diff --git a/src/postgres/src/test/isolation/expected/yb.port.async-notify.out b/src/postgres/src/test/isolation/expected/yb.port.async-notify.out
index ff75441dd7b7..298b7e29eda3 100644
--- a/src/postgres/src/test/isolation/expected/yb.port.async-notify.out
+++ b/src/postgres/src/test/isolation/expected/yb.port.async-notify.out
@@ -104,10 +104,10 @@ step l2commit: COMMIT;
 listener2: NOTIFY "c1" with payload "" from notifier
 step l2stop: UNLISTEN *;
 
-starting permutation: llisten lbegin usage bignotify usage
+starting permutation: llisten lbegin yb_lusage bignotify yb_empty yb_lusage
 step llisten: LISTEN c1; LISTEN c2;
 step lbegin: BEGIN;
-step usage: SELECT pg_notification_queue_usage() > 0 AS nonzero;
+step yb_lusage: SELECT pg_notification_queue_usage() > 0 AS nonzero;
 nonzero
 -------
 f      
@@ -120,7 +120,8 @@ count
  1000
 (1 row)
 
-step usage: SELECT pg_notification_queue_usage() > 0 AS nonzero;
+step yb_empty: 
+step yb_lusage: SELECT pg_notification_queue_usage() > 0 AS nonzero;
 nonzero
 -------
 t      
diff --git a/src/postgres/src/test/isolation/specs/yb.port.async-notify.spec b/src/postgres/src/test/isolation/specs/yb.port.async-notify.spec
index c821b6e5bd60..760c3d1f0f99 100644
--- a/src/postgres/src/test/isolation/specs/yb.port.async-notify.spec
+++ b/src/postgres/src/test/isolation/specs/yb.port.async-notify.spec
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ step notifys1	{
 	ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT s2;
 	COMMIT;
 }
-step usage		{ SELECT pg_notification_queue_usage() > 0 AS nonzero; }
 step bignotify	{ SELECT count(pg_notify('c1', s::text)) FROM generate_series(1, 1000) s; }
+step yb_empty {}
 teardown		{ UNLISTEN *; }
 
 # The listener session is used for cross-backend notify checks.
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ step lcheck		{ SELECT 1 AS x; }
 step lbegin		{ BEGIN; }
 step lbegins	{ BEGIN ISOLATION LEVEL SERIALIZABLE; }
 step lcommit	{ COMMIT; }
+step yb_lusage		{ SELECT pg_notification_queue_usage() > 0 AS nonzero; }
 teardown		{ UNLISTEN *; }
 
 # In some tests we need a second listener, just to block the queue.
@@ -81,10 +82,14 @@ permutation l2listen l2begin notify1 lbegins llisten lcommit l2commit l2stop
 # commit the listener's transaction, so that it never reports these events.
 # Hence, this should be the last test in this script.
 
-# YB: In YB, any operation taking longer than
+# YB:
+# In YB, any operation taking longer than
 # YB_NUM_SECONDS_TO_WAIT_TO_ASSUME_SESSION_BLOCKED is deemed as waiting on the
 # other session. The step 'bignotify' intermittently breaches this limit. To
 # make the output deterministic, add (*) to bignotify to always report it as
 # waiting.
+#
+# Also, in YB, listener and notifier can be in different nodes. Check queue
+# usage on the listening node after bignotify completes.
 
-permutation llisten lbegin usage bignotify(*) usage
+permutation llisten lbegin yb_lusage bignotify(*) yb_empty yb_lusage