diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/utils/utils.go b/go/test/endtoend/utils/utils.go
index fa270ba30a0..0231cae7baf 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/utils/utils.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/utils/utils.go
@@ -236,16 +236,17 @@ func WaitForAuthoritative(t *testing.T, ks, tbl string, readVSchema func() (*int
 		case <-timeout:
 			return fmt.Errorf("schema tracking didn't mark table t2 as authoritative until timeout")
 		default:
-			time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
 			res, err := readVSchema()
 			require.NoError(t, err, res)
 			t2Map := getTableT2Map(res, ks, tbl)
 			authoritative, fieldPresent := t2Map["column_list_authoritative"]
 			if !fieldPresent {
+				time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
 				continue
 			}
 			authoritativeBool, isBool := authoritative.(bool)
 			if !isBool || !authoritativeBool {
+				time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
 				continue
 			}
 			return nil
@@ -262,24 +263,46 @@ func WaitForKsError(t *testing.T, vtgateProcess cluster.VtgateProcess, ks string
 			t.Fatalf("schema tracking did not find error in '%s'", ks)
 			return ""
 		default:
-			time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
 			res, err := vtgateProcess.ReadVSchema()
 			require.NoError(t, err, res)
 			kss := convertToMap(*res)["keyspaces"]
 			ksMap := convertToMap(convertToMap(kss)[ks])
 			ksErr, fieldPresent := ksMap["error"]
 			if !fieldPresent {
-				break
+				time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+				continue
 			}
 			errString, isErr := ksErr.(string)
 			if !isErr {
-				break
+				time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+				continue
 			}
 			return errString
 		}
 	}
 }
 
+// WaitForTableDeletions waits for a table to be deleted
+func WaitForTableDeletions(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, vtgateProcess cluster.VtgateProcess, ks, tbl string) error {
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return fmt.Errorf("schema tracking still found the table '%s'", tbl)
+		default:
+			res, err := vtgateProcess.ReadVSchema()
+			require.NoError(t, err, res)
+			keyspacesMap := convertToMap(*res)["keyspaces"]
+			ksMap := convertToMap(keyspacesMap)[ks]
+			tablesMap := convertToMap(ksMap)["tables"]
+			_, isPresent := convertToMap(tablesMap)[tbl]
+			if !isPresent {
+				return nil
+			}
+			time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // WaitForColumn waits for a table's column to be present
 func WaitForColumn(t *testing.T, vtgateProcess cluster.VtgateProcess, ks, tbl, col string) error {
 	timeout := time.After(60 * time.Second)
@@ -288,25 +311,28 @@ func WaitForColumn(t *testing.T, vtgateProcess cluster.VtgateProcess, ks, tbl, c
 		case <-timeout:
 			return fmt.Errorf("schema tracking did not find column '%s' in table '%s'", col, tbl)
 		default:
-			time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
 			res, err := vtgateProcess.ReadVSchema()
 			require.NoError(t, err, res)
 			t2Map := getTableT2Map(res, ks, tbl)
 			authoritative, fieldPresent := t2Map["column_list_authoritative"]
 			if !fieldPresent {
-				break
+				time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+				continue
 			}
 			authoritativeBool, isBool := authoritative.(bool)
 			if !isBool || !authoritativeBool {
-				break
+				time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+				continue
 			}
 			colMap, exists := t2Map["columns"]
 			if !exists {
-				break
+				time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+				continue
 			}
 			colList, isSlice := colMap.([]interface{})
 			if !isSlice {
-				break
+				time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+				continue
 			}
 			for _, c := range colList {
 				colDef, isMap := c.(map[string]interface{})
@@ -317,6 +343,7 @@ func WaitForColumn(t *testing.T, vtgateProcess cluster.VtgateProcess, ks, tbl, c
 					return nil
 				}
 			}
+			time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -330,7 +357,10 @@ func getTableT2Map(res *interface{}, ks, tbl string) map[string]interface{} {
 }
 
 func convertToMap(input interface{}) map[string]interface{} {
-	output := input.(map[string]interface{})
+	output, ok := input.(map[string]interface{})
+	if !ok {
+		return make(map[string]interface{})
+	}
 	return output
 }
 
diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/vtgate/foreignkey/stress/fk_stress_test.go b/go/test/endtoend/vtgate/foreignkey/stress/fk_stress_test.go
index e9f0602d235..91e64e67d1e 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/vtgate/foreignkey/stress/fk_stress_test.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/vtgate/foreignkey/stress/fk_stress_test.go
@@ -704,6 +704,14 @@ func createInitialSchema(t *testing.T, tcase *testCase) {
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 		}
 	})
+	t.Run("waiting for vschema deletions to apply", func(t *testing.T) {
+		timeoutCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 1*time.Minute)
+		defer cancel()
+		for _, tableName := range tableNames {
+			err := utils.WaitForTableDeletions(timeoutCtx, t, clusterInstance.VtgateProcess, keyspaceName, tableName)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+		}
+	})
 	t.Run("creating tables", func(t *testing.T) {
 		// Create the stress tables
 		var b strings.Builder