diff --git a/connaisseur/flask_application.py b/connaisseur/flask_application.py
index 0d827ab70..da81726ea 100644
--- a/connaisseur/flask_application.py
+++ b/connaisseur/flask_application.py
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ async def __validate_image(
     # also changed its image reference, which would have been skipped (see
     # below). if the replicas are now increased, the image reference would
     # not be checked, which is not desired.
-    asyncio.sleep(30)
+    await asyncio.sleep(30)
     if (
         feature_flag_on(const.AUTOMATIC_UNCHANGED_APPROVAL)
         and admission_request.operation.upper() == "UPDATE"