diff --git a/tests/gold_tests/shutdown/emergency.test.py b/tests/gold_tests/shutdown/emergency.test.py
index 3e4d9abdef4..fcc18e85d9e 100644
--- a/tests/gold_tests/shutdown/emergency.test.py
+++ b/tests/gold_tests/shutdown/emergency.test.py
@@ -40,12 +40,23 @@
 # Load plugin
 Test.PrepareTestPlugin(os.path.join(Test.Variables.AtsTestPluginsDir, 'emergency_shutdown.so'), ts)
 
-# www.example.com Host
 tr = Test.AddTestRun()
+
+# We have to wait upon TS to emit the expected log message, but it cannot be
+# the ts Ready criteria because autest might detect the process going away
+# before it detects the log message. So we add a separate process that waits
+# upon the log message.
+watcher = Test.Processes.Process("watcher")
+watcher.Command = "sleep 1"
+watcher.Ready = When.FileContains(ts.Disk.diags_log.Name, "testing emergency shutdown")
+watcher.StartBefore(ts)
+
 tr.Processes.Default.Command = 'printf "Emergency Shutdown Test"'
 tr.Processes.Default.ReturnCode = 0
-tr.Processes.Default.StartBefore(ts)
+tr.Processes.Default.StartBefore(watcher)
+
+tr.Timeout = 5
 ts.ReturnCode = 33
-ts.Ready = 0  # Need this to be 0 because we are testing shutdown, this is to make autest not think ats went away for a bad reason.
+ts.Ready = 0
 ts.Disk.traffic_out.Content = Testers.ExcludesExpression('failed to shutdown', 'should NOT contain "failed to shutdown"')
 ts.Disk.diags_log.Content = Testers.IncludesExpression('testing emergency shutdown', 'should contain "testing emergency shutdown"')
diff --git a/tests/gold_tests/shutdown/fatal.test.py b/tests/gold_tests/shutdown/fatal.test.py
index a36ea44e515..aa8e8c3303c 100644
--- a/tests/gold_tests/shutdown/fatal.test.py
+++ b/tests/gold_tests/shutdown/fatal.test.py
@@ -40,12 +40,23 @@
 # Load plugin
 Test.PrepareTestPlugin(os.path.join(Test.Variables.AtsTestPluginsDir, 'fatal_shutdown.so'), ts)
 
-# www.example.com Host
 tr = Test.AddTestRun()
+
+# We have to wait upon TS to emit the expected log message, but it cannot be
+# the ts Ready criteria because autest might detect the process going away
+# before it detects the log message. So we add a separate process that waits
+# upon the log message.
+watcher = Test.Processes.Process("watcher")
+watcher.Command = "sleep 1"
+watcher.Ready = When.FileContains(ts.Disk.diags_log.Name, "testing fatal shutdown")
+watcher.StartBefore(ts)
+
 tr.Processes.Default.Command = 'printf "Fatal Shutdown Test"'
 tr.Processes.Default.ReturnCode = 0
-tr.Processes.Default.StartBefore(ts)
+tr.Processes.Default.StartBefore(watcher)
+
+tr.Timeout = 5
 ts.ReturnCode = 70
-ts.Ready = 0  # Need this to be 0 because we are testing shutdown, this is to make autest not think ats went away for a bad reason.
+ts.Ready = 0
 ts.Disk.traffic_out.Content = Testers.ExcludesExpression('failed to shutdown', 'should NOT contain "failed to shutdown"')
 ts.Disk.diags_log.Content = Testers.IncludesExpression('testing fatal shutdown', 'should contain "testing fatal shutdown"')