diff --git a/hadoop-hdds/container-service/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/container/keyvalue/TestContainerReconciliationWithMockDatanodes.java b/hadoop-hdds/container-service/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/container/keyvalue/TestContainerReconciliationWithMockDatanodes.java
index a97a3418cc8..6c52ecb1219 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdds/container-service/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/container/keyvalue/TestContainerReconciliationWithMockDatanodes.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdds/container-service/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/ozone/container/keyvalue/TestContainerReconciliationWithMockDatanodes.java
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
 import java.util.concurrent.Future;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
@@ -556,9 +557,21 @@ public KeyValueContainer getContainer(long containerID) {
      * Triggers a synchronous scan of the container. This method will block until the scan completes.
      */
     public void scanContainer(long containerID) {
-      Optional<Future<?>> scanFuture = onDemandScanner.scanContainerWithoutGap(containerSet.getContainer(containerID),
-          TEST_SCAN);
-      assertTrue(scanFuture.isPresent());
+      // A previously triggered on-demand scan may still be registered as in progress, for example the
+      // fire-and-forget scan that reconciliation schedules in a finally block. While it is, the scanner
+      // returns an empty Optional instead of scheduling a new one. Wait for the prior scan to drain so
+      // this synchronous scan is actually scheduled.
+      AtomicReference<Future<?>> scanFuture = new AtomicReference<>();
+      try {
+        GenericTestUtils.waitFor(() -> {
+          Optional<Future<?>> future =
+              onDemandScanner.scanContainerWithoutGap(containerSet.getContainer(containerID), TEST_SCAN);
+          future.ifPresent(scanFuture::set);
+          return future.isPresent();
+        }, 100, 10_000);
+      } catch (InterruptedException | TimeoutException e) {
+        fail("On demand container scan was not scheduled", e);
+      }
 
       try {
         scanFuture.get().get();