diff --git a/packages/kbn-securitysolution-list-hooks/src/use_create_list_item/index.ts b/packages/kbn-securitysolution-list-hooks/src/use_create_list_item/index.ts
index 289da386d8690..98939d93185d6 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-securitysolution-list-hooks/src/use_create_list_item/index.ts
+++ b/packages/kbn-securitysolution-list-hooks/src/use_create_list_item/index.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export const useCreateListItemMutation = (
   const invalidateListItemQuery = useInvalidateListItemQuery();
   return useMutation<ListItemSchema, IHttpFetchError<Error>, CreateListMutationParams>(
     ({ listId, value, http }) =>
-      createListItemWithOptionalSignal({ listId, value, http, refresh: 'true' }),
+      createListItemWithOptionalSignal({ listId, value, http, refresh: 'wait_for' }),
     {
       ...options,
       mutationKey: CREATE_LIST_ITEM_MUTATION_KEY,
diff --git a/packages/kbn-securitysolution-list-hooks/src/use_delete_list_item/index.ts b/packages/kbn-securitysolution-list-hooks/src/use_delete_list_item/index.ts
index 11cb95dfddd47..63107edda73a9 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-securitysolution-list-hooks/src/use_delete_list_item/index.ts
+++ b/packages/kbn-securitysolution-list-hooks/src/use_delete_list_item/index.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export const useDeleteListItemMutation = (
 ) => {
   const invalidateListItemQuery = useInvalidateListItemQuery();
   return useMutation<ListItemSchema, IHttpFetchError<Error>, DeleteListMutationParams>(
-    ({ id, http }) => deleteListItemWithOptionalSignal({ id, http, refresh: 'true' }),
+    ({ id, http }) => deleteListItemWithOptionalSignal({ id, http }),
     {
       ...options,
       mutationKey: DELETE_LIST_ITEM_MUTATION_KEY,
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lists/server/services/items/delete_list_item.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/lists/server/services/items/delete_list_item.test.ts
index a468eae0b8811..08ac751b8abd8 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lists/server/services/items/delete_list_item.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lists/server/services/items/delete_list_item.test.ts
@@ -34,16 +34,26 @@ describe('delete_list_item', () => {
 
   test('Delete returns the same list item if a list item is returned from "getListItem"', async () => {
     const listItem = getListItemResponseMock();
-    (getListItem as unknown as jest.Mock).mockResolvedValueOnce(listItem);
+    (getListItem as unknown as jest.Mock)
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(listItem)
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(null);
     const options = getDeleteListItemOptionsMock();
+    (options.esClient.deleteByQuery as unknown as jest.Mock).mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      deleted: true,
+    });
     const deletedListItem = await deleteListItem(options);
     expect(deletedListItem).toEqual(listItem);
   });
 
   test('Delete calls "deleteByQuery" if a list item is returned from "getListItem"', async () => {
     const listItem = getListItemResponseMock();
-    (getListItem as unknown as jest.Mock).mockResolvedValueOnce(listItem);
+    (getListItem as unknown as jest.Mock)
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(listItem)
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(null);
     const options = getDeleteListItemOptionsMock();
+    (options.esClient.deleteByQuery as unknown as jest.Mock).mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      deleted: true,
+    });
     await deleteListItem(options);
     const deleteByQuery = {
       index: LIST_ITEM_INDEX,
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lists/server/services/items/delete_list_item.ts b/x-pack/plugins/lists/server/services/items/delete_list_item.ts
index 751a56a543352..8314f24059c0b 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lists/server/services/items/delete_list_item.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lists/server/services/items/delete_list_item.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 import { ElasticsearchClient } from '@kbn/core/server';
 import type { Id, ListItemSchema } from '@kbn/securitysolution-io-ts-list-types';
 
+import { waitUntilDocumentIndexed } from '../utils';
+
 import { getListItem } from '.';
 
 export interface DeleteListItemOptions {
@@ -27,7 +29,7 @@ export const deleteListItem = async ({
   if (listItem == null) {
     return null;
   } else {
-    await esClient.deleteByQuery({
+    const response = await esClient.deleteByQuery({
       index: listItemIndex,
       query: {
         ids: {
@@ -36,6 +38,21 @@ export const deleteListItem = async ({
       },
       refresh,
     });
+
+    if (response.deleted) {
+      const checkIfListItemDeleted = async (): Promise<void> => {
+        const deletedListItem = await getListItem({ esClient, id, listItemIndex });
+        if (deletedListItem !== null) {
+          throw Error(
+            'List item was deleted, but the change was not propagated in the expected time interval.'
+          );
+        }
+      };
+
+      await waitUntilDocumentIndexed(checkIfListItemDeleted);
+    } else {
+      throw Error('Deletion of List Item [item_id] from [item_index] was not successful');
+    }
   }
   return listItem;
 };