diff --git a/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets.js b/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets.js
index 19afaf9..c6bec92 100644
--- a/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets.js
+++ b/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets.js
@@ -45,15 +45,15 @@ casper.notebook_test(function () {
             '.my-throttle-textbox'), 'Textbox exists.');
 
         // Send 20 characters
-        this.sendKeys('.my-throttle-textbox', '...................A');
+        this.sendKeys('.my-throttle-textbox', '....................');
     });
 
     this.waitFor(function check() {
         var outputs = this.evaluate(function(i) {
             return IPython.notebook.get_cell(i).output_area.outputs;
         }, {i : throttle_index});
-        var output = outputs[outputs.length-1].text;
-        return (output[output.length-1] == 'A');
+        var output = outputs[outputs.length-1].text.trim();
+        return (output == '20');
         
     }, function then() { 
         var outputs = this.evaluate(function(i) {
diff --git a/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_button.js b/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_button.js
index 13a29fb..75b35e3 100644
--- a/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_button.js
+++ b/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_button.js
@@ -34,11 +34,10 @@ casper.notebook_test(function () {
             '.widget-area .widget-subarea button', 'click');
     });
 
-    this.waitFor(function check() {
-        return (this.get_output_cell(button_index, 1).text == 'Clicked\n');
-    }, function then() {
-        this.test.assert(true, 'Button click event fires.');
-    }), function timeout() {
-        this.test.assert(false, 'Button click event fires.');
+    this.wait_for_output(button_index, 1);
+
+    this.then(function () {
+        this.test.assertEquals(this.get_output_cell(button_index, 1).text, 'Clicked\n', 
+            'Button click event fires.');
     });
 });
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_float.js b/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_float.js
index 3241342..5b6f85d 100644
--- a/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_float.js
+++ b/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_float.js
@@ -6,72 +6,64 @@ casper.notebook_test(function () {
         'print("Success")');
     this.execute_cell_then(index);
 
-    var float_text_query_2 = '.widget-area .widget-subarea .widget-hbox-single .my-second-float-text';
-
-    var float_index = this.append_cell(
+    var float_text = {};
+    float_text.query = '.widget-area .widget-subarea .widget-hbox-single .my-second-float-text';
+    float_text.index = this.append_cell(
         'float_widget = widgets.FloatTextWidget()\n' +
         'display(float_widget)\n' + 
         'float_widget.add_class("my-second-float-text")\n' + 
-        'print("Success")\n');
-    this.execute_cell_then(float_index, function(index){
-
-        this.test.assertEquals(this.get_output_cell(index).text, 'Success\n', 
-            'Create float cell executed with correct output.');
-
+        'print(float_widget.model_id)\n');
+    this.execute_cell_then(float_text.index, function(index){
+        float_text.model_id = this.get_output_cell(index).text.trim();
+        
         this.test.assert(this.cell_element_exists(index, 
             '.widget-area .widget-subarea'),
             'Widget subarea exists.');
 
-        this.test.assert(this.cell_element_exists(index, float_text_query_2),
+        this.test.assert(this.cell_element_exists(index, float_text.query),
             'Widget float textbox exists.');
 
-        this.cell_element_function(float_index, float_text_query_2, 'val', ['']);
-        this.sendKeys(float_text_query_2, '1.05');
+        this.cell_element_function(float_text.index, float_text.query, 'val', ['']);
+        this.sendKeys(float_text.query, '1.05');
     });
 
-    this.wait(500); // Wait for change to execute in kernel
+    this.wait_for_widget(float_text);
 
     index = this.append_cell('print(float_widget.value)\n');
     this.execute_cell_then(index, function(index){
         this.test.assertEquals(this.get_output_cell(index).text, '1.05\n', 
             'Float textbox value set.');
-        this.cell_element_function(float_index, float_text_query_2, 'val', ['']);
-        this.sendKeys(float_text_query_2, '123456789.0');
+        this.cell_element_function(float_text.index, float_text.query, 'val', ['']);
+        this.sendKeys(float_text.query, '123456789.0');
     });
 
-    this.wait(500); // Wait for change to execute in kernel
-
+    this.wait_for_widget(float_text);
+    
     index = this.append_cell('print(float_widget.value)\n');
     this.execute_cell_then(index, function(index){
         this.test.assertEquals(this.get_output_cell(index).text, '123456789.0\n', 
             'Long float textbox value set (probably triggers throttling).');
-        this.cell_element_function(float_index, float_text_query_2, 'val', ['']);
-        this.sendKeys(float_text_query_2, '12hello');
+        this.cell_element_function(float_text.index, float_text.query, 'val', ['']);
+        this.sendKeys(float_text.query, '12hello');
     });
 
