diff --git a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.c b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.c
index 97d28b8e1..a964d4c38 100644
--- a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.c
+++ b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.c
@@ -553,23 +553,24 @@ wait_for_view_verified (WaylandDisplay *display,
 static void
 on_sync_event (WaylandDisplay *display,
                uint32_t        serial,
-               uint32_t       *expected_serial)
+               void           *user_data)
 {
-  g_assert_cmpuint (serial, ==, *expected_serial);
-  *expected_serial = serial + 1;
+  g_assert_cmpuint (serial, ==, display->sync_event_serial_next);
+  display->sync_event_serial_next = serial + 1;
 }
 
 void
 wait_for_sync_event (WaylandDisplay *display,
-                     uint32_t        serial)
+                     uint32_t        expected_serial)
 {
-  uint32_t expected_serial = serial;
+  gulong handler_id;
+  handler_id = g_signal_connect (display, "sync-event", G_CALLBACK (on_sync_event), NULL);
 
-  g_signal_connect (display, "sync-event", G_CALLBACK (on_sync_event),
-                    &expected_serial);
-  while (expected_serial != serial + 1)
+  while (expected_serial + 1 > display->sync_event_serial_next)
     {
       if (wl_display_dispatch (display->display) == -1)
         g_error ("%s: Failed to dispatch Wayland display", __func__);
     }
+
+  g_signal_handler_disconnect (display, handler_id);
 }
diff --git a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.h b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.h
index 332964938..6451f369f 100644
--- a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.h
+++ b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.h
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ typedef struct _WaylandDisplay
   struct xdg_wm_base *xdg_wm_base;
   struct test_driver *test_driver;
 
+  uint32_t sync_event_serial_next;
+
   GHashTable *properties;
 } WaylandDisplay;
 
diff --git a/src/tests/wayland-x11-interop-tests.c b/src/tests/wayland-x11-interop-tests.c
index 2ea87d7aa..6141bb79d 100644
--- a/src/tests/wayland-x11-interop-tests.c
+++ b/src/tests/wayland-x11-interop-tests.c
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ service_client_thread_func (gpointer user_data)
                                      data->xwindow);
   wl_surface_commit (surface->wl_surface);
 
-  wait_for_sync_event (display, 1);
+  wait_for_sync_event (display, 0);
 
   mutter_x11_interop_destroy (x11_interop);
   g_object_unref (display);
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ meta_test_wayland_client_x11_interop_x11_parent (void)
   g_assert_true (meta_window_get_transient_for (wayland_window) ==
                  x11_window);
 
-  meta_wayland_test_driver_emit_sync_event (test_driver, 1);
+  meta_wayland_test_driver_emit_sync_event (test_driver, 0);
 
   g_debug ("Waiting for client to disconnect");
   while (!g_atomic_int_get (&data.client_terminated))