diff --git a/test_runner/regress/test_ondemand_download.py b/test_runner/regress/test_ondemand_download.py
index b92981a371..ca43df350d 100644
--- a/test_runner/regress/test_ondemand_download.py
+++ b/test_runner/regress/test_ondemand_download.py
@@ -690,10 +690,6 @@ def test_ondemand_download_failure_to_replace(
 
     pageserver_http = env.pageserver.http_client()
 
-    lsn = Lsn(pageserver_http.timeline_detail(tenant_id, timeline_id)["last_record_lsn"])
-
-    wait_for_upload(pageserver_http, tenant_id, timeline_id, lsn)
-
     # remove layers so that they will be redownloaded
     pageserver_http.tenant_detach(tenant_id)
     pageserver_http.tenant_attach(tenant_id)
@@ -704,8 +700,10 @@ def test_ondemand_download_failure_to_replace(
     # requesting details with non-incremental size should trigger a download of the only layer
     # this will need to be adjusted if an index for logical sizes is ever implemented
     with pytest.raises(PageserverApiException):
-        # error message is not useful
-        pageserver_http.timeline_detail(tenant_id, timeline_id, True, timeout=2)
+        # PageserverApiException is expected because of the failpoint (timeline_detail building does something)
+        # ReadTimeout can happen on our busy CI, but it should not, because there is no more busylooping
+        # but should it be added back, we would wait for 15s here.
+        pageserver_http.timeline_detail(tenant_id, timeline_id, True, timeout=15)
 
     actual_message = ".* ERROR .*layermap-replace-notfound"
     assert env.pageserver.log_contains(actual_message) is not None