diff --git a/test/metrics_test.go b/test/metrics_test.go
index 230c3fd14..e0ee5434b 100644
--- a/test/metrics_test.go
+++ b/test/metrics_test.go
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ func TestMetricsRefused(t *testing.T) {
 	if _, err = dns.Exchange(m, udp); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Could not send message: %s", err)
 	}
+	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond) // sleep a bit to allow actual metrics to be updated for sure.
 
 	data := test.Scrape("http://" + metrics.ListenAddr + "/metrics")
 	got, labels := test.MetricValue(metricName, data)
@@ -87,6 +88,7 @@ func TestMetricsPlugin(t *testing.T) {
 	if _, err = dns.Exchange(m, udp); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Could not send message: %s", err)
 	}
+	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond) // sleep a bit to allow actual metrics to be updated for sure.
 
 	data := test.Scrape("http://" + metrics.ListenAddr + "/metrics")
 	_, labels := test.MetricValue(metricName, data)
@@ -134,6 +136,7 @@ func TestMetricsAuto(t *testing.T) {
 	if _, err := dns.Exchange(m, udp); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Could not send message: %s", err)
 	}
+	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond) // sleep a bit to allow actual metrics to be updated for sure.
 
 	metricName := "coredns_dns_requests_total" // {zone, proto, family, type}
 
@@ -192,6 +195,7 @@ func TestMetricsSeveralBlocs(t *testing.T) {
 	if _, err = dns.Exchange(m, udp); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Could not send message: %s", err)
 	}
+	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond) // sleep a bit to allow actual metrics to be updated for sure.
 
 	beginCacheSize := test.ScrapeMetricAsInt(addrMetrics, cacheSizeMetricName, "", 0)
 
@@ -277,6 +281,7 @@ func TestMetricsAvailable(t *testing.T) {
 	if _, _, err := cl.Exchange(m, tcp); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Could not send message: %s", err)
 	}
+	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond) // sleep a bit to allow actual metrics to be updated for sure.
 
 	// we should have metrics from forward, cache, and metrics itself
 	if err := collectMetricsInfo(metrics.ListenAddr, procMetric, procCache, procCacheMiss, procForward); err != nil {