diff --git a/system_test/e2e/helpers.py b/system_test/e2e/helpers.py
index af37cd4c..119af4f6 100644
--- a/system_test/e2e/helpers.py
+++ b/system_test/e2e/helpers.py
@@ -73,6 +73,15 @@ def write_random_file(data, mode='w'):
   f.close()
   return f.name
 
+def poll_query(node, query, exp, level='none', timeout=TIMEOUT):
+    deadline = time.time() + 3
+    while time.time() < deadline:
+      j = node.query(query, level=level)
+      if j == exp:
+        return
+      time.sleep(0.1)
+    raise Exception('timeout waiting expected query response')
+
 def raise_for_status(r):
   try:
     r.raise_for_status()
diff --git a/system_test/e2e/single_node.py b/system_test/e2e/single_node.py
index 8b1845ad..0d47b452 100644
--- a/system_test/e2e/single_node.py
+++ b/system_test/e2e/single_node.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import os
 import time
 import unittest
 
-from helpers import Node, Cluster, d_, deprovision_node, TIMEOUT
+from helpers import Node, Cluster, d_, deprovision_node, poll_query
 
 RQLITED_PATH = os.environ['RQLITED_PATH']
 
@@ -192,28 +192,19 @@ class TestSingleNode(unittest.TestCase):
 
 class TestSingleNodeLoadRestart(unittest.TestCase):
   ''' Test that a node can load a SQLite data set in binary format'''
-  def poll_query(self, node, query, exp):
-    deadline = time.time() + 3
-    while time.time() < deadline:
-      j = node.query(query, level='none')
-      if j == exp:
-        return
-      time.sleep(0.1)
-    raise Exception('timeout waiting for node %s to have all data' % node.node_id)
-
   def test_load_binary(self):
     self.n = Node(RQLITED_PATH, '0',  raft_snap_threshold=8192, raft_snap_int="30s")
     self.n.start()
     n = self.n.wait_for_leader()
     self.n.restore('system_test/e2e/testdata/1000-numbers.db', fmt='binary')
-    self.poll_query(self.n, 'SELECT COUNT(*) from test', d_("{'results': [{'values': [[1000]], 'types': ['integer'], 'columns': ['COUNT(*)']}]}"))
+    poll_query(self.n, 'SELECT COUNT(*) from test', d_("{'results': [{'values': [[1000]], 'types': ['integer'], 'columns': ['COUNT(*)']}]}"))
 
     # Ensure node can restart after loading and that the data is correct.
     self.n.stop()
     self.n.start()
     self.n.wait_for_leader()
     self.n.restore('system_test/e2e/testdata/1000-numbers.db', fmt='binary')
-    self.poll_query(self.n, 'SELECT COUNT(*) from test', d_("{'results': [{'values': [[1000]], 'types': ['integer'], 'columns': ['COUNT(*)']}]}"))
+    poll_query(self.n, 'SELECT COUNT(*) from test', d_("{'results': [{'values': [[1000]], 'types': ['integer'], 'columns': ['COUNT(*)']}]}"))
 
   def tearDown(self):
     deprovision_node(self.n)
diff --git a/system_test/e2e/upgrade.py b/system_test/e2e/upgrade.py
index 313fb6ee..49090bfe 100644
--- a/system_test/e2e/upgrade.py
+++ b/system_test/e2e/upgrade.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
 import os, unittest, time
-from helpers import Node, Cluster, d_, deprovision_node, copy_dir_to_temp
+from helpers import Node, Cluster, d_, deprovision_node, copy_dir_to_temp, poll_query
 
 RQLITED_PATH = os.environ['RQLITED_PATH']
 TIMEOUT=20
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ class TestUpgrade_v8_LoadChunk(unittest.TestCase):
     self.n = Node(RQLITED_PATH, 'localhost:4002', api_addr='localhost:4001', raft_addr='localhost:4002', dir=dir)
     self.n.start()
     l = self.n.wait_for_leader()
-    self.assertEqual(self.n.query('SELECT COUNT(*) FROM foo', level='none'), d_("{'results': [{'values': [[1]], 'types': ['integer'], 'columns': ['COUNT(*)']}]}"))
+    poll_query(self.n, 'SELECT COUNT(*) FROM foo', d_("{'results': [{'values': [[1]], 'types': ['integer'], 'columns': ['COUNT(*)']}]}"))
 
   def tearDown(self):
     deprovision_node(self.n)