diff --git a/crates/federate/src/worker.rs b/crates/federate/src/worker.rs
index a9466827f..7874c7cba 100644
--- a/crates/federate/src/worker.rs
+++ b/crates/federate/src/worker.rs
@@ -701,28 +701,34 @@ mod test {
       .await?;
 
     // it immediately performs first retry giving us 2 failures
-    let rcv = data.stats_receiver.recv().await.unwrap();
-    assert_eq!(2, rcv.state.fail_count);
+    wait_receive(2, &mut data.stats_receiver).await;
 
-    // another automatic retry after short sleep
-    sleep(Duration::try_from_secs_f64(1.25)?).await;
-    let rcv = data.stats_receiver.recv().await.unwrap();
-    assert_eq!(3, rcv.state.fail_count);
+    // another automatic retry after short wait
+    wait_receive(3, &mut data.stats_receiver).await;
 
     // now make sends successful
     *data.respond_with_error.write().unwrap() = false;
 
-    // give it time for retry and to deliver activities
-    sleep(Duration::from_secs(2)).await;
-
-    // fail count goes back to 0 (need to skip all intermediary stats and get the final one)
-    let mut buffer = vec![];
-    data.stats_receiver.recv_many(&mut buffer, 10).await;
-    assert_eq!(0, buffer.last().unwrap().state.fail_count);
+    // fail count goes back to 0
+    wait_receive(0, &mut data.stats_receiver).await;
 
     Ok(())
   }
 
+  async fn wait_receive(
+    expected_fail_count: i32,
+    rec: &mut UnboundedReceiver<FederationQueueStateWithDomain>,
+  ) {
+    // loop until we get the latest event
+    for _ in 0..5 {
+      let rcv = rec.recv().await.unwrap();
+      if expected_fail_count == rcv.state.fail_count {
+        return;
+      }
+    }
+    panic!();
+  }
+
   fn listen_activities(
     inbox_sender: UnboundedSender<String>,
     respond_with_error: Arc<RwLock<bool>>,