diff --git a/end-to-end-tests/src/instance_launch.rs b/end-to-end-tests/src/instance_launch.rs
index b6523bac9ce..43b5c62aac1 100644
--- a/end-to-end-tests/src/instance_launch.rs
+++ b/end-to-end-tests/src/instance_launch.rs
@@ -193,19 +193,48 @@ async fn instance_launch() -> Result<()> {
 
     // check that we saw it on the console
     eprintln!("waiting for serial console");
-    sleep(Duration::from_secs(5)).await;
-    let data = String::from_utf8_lossy(
-        &ctx.client
-            .instance_serial_console()
-            .project(ctx.project_name.clone())
-            .instance(instance.name.clone())
-            .most_recent(1024 * 1024)
-            .max_bytes(1024 * 1024)
-            .send()
-            .await?
-            .data,
+
+    let data = wait_for_condition(
+        || async {
+            type Error =
+                CondCheckError<oxide_client::Error<oxide_client::types::Error>>;
+
+            let instance_state = ctx
+                .client
+                .instance_view()
+                .project(ctx.project_name.clone())
+                .instance(instance.name.clone())
+                .send()
+                .await?
+                .run_state;
+
+            if instance_state == InstanceState::Starting {
+                return Err(Error::NotYet);
+            }
+
+            let data = String::from_utf8_lossy(
+                &ctx.client
+                    .instance_serial_console()
+                    .project(ctx.project_name.clone())
+                    .instance(instance.name.clone())
+                    .most_recent(1024 * 1024)
+                    .max_bytes(1024 * 1024)
+                    .send()
+                    .await?
+                    .data,
+            )
+            .into_owned();
+            if data.contains("-----END SSH HOST KEY KEYS-----") {
+                Ok(data)
+            } else {
+                Err(Error::NotYet)
+            }
+        },
+        &Duration::from_secs(5),
+        &Duration::from_secs(300),
     )
-    .into_owned();
+    .await?;
+
     ensure!(
         data.contains("Hello, Oxide!"),
         "string not seen on console\n{}",