diff --git a/pkg/service/controller/ingressip/service_ingressip_controller_test.go b/pkg/service/controller/ingressip/service_ingressip_controller_test.go
index 56b0dd1f0a96..6d1b38bdfbf8 100644
--- a/pkg/service/controller/ingressip/service_ingressip_controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/service/controller/ingressip/service_ingressip_controller_test.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
-	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/watch"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
 	informers "k8s.io/client-go/informers"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/fake"
 	kcoreclient "k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/typed/core/v1"
@@ -44,30 +44,6 @@ func newController(t *testing.T, client *fake.Clientset, stopCh <-chan struct{})
 	return controller
 }
 
-func controllerSetup(t *testing.T, startingObjects []runtime.Object, stopCh <-chan struct{}) (*fake.Clientset, *watch.FakeWatcher, *IngressIPController) {
-	client := fake.NewSimpleClientset(startingObjects...)
-
-	fakeWatch := watch.NewFake()
-	client.PrependWatchReactor("*", clientgotesting.DefaultWatchReactor(fakeWatch, nil))
-
-	client.PrependReactor("create", "*", func(action clientgotesting.Action) (handled bool, ret runtime.Object, err error) {
-		obj := action.(clientgotesting.CreateAction).GetObject()
-		fakeWatch.Add(obj)
-		return true, obj, nil
-	})
-
-	// Ensure that updates the controller makes are passed through to the watcher.
-	client.PrependReactor("update", "*", func(action clientgotesting.Action) (handled bool, ret runtime.Object, err error) {
-		obj := action.(clientgotesting.CreateAction).GetObject()
-		fakeWatch.Modify(obj)
-		return true, obj, nil
-	})
-
-	controller := newController(t, client, stopCh)
-
-	return client, fakeWatch, controller
-}
-
 func newService(name, ip string, typeLoadBalancer bool) *v1.Service {
 	serviceType := v1.ServiceTypeClusterIP
 	if typeLoadBalancer {
@@ -599,51 +575,47 @@ func TestBasicControllerFlow(t *testing.T) {
 		newService("lb-unallocated", "", true),
 	}
 
-	stopChannel := make(chan struct{})
-	defer close(stopChannel)
+	stop := make(chan struct{})
+	defer close(stop)
 
-	_, fakeWatch, controller := controllerSetup(t, startingObjects, stopChannel)
-
-	updated := make(chan bool)
-	deleted := make(chan bool)
-
-	controller.changeHandler = func(change *serviceChange) error {
-		defer func() {
-			if len(change.key) == 0 {
-				deleted <- true
-			} else if change.oldService != nil {
-				updated <- true
+	client := fake.NewSimpleClientset(startingObjects...)
+	controller := newController(t, client, stop)
+	controller.changeHandler = controller.processChange
+
+	go controller.Run(stop)
+
+	// Wait for the service spec and status to be updated with an allocated IP.
+	err := wait.Poll(25*time.Millisecond, 2*time.Second, func() (done bool, err error) {
+		for _, genericAction := range client.Actions() {
+			switch action := genericAction.(type) {
+			case clientgotesting.UpdateAction:
+				service, ok := action.GetObject().(*v1.Service)
+				if ok && len(service.Spec.ExternalIPs) > 0 && len(service.Status.LoadBalancer.Ingress) > 0 {
+					return true, nil
+				}
 			}
-		}()
-
-		err := controller.processChange(change)
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v", err)
 		}
-
-		return err
+		return false, nil
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed waiting for update: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	go controller.Run(stopChannel)
+	client.CoreV1().Services(namespace).Delete("lb-unallocated", &metav1.DeleteOptions{})
 
-	waitForUpdate := func(msg string) {
-		t.Logf("waiting for: %v", msg)
-		select {
-		case <-updated:
-		case <-time.After(time.Duration(30 * time.Second)):
-			t.Fatalf("failed to see: %v", msg)
+	// Wait for a delete to be persisted.
+	err = wait.Poll(25*time.Millisecond, 2*time.Second, func() (done bool, err error) {
+		for _, genericAction := range client.Actions() {
+			switch action := genericAction.(type) {
+			case clientgotesting.DeleteAction:
+				if action.GetName() == "lb-unallocated" {
+					return true, nil
+				}
+			}
 		}
-	}
-
-	waitForUpdate("spec update")
-	waitForUpdate("status update")
-
-	fakeWatch.Delete(startingObjects[0])
-
-	t.Log("waiting for the service to be deleted")
-	select {
-	case <-deleted:
-	case <-time.After(time.Duration(30 * time.Second)):
-		t.Fatalf("failed to see expected service deletion")
+		return false, nil
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed waiting for delete: %v", err)
 	}
 }