diff --git a/pulsar-functions/instance/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/functions/instance/JavaInstanceTest.java b/pulsar-functions/instance/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/functions/instance/JavaInstanceTest.java
index efe80922dfa8c..5a3332042938d 100644
--- a/pulsar-functions/instance/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/functions/instance/JavaInstanceTest.java
+++ b/pulsar-functions/instance/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/functions/instance/JavaInstanceTest.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import static org.testng.Assert.assertNull;
 import static org.testng.Assert.assertSame;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
+import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
 import lombok.Cleanup;
@@ -185,6 +186,7 @@ public void testUserExceptionThrowingAsyncFunction() throws Exception {
 
     @Test
     public void testAsyncFunctionMaxPending() throws Exception {
+        CountDownLatch count = new CountDownLatch(1);
         InstanceConfig instanceConfig = new InstanceConfig();
         int pendingQueueSize = 3;
         instanceConfig.setMaxPendingAsyncRequests(pendingQueueSize);
@@ -196,7 +198,7 @@ public void testAsyncFunctionMaxPending() throws Exception {
             CompletableFuture<String> result  = new CompletableFuture<>();
             executor.submit(() -> {
                 try {
-                    Thread.sleep(500);
+                    count.await();
                     result.complete(String.format("%s-lambda", input));
                 } catch (Exception e) {
                     result.completeExceptionally(e);
@@ -222,8 +224,13 @@ public void testAsyncFunctionMaxPending() throws Exception {
         // no space left
         assertEquals(0, instance.getPendingAsyncRequests().remainingCapacity());
 
+        AsyncFuncRequest[] asyncFuncRequests = new AsyncFuncRequest[3];
         for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
-            AsyncFuncRequest request = instance.getPendingAsyncRequests().poll();
+            asyncFuncRequests[i] = instance.getPendingAsyncRequests().poll();
+        }
+
+        count.countDown();
+        for (AsyncFuncRequest request : asyncFuncRequests) {
             Assert.assertEquals(request.getProcessResult().get(), testString + "-lambda");
         }