-    this.wait(500); // Wait for change to execute in kernel
+    this.wait_for_widget(float_text);
 
     index = this.append_cell('print(float_widget.value)\n');
     this.execute_cell_then(index, function(index){
         this.test.assertEquals(this.get_output_cell(index).text, '12.0\n', 
             'Invald float textbox value caught and filtered.');
     });
-    
-    index = this.append_cell(
-        'from IPython.html import widgets\n' + 
-        'from IPython.display import display, clear_output\n' +
-        'print("Success")');
-    this.execute_cell_then(index);
 
-    var slider_query = '.widget-area .widget-subarea .widget-hbox-single .slider';
     var float_text_query = '.widget-area .widget-subarea .widget-hbox-single .widget-numeric-text';
-
-    var floatrange_index = this.append_cell(
+    var slider = {};
+    slider.query = '.widget-area .widget-subarea .widget-hbox-single .slider';
+    slider.index = this.append_cell(
         'floatrange = [widgets.BoundedFloatTextWidget(), \n' +
         '    widgets.FloatSliderWidget()]\n' +
         '[display(floatrange[i]) for i in range(2)]\n' + 
         'print("Success")\n');
-    this.execute_cell_then(floatrange_index, function(index){
+    this.execute_cell_then(slider.index, function(index){
 
         this.test.assertEquals(this.get_output_cell(index).text, 'Success\n', 
             'Create float range cell executed with correct output.');
@@ -80,7 +72,7 @@ casper.notebook_test(function () {
             '.widget-area .widget-subarea'),
             'Widget subarea exists.');
 
-        this.test.assert(this.cell_element_exists(index, slider_query),
+        this.test.assert(this.cell_element_exists(index, slider.query),
             'Widget slider exists.');
 
         this.test.assert(this.cell_element_exists(index, float_text_query),
@@ -98,10 +90,10 @@ casper.notebook_test(function () {
         this.test.assertEquals(this.get_output_cell(index).text, 'Success\n', 
             'Float range properties cell executed with correct output.');
 
-        this.test.assert(this.cell_element_exists(floatrange_index, slider_query), 
+        this.test.assert(this.cell_element_exists(slider.index, slider.query), 
             'Widget slider exists.');
 
-        this.test.assert(this.cell_element_function(floatrange_index, slider_query, 
+        this.test.assert(this.cell_element_function(slider.index, slider.query, 
             'slider', ['value']) == 25.0,
             'Slider set to Python value.');
     });
diff --git a/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_int.js b/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_int.js
index a2765a0..3639f2d 100644
--- a/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_int.js
+++ b/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_int.js
@@ -6,50 +6,48 @@ casper.notebook_test(function () {
         'print("Success")');
     this.execute_cell_then(index);
 
-    var int_text_query_2 = '.widget-area .widget-subarea .widget-hbox-single .my-second-int-text';
-
-    var int_index = this.append_cell(
+    var int_text = {}
+    int_text.query = '.widget-area .widget-subarea .widget-hbox-single .my-second-int-text';
+    int_text.index = this.append_cell(
         'int_widget = widgets.IntTextWidget()\n' +
         'display(int_widget)\n' + 
         'int_widget.add_class("my-second-int-text")\n' + 
-        'print("Success")\n');
-    this.execute_cell_then(int_index, function(index){
-
-        this.test.assertEquals(this.get_output_cell(index).text, 'Success\n', 
-            'Create int cell executed with correct output.');
-
+        'print(int_widget.model_id)\n');
+    this.execute_cell_then(int_text.index, function(index){
+        int_text.model_id = this.get_output_cell(index).text.trim();
+        
         this.test.assert(this.cell_element_exists(index, 
             '.widget-area .widget-subarea'),
             'Widget subarea exists.');
 
-        this.test.assert(this.cell_element_exists(index, int_text_query_2),
+        this.test.assert(this.cell_element_exists(index, int_text.query),
             'Widget int textbox exists.');
 
-        this.cell_element_function(int_index, int_text_query_2, 'val', ['']);
-        this.sendKeys(int_text_query_2, '1.05');
+        this.cell_element_function(int_text.index, int_text.query, 'val', ['']);
+        this.sendKeys(int_text.query, '1.05');
     });
 
-    this.wait(500); // Wait for change to execute in kernel
+    this.wait_for_widget(int_text);
 
     index = this.append_cell('print(int_widget.value)\n');
     this.execute_cell_then(index, function(index){
         this.test.assertEquals(this.get_output_cell(index).text, '1\n', 
             'Int textbox value set.');
-        this.cell_element_function(int_index, int_text_query_2, 'val', ['']);
-        this.sendKeys(int_text_query_2, '123456789');
+        this.cell_element_function(int_text.index, int_text.query, 'val', ['']);
+        this.sendKeys(int_text.query, '123456789');
     });
 
