diff --git a/test/common/services/es_archiver.ts b/test/common/services/es_archiver.ts
index cf8474662306b..e72bb49a76c0d 100644
--- a/test/common/services/es_archiver.ts
+++ b/test/common/services/es_archiver.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ export function EsArchiverProvider({ getService, hasService }: FtrProviderContex
     KibanaServer.extendEsArchiver({
       esArchiver,
       kibanaServer: getService('kibanaServer'),
+      retry: getService('retry'),
       defaults: config.get('uiSettings.defaults'),
     });
   }
diff --git a/test/common/services/kibana_server/extend_es_archiver.js b/test/common/services/kibana_server/extend_es_archiver.js
index 30ac65b81bc6a..d934e6725a9f5 100644
--- a/test/common/services/kibana_server/extend_es_archiver.js
+++ b/test/common/services/kibana_server/extend_es_archiver.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 const ES_ARCHIVER_LOAD_METHODS = ['load', 'loadIfNeeded', 'unload'];
 const KIBANA_INDEX = '.kibana';
 
-export function extendEsArchiver({ esArchiver, kibanaServer, defaults }) {
+export function extendEsArchiver({ esArchiver, kibanaServer, retry, defaults }) {
   // only extend the esArchiver if there are default uiSettings to restore
   if (!defaults) {
     return;
@@ -36,7 +36,9 @@ export function extendEsArchiver({ esArchiver, kibanaServer, defaults }) {
       // if the kibana index was created by the esArchiver then update the uiSettings
       // with the defaults to make sure that they are always in place initially
       if (stats[KIBANA_INDEX] && (stats[KIBANA_INDEX].created || stats[KIBANA_INDEX].deleted)) {
-        await kibanaServer.uiSettings.update(defaults);
+        await retry.try(async () => {
+          await kibanaServer.uiSettings.update(defaults);
+        });
       }
 
       return stats;
diff --git a/x-pack/test/saved_object_api_integration/common/services/index.ts b/x-pack/test/saved_object_api_integration/common/services/index.ts
index 7c201af3ef469..dc2f023c0ba02 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/saved_object_api_integration/common/services/index.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/saved_object_api_integration/common/services/index.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ export const services = {
   esSupertestWithoutAuth: apiIntegrationServices.esSupertestWithoutAuth,
   supertest: kibanaApiIntegrationServices.supertest,
   supertestWithoutAuth: apiIntegrationServices.supertestWithoutAuth,
+  retry: kibanaApiIntegrationServices.retry,
   esArchiver: kibanaFunctionalServices.esArchiver,
   kibanaServer: kibanaFunctionalServices.kibanaServer,
 };
diff --git a/x-pack/test/spaces_api_integration/common/config.ts b/x-pack/test/spaces_api_integration/common/config.ts
index 4c8cc3a8234ee..daf3b45982a34 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/spaces_api_integration/common/config.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/spaces_api_integration/common/config.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ export function createTestConfig(name: string, options: CreateTestConfigOptions)
         esSupertestWithoutAuth: config.xpack.api.get('services.esSupertestWithoutAuth'),
         supertest: config.kibana.api.get('services.supertest'),
         supertestWithoutAuth: config.xpack.api.get('services.supertestWithoutAuth'),
+        retry: config.xpack.api.get('services.retry'),
         esArchiver: config.kibana.functional.get('services.esArchiver'),
         kibanaServer: config.kibana.functional.get('services.kibanaServer'),
       },