diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/watch/retrywatcher_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/watch/retrywatcher_test.go
index 4f218d621a6..8adaa4b834e 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/watch/retrywatcher_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/watch/retrywatcher_test.go
@@ -587,11 +587,12 @@ func TestRetryWatcherToFinishWithUnreadEvents(t *testing.T) {
 
 	watcher.Stop()
 
+	maxTime := time.Second
 	select {
 	case <-watcher.Done():
 		break
-	case <-time.After(10 * time.Millisecond):
-		t.Error("Failed to close the watcher")
+	case <-time.After(maxTime):
+		t.Errorf("The watcher failed to be closed in %s", maxTime)
 	}
 
 	// RetryWatcher result channel should be closed