-    this.wait(500); // Wait for change to execute in kernel
+    this.wait_for_widget(int_text);
 
     index = this.append_cell('print(int_widget.value)\n');
     this.execute_cell_then(index, function(index){
         this.test.assertEquals(this.get_output_cell(index).text, '123456789\n', 
             'Long int textbox value set (probably triggers throttling).');
-        this.cell_element_function(int_index, int_text_query_2, 'val', ['']);
-        this.sendKeys(int_text_query_2, '12hello');
+        this.cell_element_function(int_text.index, int_text.query, 'val', ['']);
+        this.sendKeys(int_text.query, '12hello');
     });
 
-    this.wait(500); // Wait for change to execute in kernel
+    this.wait_for_widget(int_text);
 
     index = this.append_cell('print(int_widget.value)\n');
     this.execute_cell_then(index, function(index){
@@ -63,19 +61,18 @@ casper.notebook_test(function () {
         'print("Success")');
     this.execute_cell_then(index);
 
-    var slider_query = '.widget-area .widget-subarea .widget-hbox-single .slider';
-    var int_text_query = '.widget-area .widget-subarea .widget-hbox-single .my-second-num-test-text';
 
-    var intrange_index = this.append_cell(
+    var slider_query = '.widget-area .widget-subarea .widget-hbox-single .slider';
+    var int_text2 = {};
+    int_text2.query = '.widget-area .widget-subarea .widget-hbox-single .my-second-num-test-text';
+    int_text2.index = this.append_cell(
         'intrange = [widgets.BoundedIntTextWidget(),\n' +
         '    widgets.IntSliderWidget()]\n' +
         '[display(intrange[i]) for i in range(2)]\n' +
         'intrange[0].add_class("my-second-num-test-text")\n' +  
-        'print("Success")\n');
-    this.execute_cell_then(intrange_index, function(index){
-
-        this.test.assertEquals(this.get_output_cell(index).text, 'Success\n', 
-            'Create int range cell executed with correct output.');
+        'print(intrange[0].model_id)\n');
+    this.execute_cell_then(int_text2.index, function(index){
+        int_text2.model_id = this.get_output_cell(index).text.trim();
 
         this.test.assert(this.cell_element_exists(index, 
             '.widget-area .widget-subarea'),
@@ -84,7 +81,7 @@ casper.notebook_test(function () {
         this.test.assert(this.cell_element_exists(index, slider_query),
             'Widget slider exists.');
 
-        this.test.assert(this.cell_element_exists(index, int_text_query),
+        this.test.assert(this.cell_element_exists(index, int_text2.query),
             'Widget int textbox exists.');
     });
 
@@ -99,23 +96,23 @@ casper.notebook_test(function () {
         this.test.assertEquals(this.get_output_cell(index).text, 'Success\n', 
             'Int range properties cell executed with correct output.');
 
-        this.test.assert(this.cell_element_exists(intrange_index, slider_query), 
+        this.test.assert(this.cell_element_exists(int_text2.index, slider_query), 
             'Widget slider exists.');
 
-        this.test.assert(this.cell_element_function(intrange_index, slider_query, 
+        this.test.assert(this.cell_element_function(int_text2.index, slider_query, 
             'slider', ['value']) == 25,
             'Slider set to Python value.');
 
-        this.test.assert(this.cell_element_function(intrange_index, int_text_query,
+        this.test.assert(this.cell_element_function(int_text2.index, int_text2.query,
             'val') == 25, 'Int textbox set to Python value.');
 
         // Clear the int textbox value and then set it to 1 by emulating
         // keyboard presses.
-        this.cell_element_function(intrange_index, int_text_query, 'val', ['']);
-        this.sendKeys(int_text_query, '1');
+        this.cell_element_function(int_text2.index, int_text2.query, 'val', ['']);
+        this.sendKeys(int_text2.query, '1');
     });
 
-    this.wait(500); // Wait for change to execute in kernel
+    this.wait_for_widget(int_text2);
 
     index = this.append_cell('print(intrange[0].value)\n');
     this.execute_cell_then(index, function(index){
@@ -124,11 +121,11 @@ casper.notebook_test(function () {
 
         // Clear the int textbox value and then set it to 120 by emulating
         // keyboard presses.
-        this.cell_element_function(intrange_index, int_text_query, 'val', ['']);
-        this.sendKeys(int_text_query, '120');
+        this.cell_element_function(int_text2.index, int_text2.query, 'val', ['']);
+        this.sendKeys(int_text2.query, '120');
     });
 
