diff --git a/tests/deployments_test.go b/tests/deployments_test.go
index ae88a1fe2..17a467fd7 100644
--- a/tests/deployments_test.go
+++ b/tests/deployments_test.go
@@ -127,14 +127,30 @@ func deploymentSubTest(t *testing.T, mode api.DeploymentMode, engine api.Storage
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatal("Unable to create connection to: %v", agent.ID)
 			}
-			waitUntilVersionUp(dbclient)
+
+			if err := waitUntilVersionUp(dbclient); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal("Version check failed for: %v", agent.ID)
+			}
 		}
+
+		var goodResults, noLeaderResults int
 		for _, single := range singles {
 			dbclient, err := arangod.CreateArangodClient(ctx, k8sClient.CoreV1(), deployment, api.ServerGroupAgents, single.ID)
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatal("Unable to create connection to: %v", single.ID)
 			}
-			waitUntilVersionUp(dbclient)
+
+			if err := waitUntilVersionUp(dbclient, true); err == nil {
+				goodResults++
+			} else if driver.IsNoLeader(err) {
+				noLeaderResults++
+			} else {
+				t.Fatal("Version check failed for: %v", single.ID)
+			}
+		}
+
+		if goodResults < 1 || noLeaderResults > 1 {
+			t.Fatal("Wrong number of results: good %v - noleader %v", goodResults, noLeaderResults)
 		}
 	default:
 		t.Fatalf("DeploymentMode %v is not supported!", mode)
diff --git a/tests/test_util.go b/tests/test_util.go
index eaac48f02..fa187a3c5 100644
--- a/tests/test_util.go
+++ b/tests/test_util.go
@@ -207,17 +207,30 @@ func waitUntilClusterHealth(cli driver.Client, predicate func(driver.ClusterHeal
 
 // waitUntilVersionUp waits until the arango database responds to
 // an `/_api/version` request without an error.
-func waitUntilVersionUp(cli driver.Client) error {
+func waitUntilVersionUp(cli driver.Client, allowNoLeaderResponse ...bool) error {
+	var noLeaderErr error
+	allowNoLead := len(allowNoLeaderResponse) > 0 && allowNoLeaderResponse[0]
 	ctx := context.Background()
+
 	op := func() error {
-		if _, err := cli.Version(ctx); err != nil {
+		if _, err := cli.Version(ctx); allowNoLead && driver.IsNoLeader(err) {
+			noLeaderErr = err
+			return nil //return nil to make the retry below pass
+		} else if err != nil {
 			return maskAny(err)
 		}
 		return nil
 	}
+
 	if err := retry.Retry(op, deploymentReadyTimeout); err != nil {
 		return maskAny(err)
 	}
+
+	// noLeadErr updated in op
+	if noLeaderErr != nil {
+		return maskAny(noLeaderErr)
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }