diff --git a/IPython/parallel/tests/test_client.py b/IPython/parallel/tests/test_client.py
index 72d6a21..cd8456b 100644
--- a/IPython/parallel/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/IPython/parallel/tests/test_client.py
@@ -304,6 +304,20 @@ class TestClient(ClusterTestCase):
         """wait for an engine to become idle, according to the Hub"""
         rc = self.client
         
+        # step 1. wait for all requests to be noticed
+        # timeout 5s, polling every 100ms
+        msg_ids = set(rc.history)
+        hub_hist = rc.hub_history()
+        for i in range(50):
+            if msg_ids.difference(hub_hist):
+                time.sleep(0.1)
+                hub_hist = rc.hub_history()
+            else:
+                break
+        
+        self.assertEqual(len(msg_ids.difference(hub_hist)), 0)
+        
+        # step 2. wait for all requests to be done
         # timeout 5s, polling every 100ms
         qs = rc.queue_status()
         for i in range(50):
@@ -407,7 +421,7 @@ class TestClient(ClusterTestCase):
         # Wait for the Hub to realise the result is done:
         # This prevents a race condition, where we
         # might purge a result the Hub still thinks is pending.
-        time.sleep(0.1)
+        self._wait_for_idle()
         rc2 = clientmod.Client(profile='iptest')
         hist = self.client.hub_history()
         ahr = rc2.get_result([hist[-1]])
@@ -423,7 +437,7 @@ class TestClient(ClusterTestCase):
         res = []
         for i in range(5):
             res.append(self.client[:].apply_async(lambda : 1))
-        time.sleep(0.1)
+        self._wait_for_idle()
         self.client.wait(10) # wait for the results to come back
         before = len(self.client.results)
         self.assertEqual(len(self.client.metadata),before)
@@ -446,11 +460,11 @@ class TestClient(ClusterTestCase):
         for i in range(5):
             self.client[:].apply_sync(lambda : 1)
         self.client.wait(10)
+        self._wait_for_idle()
         self.client.purge_results('all')
         self.assertEqual(len(self.client.results), 0, msg="Results not empty")
         self.assertEqual(len(self.client.metadata), 0, msg="metadata not empty")
-        time.sleep(0.1)
-        hist = self.client.hub_history()#
+        hist = self.client.hub_history()
         self.assertEqual(len(hist), 0, msg="hub history not empty")
         
     def test_purge_everything(self):
@@ -458,16 +472,17 @@ class TestClient(ClusterTestCase):
         for i in range(5):
             self.client[:].apply_sync(lambda : 1)
         self.client.wait(10)
+        self._wait_for_idle()
         self.client.purge_everything()
         # The client results
         self.assertEqual(len(self.client.results), 0, msg="Results not empty")
         self.assertEqual(len(self.client.metadata), 0, msg="metadata not empty")
-        # the hub results
-        hist = self.client.hub_history()
-        self.assertEqual(len(hist), 0, msg="hub history not empty")
         # The client "bookkeeping"
         self.assertEqual(len(self.client.session.digest_history), 0, msg="session digest not empty")
         self.assertEqual(len(self.client.history), 0, msg="client history not empty")
+        # the hub results
+        hist = self.client.hub_history()
+        self.assertEqual(len(hist), 0, msg="hub history not empty")
         
     
     def test_spin_thread(self):