-    this.wait(500); // Wait for change to execute in kernel
+    this.wait_for_widget(int_text2);
 
     index = this.append_cell('print(intrange[0].value)\n');
     this.execute_cell_then(index, function(index){
@@ -137,11 +134,11 @@ casper.notebook_test(function () {
 
         // Clear the int textbox value and then set it to 'hello world' by 
         // emulating keyboard presses.  'hello world' should get filtered...
-        this.cell_element_function(intrange_index, int_text_query, 'val', ['']);
-        this.sendKeys(int_text_query, 'hello world');
+        this.cell_element_function(int_text2.index, int_text2.query, 'val', ['']);
+        this.sendKeys(int_text2.query, 'hello world');
     });
 
-    this.wait(500); // Wait for change to execute in kernel
+    this.wait_for_widget(int_text2);
 
     index = this.append_cell('print(intrange[0].value)\n');
     this.execute_cell_then(index, function(index){
diff --git a/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_multicontainer.js b/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_multicontainer.js
index 617bfec..2004306 100644
--- a/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_multicontainer.js
+++ b/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_multicontainer.js
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ casper.notebook_test(function () {
         this.click(multicontainer1_query + ' li:nth-child(2) a');
     });
 
-    this.wait(500); // Wait for change to execute in kernel
+    this.wait_for_idle();
 
     index = this.append_cell(
         'print(multicontainer.selected_index)\n' +
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ casper.notebook_test(function () {
         this.click(multicontainer2_query + ' .accordion-group:nth-child(2) .accordion-heading .accordion-toggle');
     });
 
-    this.wait(500); // Wait for change to execute in kernel
+    this.wait_for_idle();
 
     index = this.append_cell('print(multicontainer.selected_index)'); // 0 based
     this.execute_cell_then(index, function(index){
diff --git a/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_selection.js b/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_selection.js
index abf68a7..5cbb3e3 100644
--- a/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_selection.js
+++ b/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/test_cases/widgets_selection.js
@@ -93,33 +93,33 @@ casper.notebook_test(function () {
         // Verify that selecting a radio button updates all of the others.
         this.cell_element_function(selection_index, radio_selector + ' .radio:nth-child(2) input', 'click');
     });
-    this.wait(500);
+    this.wait_for_idle();
     this.then(function () {
         this.test.assert(verify_selection(this, 1), 'Radio button selection updated view states correctly.');
 
         // Verify that selecting a list option updates all of the others.
         this.cell_element_function(selection_index, list_selector + ' option:nth-child(3)', 'click');
     });
-    this.wait(500);
+    this.wait_for_idle();
     this.then(function () {
         this.test.assert(verify_selection(this, 2), 'List selection updated view states correctly.');
 
         // Verify that selecting a multibutton option updates all of the others.
         this.cell_element_function(selection_index, multibtn_selector + ' .btn:nth-child(4)', 'click');
     });
-    this.wait(500);
+    this.wait_for_idle();
     this.then(function () {
         this.test.assert(verify_selection(this, 3), 'Multibutton selection updated view states correctly.');
 
         // Verify that selecting a combobox option updates all of the others.
         this.cell_element_function(selection_index, '.widget-area .widget-subarea .widget-hbox-single .btn-group ul.dropdown-menu li:nth-child(3) a', 'click');
     });
-    this.wait(500);
+    this.wait_for_idle();
     this.then(function () {
         this.test.assert(verify_selection(this, 2), 'Combobox selection updated view states correctly.');
     });
 
-    this.wait(500); // Wait for change to execute in kernel
+    this.wait_for_idle();
 
     index = this.append_cell(
         'for widget in selection:\n' +
diff --git a/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/util.js b/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/util.js
index ab7d120..16d7ffe 100644
--- a/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/util.js
+++ b/IPython/html/tests/casperjs/util.js
@@ -94,6 +94,27 @@ casper.wait_for_output = function (cell_num, out_num) {
     });
 };
 
+// wait for a widget msg que to reach 0
+//
+// Parameters
+// ----------
+// widget_info : object
+//      Object which contains info related to the widget.  The model_id property
+//      is used to identify the widget.
+casper.wait_for_widget = function (widget_info) {
+    this.waitFor(function () {
+        var pending = this.evaluate(function (m) {
+            return IPython.notebook.kernel.widget_manager.get_model(m).pending_msgs;
+        }, {m: widget_info.model_id});
+
+        if (pending == 0) {
+            return true;
+        } else {
+            return false;
+        }
+    });
+}
+
 // return an output of a given cell
 casper.get_output_cell = function (cell_num, out_num) {
     out_num = out_num || 0;