diff --git a/activesupport/lib/active_support/notifications.rb b/activesupport/lib/active_support/notifications.rb
index 7a9f76b26a..09b1aa1713 100644
--- a/activesupport/lib/active_support/notifications.rb
+++ b/activesupport/lib/active_support/notifications.rb
@@ -154,10 +154,15 @@ module ActiveSupport
         @listeners << Listener.new(pattern, &block)
       end
 
-      def drained?
-        @listeners.all? &:drained?
+      def wait
+        sleep 0.05 until drained?
       end
 
+      private
+        def drained?
+          @listeners.all? &:drained?
+        end
+
       class Listener
         def initialize(pattern, &block)
           @pattern = pattern
diff --git a/activesupport/test/notifications_test.rb b/activesupport/test/notifications_test.rb
index 01106e83e9..3df2088ac9 100644
--- a/activesupport/test/notifications_test.rb
+++ b/activesupport/test/notifications_test.rb
@@ -201,6 +201,6 @@ class NotificationsMainTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
 
   private
     def drain
-      sleep(0.1) until ActiveSupport::Notifications.queue.drained?
+      ActiveSupport::Notifications.queue.wait
     end
 end