diff --git a/tests/system_tests_tcp_adaptor.py b/tests/system_tests_tcp_adaptor.py
index 87d3f207c..f1224a95f 100644
--- a/tests/system_tests_tcp_adaptor.py
+++ b/tests/system_tests_tcp_adaptor.py
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ def router(name, mode, connection, extra=None, ssl=False, encapsulation="legacy"
             cls.routers.append(cls.tester.qdrouterd(name, config, wait=True))
 
         # monitor router memory usage:
-        os.environ["SKUPPER_ROUTER_ALLOC_MONITOR_SECS"] = "1"
+        os.environ["SKUPPER_ROUTER_ALLOC_MONITOR_SECS"] = "10"
 
         cls.routers = []
         cls.test_ssl = test_ssl
@@ -1443,14 +1443,12 @@ def test_90_stats(self):
         self.logger.log(tname + " SUCCESS")
 
     @unittest.skipIf(DISABLE_SELECTOR_TESTS, DISABLE_SELECTOR_REASON)
-    def test_100_memory_metrics(self):
+    def test_9999_memory_metrics(self):
         """
         Take advantage of the long running TCP test to verify that alloc_pool
         metrics have been correctly written to the logs
         """
-        mem_re = re.compile(r' ram:[0-9]+\.[0-9]+[BKMGTi]+ vm:[0-9]+\.[0-9]+[BKMGTi]+ rss:[0-9]+\.[0-9]+[BKMGTi]+ pool:[0-9]+\.[0-9]+[BKMGTi]+')
-        action_re = re.compile(r' qdr_action_t:[0-9]+:[0-9]+')
-        for router in self.routers:
+        def _poll_logs(router, regex_mem, regex_action):
             last_mem_match = None  # match the start of the alloc log line
             last_action_match = None  # match the qdr_action_t entry in the log line
             with open(router.logfile_path, 'rt') as log_file:
@@ -1461,8 +1459,12 @@ def test_100_memory_metrics(self):
                     m = action_re.search(line)
                     if m:
                         last_action_match = m
-            self.assertIsNotNone(last_mem_match, "failed to find alloc_pool output!")
-            self.assertIsNotNone(last_action_match, "failed to find qdr_action_t entry!")
+            if last_mem_match is None:
+                print("failed to find alloc_pool output, retrying...")
+                return False
+            if last_action_match is None:
+                print("failed to find qdr_action_t entry, retrying...")
+                return False
 
             # Sanity check that metrics are present:
 
@@ -1470,14 +1472,28 @@ def test_100_memory_metrics(self):
             mems = last_mem_match.group().strip().split()
             for mem in mems:
                 name, value = mem.split(':')
-                self.assertIn(name, ["ram", "vm", "rss", "pool"])
-                self.assertTrue(int(value.split('.')[0]) > 0,
-                                f"Expected nonzero {name} counter!")
+                if name not in ["ram", "vm", "rss", "pool"]:
+                    print(f"failed to find {name} metric, retrying...")
+                    return False
+                value = int(value.split('.')[0])
+                if value <= 0:
+                    print(f"Expected nonzero {name} counter, got {value}, retrying...")
+                    return False
             # match = ' qdr_action_t:192:0'
             name, in_use, in_free = last_action_match.group().strip().split(':')
-            self.assertEqual(name, "qdr_action_t", f"Name mismatch {name}")
-            self.assertTrue(int(in_use) + int(in_free) > 0,
-                            f"zero alloced? {in_use} {in_free}")
+            if name != "qdr_action_t":
+                print(f"Name mismatch: {name} is not 'qdr_action_t, retrying...")
+                return False
+            if int(in_use) + int(in_free) <= 0:
+                print(f"zero qdr_action_ts alloced? in_use={in_use} in_free={in_free}")
+                return False
+            return True
+
+        mem_re = re.compile(r' ram:[0-9]+\.[0-9]+[BKMGTi]+ vm:[0-9]+\.[0-9]+[BKMGTi]+ rss:[0-9]+\.[0-9]+[BKMGTi]+ pool:[0-9]+\.[0-9]+[BKMGTi]+')
+        action_re = re.compile(r' qdr_action_t:[0-9]+:[0-9]+')
+        for router in self.routers:
+            retry(lambda rtr=router, mre=mem_re, are=action_re: _poll_logs(rtr, mre, are),
+                  delay=0.5, max_delay=5.0)
 
 
 class TcpAdaptor(TcpAdaptorBase, CommonTcpTests):