(indexer.getStep(), equalTo(6));