diff --git a/federation/pkg/federation-controller/deployment/deploymentcontroller_test.go b/federation/pkg/federation-controller/deployment/deploymentcontroller_test.go
index e74cda5ec5f..19488ae805c 100644
--- a/federation/pkg/federation-controller/deployment/deploymentcontroller_test.go
+++ b/federation/pkg/federation-controller/deployment/deploymentcontroller_test.go
@@ -119,34 +119,34 @@ func TestDeploymentController(t *testing.T) {
 	// Create deployment. Expect to see it in cluster1.
 	dep1 := newDeploymentWithReplicas("depA", 6)
 	deploymentsWatch.Add(dep1)
-	createdDep1 := GetDeploymentFromChan(cluster1CreateChan)
-	assert.NotNil(t, createdDep1)
-	assert.Equal(t, dep1.Namespace, createdDep1.Namespace)
-	assert.Equal(t, dep1.Name, createdDep1.Name)
-	assert.Equal(t, dep1.Spec.Replicas, createdDep1.Spec.Replicas)
+	checkDeployment := func(base *extensionsv1.Deployment, replicas int32) CheckingFunction {
+		return func(obj runtime.Object) error {
+			if obj == nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Observed object is nil")
+			}
+			d := obj.(*extensionsv1.Deployment)
+			if err := CompareObjectMeta(base.ObjectMeta, d.ObjectMeta); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			if replicas != *d.Spec.Replicas {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Replica count is different expected:%d observed:%d", replicas, *d.Spec.Replicas)
+			}
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+	assert.NoError(t, CheckObjectFromChan(cluster1CreateChan, checkDeployment(dep1, *dep1.Spec.Replicas)))
 
 	// Increase replica count. Expect to see the update in cluster1.
 	newRep := int32(8)
 	dep1.Spec.Replicas = &newRep
 	deploymentsWatch.Modify(dep1)
-	updatedDep1 := GetDeploymentFromChan(cluster1UpdateChan)
-	assert.NotNil(t, updatedDep1)
-	assert.Equal(t, dep1.Namespace, updatedDep1.Namespace)
-	assert.Equal(t, dep1.Name, updatedDep1.Name)
-	assert.Equal(t, dep1.Spec.Replicas, updatedDep1.Spec.Replicas)
+	assert.NoError(t, CheckObjectFromChan(cluster1UpdateChan, checkDeployment(dep1, *dep1.Spec.Replicas)))
 
 	// Add new cluster. Although rebalance = false, no pods have been created yet so it should
 	// rebalance anyway.
 	clusterWatch.Add(cluster2)
-	updatedDep1 = GetDeploymentFromChan(cluster1UpdateChan)
-	createdDep2 := GetDeploymentFromChan(cluster2CreateChan)
-	assert.NotNil(t, updatedDep1)
-	assert.NotNil(t, createdDep2)
-
-	assert.Equal(t, dep1.Namespace, createdDep2.Namespace)
-	assert.Equal(t, dep1.Name, createdDep2.Name)
-	assert.Equal(t, *dep1.Spec.Replicas/2, *createdDep2.Spec.Replicas)
-	assert.Equal(t, *dep1.Spec.Replicas/2, *updatedDep1.Spec.Replicas)
+	assert.NoError(t, CheckObjectFromChan(cluster1UpdateChan, checkDeployment(dep1, *dep1.Spec.Replicas/2)))
+	assert.NoError(t, CheckObjectFromChan(cluster2CreateChan, checkDeployment(dep1, *dep1.Spec.Replicas/2)))
 }
 
 func GetDeploymentFromChan(c chan runtime.Object) *extensionsv1.Deployment {
diff --git a/federation/pkg/federation-controller/util/test/test_helper.go b/federation/pkg/federation-controller/util/test/test_helper.go
index c3ac77c6b0e..011cd97d264 100644
--- a/federation/pkg/federation-controller/util/test/test_helper.go
+++ b/federation/pkg/federation-controller/util/test/test_helper.go
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ limitations under the License.
 package testutil
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"reflect"
 	"runtime/pprof"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -201,6 +203,49 @@ func GetObjectFromChan(c chan runtime.Object) runtime.Object {
 	}
 }
 
+type CheckingFunction func(runtime.Object) error
+
+// CheckObjectFromChan tries to get an object matching the given check function
+// within a reasonable time.
+func CheckObjectFromChan(c chan runtime.Object, checkFunction CheckingFunction) error {
+	delay := 20 * time.Second
+	var lastError error
+	for {
+		select {
+		case obj := <-c:
+			if lastError = checkFunction(obj); lastError == nil {
+				return nil
+			}
+			glog.Infof("Check function failed with %v", lastError)
+			delay = 5 * time.Second
+		case <-time.After(delay):
+			pprof.Lookup("goroutine").WriteTo(os.Stderr, 1)
+			if lastError == nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("Failed to get an object from channel")
+			} else {
+				return lastError
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// CompareObjectMeta returns an error when the given objects are not equivalent.
+func CompareObjectMeta(a, b api_v1.ObjectMeta) error {
+	if a.Namespace != b.Namespace {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Different namespace expected:%s observed:%s", a.Namespace, b.Namespace)
+	}
+	if a.Name != b.Name {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Different name expected:%s observed:%s", a.Namespace, b.Namespace)
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(a.Annotations, b.Annotations) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Annotations are different expected:%v observerd:%v", a.Annotations, b.Annotations)
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(a.Labels, b.Labels) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Annotations are different expected:%v observerd:%v", a.Labels, b.Labels)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func ToFederatedInformerForTestOnly(informer util.FederatedInformer) util.FederatedInformerForTestOnly {
 	inter := informer.(interface{})
 	return inter.(util.FederatedInformerForTestOnly)