diff --git a/harmony-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/harmony/tests/java/lang/ref/ReferenceQueueTest.java b/harmony-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/harmony/tests/java/lang/ref/ReferenceQueueTest.java
index 75a5218..e010116 100644
--- a/harmony-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/harmony/tests/java/lang/ref/ReferenceQueueTest.java
+++ b/harmony-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/harmony/tests/java/lang/ref/ReferenceQueueTest.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import java.lang.ref.ReferenceQueue;
 import java.lang.ref.SoftReference;
 import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
+import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
 import libcore.java.lang.ref.FinalizationTester;
 
 public class ReferenceQueueTest extends junit.framework.TestCase {
@@ -198,27 +199,29 @@
         assertNull(rq.poll());
 
         class RemoveThread extends Thread {
+            public final CountDownLatch inBlock = new CountDownLatch(1);
+            public final CountDownLatch outOfBlock = new CountDownLatch(1);
             public void run() {
                 try {
+                    inBlock.countDown();
                     rq.remove(1000L);
                 } catch(InterruptedException ie) {
                     isThrown = true;
                 }
+                outOfBlock.countDown();
             }
         }
         RemoveThread rt = new RemoveThread();
         rt.start();
         try {
+            rt.inBlock.await();
+            // Try to be inside of rq.remove(1000L) if possible.
             Thread.sleep(10);
-        } catch(InterruptedException ie) {
-
-        }
+        } catch(InterruptedException ie) {}
         rt.interrupt();
         try {
-            Thread.sleep(10);
-        } catch(InterruptedException ie) {
-
-        }
+            rt.outOfBlock.await();
+        } catch(InterruptedException ie) {}
         assertTrue(isThrown);
         assertNull(rq.poll());