diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/test/integration/finalization_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/test/integration/finalization_test.go
index 11435f45c22..a440b33284f 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/test/integration/finalization_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/test/integration/finalization_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
+	apiextensionshelpers "k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apihelpers"
 	apiextensionsv1 "k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apis/apiextensions/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/test/integration/fixtures"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
@@ -30,6 +31,11 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
 )
 
+const (
+	testNamespace = "not-the-default"
+	testFinalizer = "noxu.example.com/finalizer"
+)
+
 func TestFinalization(t *testing.T) {
 	tearDown, apiExtensionClient, dynamicClient, err := fixtures.StartDefaultServerWithClients(t)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -39,12 +45,12 @@ func TestFinalization(t *testing.T) {
 	noxuDefinition, err = fixtures.CreateNewV1CustomResourceDefinition(noxuDefinition, apiExtensionClient, dynamicClient)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	ns := "not-the-default"
+	ns := testNamespace
 	name := "foo123"
 	noxuResourceClient := newNamespacedCustomResourceClient(ns, dynamicClient, noxuDefinition)
 
 	instance := fixtures.NewNoxuInstance(ns, name)
-	instance.SetFinalizers([]string{"noxu.example.com/finalizer"})
+	instance.SetFinalizers([]string{testFinalizer})
 	createdNoxuInstance, err := instantiateCustomResource(t, instance, noxuResourceClient, noxuDefinition)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
@@ -104,12 +110,12 @@ func TestFinalizationAndDeletion(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// Create a CR with a finalizer.
-	ns := "not-the-default"
+	ns := testNamespace
 	name := "foo123"
 	noxuResourceClient := newNamespacedCustomResourceClient(ns, dynamicClient, noxuDefinition)
 
 	instance := fixtures.NewNoxuInstance(ns, name)
-	instance.SetFinalizers([]string{"noxu.example.com/finalizer"})
+	instance.SetFinalizers([]string{testFinalizer})
 	createdNoxuInstance, err := instantiateCustomResource(t, instance, noxuResourceClient, noxuDefinition)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
@@ -171,7 +177,7 @@ func TestApplyCRDuringCRDFinalization(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Create a CRD with a finalizer which will stall deletion
 	noxuDefinition := fixtures.NewNoxuV1CustomResourceDefinition(apiextensionsv1.ClusterScoped)
-	noxuDefinition.SetFinalizers([]string{"noxu.example.com/finalizer"})
+	noxuDefinition.SetFinalizers([]string{testFinalizer})
 	noxuDefinition, err = fixtures.CreateNewV1CustomResourceDefinition(noxuDefinition, apiExtensionClient, dynamicClient)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
@@ -179,20 +185,27 @@ func TestApplyCRDuringCRDFinalization(t *testing.T) {
 	err = apiExtensionClient.ApiextensionsV1().CustomResourceDefinitions().Delete(t.Context(), noxuDefinition.Name, metav1.DeleteOptions{})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
+	// Wait for the CRD to have the Terminating condition set to True.
+	// The handler checks IsCRDConditionTrue(crd, apiextensionsv1.Terminating) to block
+	// CR creation, and this condition is set asynchronously by the CRD finalizer controller
+	// after it observes the DeletionTimestamp. Without this wait, the Apply could succeed
+	// if it races ahead of the controller setting the condition.
+	err = wait.PollUntilContextTimeout(t.Context(), 100*time.Millisecond, wait.ForeverTestTimeout, true, func(ctx context.Context) (bool, error) {
+		crd, err := apiExtensionClient.ApiextensionsV1().CustomResourceDefinitions().Get(ctx, noxuDefinition.Name, metav1.GetOptions{})
+		if err != nil {
+			return false, err
+		}
+		return apiextensionshelpers.IsCRDConditionTrue(crd, apiextensionsv1.Terminating), nil
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err, "timed out waiting for CRD Terminating condition to be set")
+
 	// Try to create a CR using SSA. This should fail due to the CRD validation
-	ns := "not-the-default"
+	ns := testNamespace
 	name := "foo123"
 	noxuResourceClient := newNamespacedCustomResourceClient(ns, dynamicClient, noxuDefinition)
 
-	err = wait.PollUntilContextTimeout(t.Context(), 100*time.Millisecond, wait.ForeverTestTimeout, true, func(ctx context.Context) (bool, error) {
-		instance := fixtures.NewNoxuInstance(ns, name)
-		_, err := noxuResourceClient.Apply(ctx, name, instance, metav1.ApplyOptions{DryRun: []string{"All"}, FieldManager: "manager"})
-		if err == nil {
-			t.Log("apply was not blocked, retrying...")
-			return false, nil
-		}
-		return true, err
-	})
+	instance := fixtures.NewNoxuInstance(ns, name)
+	_, err = noxuResourceClient.Apply(t.Context(), name, instance, metav1.ApplyOptions{DryRun: []string{"All"}, FieldManager: "manager"})
 	wantErr := `create not allowed while custom resource definition is terminating`
 	require.ErrorContains(t, err, wantErr)
 }