diff --git a/src/lager_file_backend.erl b/src/lager_file_backend.erl
index 2d50165..be6e059 100644
--- a/src/lager_file_backend.erl
+++ b/src/lager_file_backend.erl
@@ -520,7 +520,12 @@ filesystem_test_() ->
                 application:set_env(lager, handlers, [{lager_test_backend, info}]),
                 application:set_env(lager, error_logger_redirect, false),
                 application:set_env(lager, async_threshold, undefined),
-                lager:start()
+                lager:start(),
+                %% race condition where lager logs its own start up
+                %% makes several tests fail. See test/lager_test_backend
+                %% around line 800 for more information.
+                timer:sleep(5),
+                lager_test_backend:flush()
         end,
         fun(_) ->
                 file:delete("test.log"),
@@ -866,7 +871,9 @@ formatting_test_() ->
                 application:load(lager),
                 application:set_env(lager, handlers, [{lager_test_backend, info}]),
                 application:set_env(lager, error_logger_redirect, false),
-                lager:start()
+                lager:start(),
+                %% same race condition issue
+                timer:sleep(5)
         end,
         fun(_) ->
                 file:delete("test.log"),
diff --git a/src/lager_handler_watcher.erl b/src/lager_handler_watcher.erl
index df92584..e1ea43f 100644
--- a/src/lager_handler_watcher.erl
+++ b/src/lager_handler_watcher.erl
@@ -150,11 +150,10 @@ reinstall_on_initial_failure_test_() ->
                     application:unset_env(lager, crash_log),
                     lager:start(),
                     try
-                      ?assertEqual(1, lager_test_backend:count()),
                       {_Level, _Time, Message, _Metadata} = lager_test_backend:pop(),
                       ?assertMatch("Lager failed to install handler lager_crash_backend into lager_event, retrying later :"++_, lists:flatten(Message)),
-                      ?assertEqual(0, lager_test_backend:count()),
                       timer:sleep(6000),
+                      lager_test_backend:flush(),
                       ?assertEqual(0, lager_test_backend:count()),
                       ?assert(lists:member(lager_crash_backend, gen_event:which_handlers(lager_event)))
                     after
@@ -177,10 +176,10 @@ reinstall_on_runtime_failure_test_() ->
                     application:unset_env(lager, crash_log),
                     lager:start(),
                     try
-                        ?assertEqual(0, lager_test_backend:count()),
                         ?assert(lists:member(lager_crash_backend, gen_event:which_handlers(lager_event))),
                         timer:sleep(6000),
-                        ?assertEqual(2, lager_test_backend:count()),
+                        _ = lager_test_backend:pop(), %% throw away application start up message
+                        _ = lager_test_backend:pop(), %% throw away gen_event crash message
                         {_Severity, _Date, Msg, _Metadata} = lager_test_backend:pop(),
                         ?assertEqual("Lager event handler lager_crash_backend exited with reason crash", lists:flatten(Msg)),
                         {_Severity2, _Date2, Msg2, _Metadata2} = lager_test_backend:pop(),
diff --git a/test/lager_test_backend.erl b/test/lager_test_backend.erl
index d8af4d4..c97dbb8 100644
--- a/test/lager_test_backend.erl
+++ b/test/lager_test_backend.erl
@@ -796,6 +796,18 @@ setup() ->
     application:set_env(lager, error_logger_redirect, false),
     application:unset_env(lager, traces),
     lager:start(),
+    %% There is a race condition between the application start up, lager logging its own
+    %% start up condition and several tests that count messages or parse the output of
+    %% tests.  When the lager start up message wins the race, it causes these tests
+    %% which parse output or count message arrivals to fail.
+    %%
+    %% We introduce a sleep here to allow `flush' to arrive *after* the start up
+    %% message has been received and processed.
+    %%
+    %% This race condition was first exposed during the work on
+    %% 4b5260c4524688b545cc12da6baa2dfa4f2afec9 which introduced the lager
+    %% manager killer PR.
+    timer:sleep(5),
     gen_event:call(lager_event, ?MODULE, flush).
 
 cleanup(_) ->