diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/test/integration/WatchAckTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/test/integration/WatchAckTests.java
index 6402b71d3b810..6193b8f101c7f 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/test/integration/WatchAckTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/test/integration/WatchAckTests.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.watcher.transport.actions.get.GetWatchRequestBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.watcher.transport.actions.get.GetWatchResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.watcher.transport.actions.put.PutWatchRequestBuilder;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.watcher.transport.actions.stats.WatcherStatsRequestBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.watcher.watch.Watch;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.condition.CompareCondition;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.test.AbstractWatcherIntegrationTestCase;
@@ -75,6 +76,8 @@ public void testAckSingleAction() throws Exception {
 
         assertThat(putWatchResponse.isCreated(), is(true));
 
+        assertBusy(() -> assertThat(new WatcherStatsRequestBuilder(client()).get().getWatchesCount(), is(1L)));
+
         timeWarp().trigger("_id", 4, TimeValue.timeValueSeconds(5));
         AckWatchResponse ackResponse = new AckWatchRequestBuilder(client(), "_id").setActionIds("_a1").get();
         assertThat(ackResponse.getStatus().actionStatus("_a1").ackStatus().state(), is(ActionStatus.AckStatus.State.ACKED));
@@ -146,6 +149,7 @@ public void testAckAllActions() throws Exception {
             .get();
 
         assertThat(putWatchResponse.isCreated(), is(true));
+        assertBusy(() -> assertThat(new WatcherStatsRequestBuilder(client()).get().getWatchesCount(), is(1L)));
 
         timeWarp().trigger("_id", 4, TimeValue.timeValueSeconds(5));
 
@@ -223,6 +227,7 @@ public void testAckWithRestart() throws Exception {
             )
             .get();
         assertThat(putWatchResponse.isCreated(), is(true));
+        assertBusy(() -> assertThat(new WatcherStatsRequestBuilder(client()).get().getWatchesCount(), is(1L)));
 
         timeWarp().trigger("_name", 4, TimeValue.timeValueSeconds(5));
         restartWatcherRandomly();