diff --git a/test/units/testsuite-13.machinectl.sh b/test/units/testsuite-13.machinectl.sh
index 50dc716230..8ccf4c5dc3 100755
--- a/test/units/testsuite-13.machinectl.sh
+++ b/test/units/testsuite-13.machinectl.sh
@@ -89,17 +89,17 @@ machinectl disable long-running long-running long-running container1
 # Equivalent to machinectl kill --signal=SIGRTMIN+4 --kill-whom=leader
 rm -f /var/lib/machines/long-running/poweroff
 machinectl poweroff long-running
-test -e /var/lib/machines/long-running/poweroff
+timeout 10 sh -c "while ! test -e /var/lib/machines/long-running/poweroff; do sleep .5; done"
 machinectl poweroff long-running long-running long-running
 # Equivalent to machinectl kill --signal=SIGINT --kill-whom=leader
 rm -f /var/lib/machines/long-running/reboot
 machinectl reboot long-running
-test -e /var/lib/machines/long-running/reboot
+timeout 10 sh -c "while ! test -e /var/lib/machines/long-running/reboot; do sleep .5; done"
 machinectl reboot long-running long-running long-running
 # Skip machinectl terminate for now, as it doesn't play well with our "init"
 rm -f /var/lib/machines/long-running/trap
 machinectl kill --signal=SIGTRAP --kill-whom=leader long-running
-test -e /var/lib/machines/long-running/trap
+timeout 10 sh -c "while ! test -e /var/lib/machines/long-running/trap; do sleep .5; done"
 machinectl kill --signal=SIGTRAP --kill-whom=leader long-running long-running long-running
 # All used signals should've been caught by a handler
 [[ "$(machinectl show --property=State --value long-running)" == "running" ]]