diff --git a/test/functional/page_objects/common_page.js b/test/functional/page_objects/common_page.js
index f6417438e5137..fe1894828e21e 100644
--- a/test/functional/page_objects/common_page.js
+++ b/test/functional/page_objects/common_page.js
@@ -56,8 +56,14 @@ export function CommonPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       };
 
       const appUrl = getUrl.noAuth(config.get('servers.kibana'), appConfig);
-      await remote.get(appUrl);
-      await this.loginIfPrompted(appUrl);
+      await retry.try(async () => {
+        log.debug(`navigateToUrl ${appUrl}`);
+        await remote.get(appUrl);
+        const currentUrl = await this.loginIfPrompted(appUrl);
+        if (!currentUrl.includes(appUrl)) {
+          throw new Error(`expected ${currentUrl}.includes(${appUrl})`);
+        }
+      });
     }
 
 
@@ -75,6 +81,7 @@ export function CommonPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
           config.get('servers.kibana.password')
         );
         await remote.setFindTimeout(20000).findByCssSelector('[data-test-subj="kibanaChrome"] nav:not(.ng-hide)');
+        await remote.get(appUrl);
         currentUrl = await remote.getCurrentUrl();
         log.debug(`Finished login process currentUrl = ${currentUrl}`);
       }
diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional/apps/security/management.js b/x-pack/test/functional/apps/security/management.js
index ccd4cdbc6f27a..73c1b348f5094 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/functional/apps/security/management.js
+++ b/x-pack/test/functional/apps/security/management.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
 
   describe('Management', () => {
     before(async () => {
-      await PageObjects.security.login('elastic', 'changeme');
+      // await PageObjects.security.login('elastic', 'changeme');
       await PageObjects.security.initTests();
       await kibanaServer.uiSettings.update({
         'dateFormat:tz': 'UTC',
diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional/apps/security/rbac_phase1.js b/x-pack/test/functional/apps/security/rbac_phase1.js
index 4b444cfbb79dd..3f1dcb162b510 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/functional/apps/security/rbac_phase1.js
+++ b/x-pack/test/functional/apps/security/rbac_phase1.js
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       const toTime = '2015-09-23 18:31:44.000';
       const vizName1 = 'Visualization VerticalBarChart';
 
-      log.debug('navigateToApp visualize');
+      log.debug('log in as kibanauser with rbac_all role');
       await PageObjects.security.login('kibanauser', 'changeme');
       await PageObjects.common.navigateToUrl('visualize', 'new');
       log.debug('clickVerticalBarChart');
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       const toTime = '2015-09-23 18:31:44.000';
       const vizName1 = 'Viz VerticalBarChart';
 
-      log.debug('navigateToApp visualize');
+      log.debug('log in as kibanareadonly with rbac_read role');
       await PageObjects.security.login('kibanareadonly', 'changeme');
       await PageObjects.common.navigateToUrl('visualize', 'new');
       log.debug('clickVerticalBarChart');
diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional/apps/security/security.js b/x-pack/test/functional/apps/security/security.js
index fef30cd573fa7..3cb09a3adf8a4 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/functional/apps/security/security.js
+++ b/x-pack/test/functional/apps/security/security.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       });
 
       it('displays message if login fails', async () => {
-        await PageObjects.security.loginPage.login('wrong-user', 'wrong-password');
+        await PageObjects.security.loginPage.login('wrong-user', 'wrong-password', false);
         const errorMessage = await PageObjects.security.loginPage.getErrorMessage();
         expect(errorMessage).to.be('Oops! Error. Try again.');
       });
diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional/page_objects/security_page.js b/x-pack/test/functional/page_objects/security_page.js
index 4c17eb7437e88..6c1912fd3f6cf 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/functional/page_objects/security_page.js
+++ b/x-pack/test/functional/page_objects/security_page.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ export function SecurityPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
   const PageObjects = getPageObjects(['common', 'header', 'settings']);
 
   class LoginPage {
-    async login(username, password) {
+    async login(username, password, expectSuccess = true) {
       const [superUsername, superPassword] = config.get('servers.elasticsearch.auth').split(':');
 
       username = username || superUsername;
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@ export function SecurityPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       await testSubjects.setValue('loginUsername', username);
       await testSubjects.setValue('loginPassword', password);
       await testSubjects.click('loginSubmit');
+      // wait for either kibanaChrome or loginErrorMessage
+      if (expectSuccess) {
+        await remote.setFindTimeout(20000).findByCssSelector('[data-test-subj="kibanaChrome"] nav:not(.ng-hide)');
+        log.debug(`Finished login process currentUrl = ${await remote.getCurrentUrl()}`);
+      }
     }
 
     async getErrorMessage() {