diff --git a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/awsdms.go b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/awsdms.go
index 046ac12cf1ef..0e7b085ef90a 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/awsdms.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/tests/awsdms.go
@@ -871,7 +871,8 @@ func setupDMSEndpointsAndTask(
 			return err
 		}
 		t.L().Printf("waiting for replication task to be ready")
-		if err := dms.NewReplicationTaskReadyWaiter(dmsCli).Wait(ctx, dmsDescribeTasksInput(t.BuildVersion(), task.tableName), awsdmsWaitTimeLimit); err != nil {
+		input := dmsDescribeTasksInput(t.BuildVersion(), task.tableName)
+		if err = dmsTaskStatusChecker(ctx, dmsCli, input, "ready"); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 
@@ -899,17 +900,46 @@ func setupDMSEndpointsAndTask(
 		}
 
 		t.L().Printf("waiting for replication task to be running")
-		if err := dms.NewReplicationTaskRunningWaiter(dmsCli).Wait(
-			ctx,
-			dmsDescribeTasksInput(t.BuildVersion(), task.tableName),
-			awsdmsWaitTimeLimit,
-		); err != nil {
+		if err = dmsTaskStatusChecker(ctx, dmsCli, input, "running"); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
 
+func dmsTaskStatusChecker(
+	ctx context.Context, dmsCli *dms.Client, input *dms.DescribeReplicationTasksInput, status string,
+) error {
+	closer := make(chan struct{})
+	r := retry.StartWithCtx(ctx, retry.Options{
+		InitialBackoff: 10 * time.Second,
+		MaxBackoff:     30 * time.Second,
+		Closer:         closer,
+	})
+	timeout := time.After(awsdmsWaitTimeLimit)
+	for r.Next() {
+		select {
+		case <-timeout:
+			close(closer)
+			// Since we only ever have a unique task returned per filter,
+			// it should be safe to direct index for the task name.
+			return errors.Newf("exceeded time limit waiting for %s to transition to %s", input.Filters[0].Values[0], status)
+		default:
+			dmsTasks, err := dmsCli.DescribeReplicationTasks(ctx, input)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			for _, task := range dmsTasks.ReplicationTasks {
+				// If we match the status we want, close the retry and exit.
+				if *task.Status == status {
+					close(closer)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func isDMSResourceNotFound(err error) bool {
 	return errors.HasType(err, &dmstypes.ResourceNotFoundFault{})
 }