diff --git a/src/PostgREST/SchemaCache.hs b/src/PostgREST/SchemaCache.hs
index 055d02a7c..0c30e7623 100644
--- a/src/PostgREST/SchemaCache.hs
+++ b/src/PostgREST/SchemaCache.hs
@@ -145,6 +145,9 @@ type SqlQuery = ByteString
 
 querySchemaCache :: AppConfig -> SQL.Transaction SchemaCache
 querySchemaCache AppConfig{..} = do
+  _       <-
+    let sleepCall = SQL.Statement "select pg_sleep($1 / 1000.0)" (param HE.int4) HD.noResult prepared in
+    whenJust configInternalSCSleep (`SQL.statement` sleepCall) -- only used for testing
   SQL.sql "set local schema ''" -- This voids the search path. The following queries need this for getting the fully qualified name(schema.name) of every db object
   pgVer   <- SQL.statement mempty $ pgVersionStatement prepared
   tabs    <- SQL.statement schemas $ allTables pgVer prepared
@@ -155,9 +158,6 @@ querySchemaCache AppConfig{..} = do
   reps    <- SQL.statement schemas $ dataRepresentations prepared
   mHdlers <- SQL.statement schemas $ mediaHandlers pgVer prepared
   tzones  <- SQL.statement mempty $ timezones prepared
-  _       <-
-    let sleepCall = SQL.Statement "select pg_sleep($1)" (param HE.int4) HD.noResult prepared in
-    whenJust configInternalSCSleep (`SQL.statement` sleepCall) -- only used for testing
 
   let tabsWViewsPks = addViewPrimaryKeys tabs keyDeps
       rels          = addInverseRels $ addM2MRels tabsWViewsPks $ addViewM2OAndO2ORels keyDeps m2oRels
diff --git a/test/io/test_io.py b/test/io/test_io.py
index 289be9fa9..e825841aa 100644
--- a/test/io/test_io.py
+++ b/test/io/test_io.py
@@ -710,20 +710,23 @@ def test_admin_ready_includes_schema_cache_state(defaultenv, metapostgrest):
         **defaultenv,
         "PGUSER": role,
         "PGRST_DB_ANON_ROLE": role,
+        "PGRST_INTERNAL_SCHEMA_CACHE_SLEEP": "500",
     }
 
     with run(env=env) as postgrest:
-        # make it impossible to load the schema cache, by setting statement timeout to 1ms
-        set_statement_timeout(metapostgrest, role, 1)
+        # The schema cache query takes at least 500ms, due do PGRST_INTERNAL_SCHEMA_CACHE_SLEEP above.
+        # Make it impossible to load the schema cache, by setting statement timeout to 400ms.
+        set_statement_timeout(metapostgrest, role, 400)
 
         # force a reconnection so the new role setting is picked up
         postgrest.process.send_signal(signal.SIGUSR1)
-        sleep_until_postgrest_scache_reload()
+        # wait 600ms to finish schema cache reload attempt
+        time.sleep(0.6)
 
-        response = postgrest.admin.get("/ready")
+        response = postgrest.admin.get("/ready", timeout=1)
         assert response.status_code == 503
 
-        response = postgrest.session.get("/projects")
+        response = postgrest.session.get("/projects", timeout=1)
         assert response.status_code == 503
 
     reset_statement_timeout(metapostgrest, role)