diff --git a/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/service/ClusterServiceIT.java b/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/service/ClusterServiceIT.java
index af64d252a45d9..064949bf4bae5 100644
--- a/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/service/ClusterServiceIT.java
+++ b/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/service/ClusterServiceIT.java
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ public void clusterStateProcessed(ClusterState oldState, ClusterState newState)
             public ClusterState execute(ClusterState currentState) {
                 invoked3.countDown();
                 try {
-                    block2.await();
+                    assertTrue(block2.await(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS));
                 } catch (InterruptedException e) {
                     fail();
                 }
@@ -397,40 +397,48 @@ public void onFailure(Exception e) {
                 fail();
             }
         });
-        invoked3.await();
-
-        for (int i = 2; i <= 5; i++) {
-            clusterService.submitUnbatchedStateUpdateTask(Integer.toString(i), new ClusterStateUpdateTask() {
-                @Override
-                public ClusterState execute(ClusterState currentState) {
-                    return currentState;
-                }
+        assertTrue(invoked3.await(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS));
+
+        try {
+            for (int i = 2; i <= 5; i++) {
+                clusterService.submitUnbatchedStateUpdateTask(Integer.toString(i), new ClusterStateUpdateTask() {
+                    @Override
+                    public ClusterState execute(ClusterState currentState) {
+                        return currentState;
+                    }
+
+                    @Override
+                    public void onFailure(Exception e) {
+                        fail();
+                    }
+                });
+            }
 
-                @Override
-                public void onFailure(Exception e) {
-                    fail();
-                }
-            });
-        }
-        Thread.sleep(100);
+            final var startNanoTime = System.nanoTime();
+            while (TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS.convert(System.nanoTime() - startNanoTime, TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS) <= 0) {
+                // noinspection BusyWait
+                Thread.sleep(100);
+            }
 
-        pendingClusterTasks = clusterService.getMasterService().pendingTasks();
-        assertThat(pendingClusterTasks.size(), greaterThanOrEqualTo(5));
-        controlSources = new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList("1", "2", "3", "4", "5"));
-        for (PendingClusterTask task : pendingClusterTasks) {
-            controlSources.remove(task.getSource().string());
-        }
-        assertTrue(controlSources.isEmpty());
+            pendingClusterTasks = clusterService.getMasterService().pendingTasks();
+            assertThat(pendingClusterTasks.size(), greaterThanOrEqualTo(5));
+            controlSources = new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList("1", "2", "3", "4", "5"));
+            for (PendingClusterTask task : pendingClusterTasks) {
+                controlSources.remove(task.getSource().string());
+            }
+            assertTrue(controlSources.isEmpty());
 
-        response = internalCluster().coordOnlyNodeClient().admin().cluster().preparePendingClusterTasks().get();
-        assertThat(response.pendingTasks().size(), greaterThanOrEqualTo(5));
-        controlSources = new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList("1", "2", "3", "4", "5"));
-        for (PendingClusterTask task : response) {
-            if (controlSources.remove(task.getSource().string())) {
-                assertThat(task.getTimeInQueueInMillis(), greaterThan(0L));
+            response = internalCluster().coordOnlyNodeClient().admin().cluster().preparePendingClusterTasks().get();
+            assertThat(response.pendingTasks().size(), greaterThanOrEqualTo(5));
+            controlSources = new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList("1", "2", "3", "4", "5"));
+            for (PendingClusterTask task : response) {
+                if (controlSources.remove(task.getSource().string())) {
+                    assertThat(task.getTimeInQueueInMillis(), greaterThan(0L));
+                }
             }
+            assertTrue(controlSources.isEmpty());
+        } finally {
+            block2.countDown();
         }
-        assertTrue(controlSources.isEmpty());
-        block2.countDown();
     }
 }