diff --git a/test/s3/remote_cache/remote_cache_evict_test.go b/test/s3/remote_cache/remote_cache_evict_test.go
index cb44f1f3fb..8fab9c53b9 100644
--- a/test/s3/remote_cache/remote_cache_evict_test.go
+++ b/test/s3/remote_cache/remote_cache_evict_test.go
@@ -99,6 +99,27 @@ func shellOn(t *testing.T, masterPort, command string) string {
 	return stripLogs(string(out))
 }
 
+// waitForFilerListed polls the master until it lists a filer. A fresh
+// single-filer mini registers its filer only after an ~10 s empty-membership
+// confirm, and weed shell finds the filer through that listing, so shell
+// commands sent before it fail.
+func waitForFilerListed(t *testing.T, masterPort string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	deadline := time.Now().Add(60 * time.Second)
+	for {
+		cmd := exec.Command(weedBinary, "shell", "-master=localhost:"+masterPort)
+		cmd.Stdin = strings.NewReader("cluster.ps\nexit\n")
+		out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
+		if err == nil && strings.Contains(string(out), "* filers ") && !strings.Contains(string(out), "* filers 0\n") {
+			return
+		}
+		if time.Now().After(deadline) {
+			t.Fatalf("master on %s lists no filer after 60s: %v\n%s", masterPort, err, out)
+		}
+		time.Sleep(time.Second)
+	}
+}
+
 func chunkCountOn(t *testing.T, masterPort, path string) string {
 	meta := shellOn(t, masterPort, "fs.meta.cat "+path)
 	idx := strings.LastIndex(meta, "chunks ")
@@ -166,6 +187,7 @@ func TestRemoteCacheEvictUnderPressure(t *testing.T) {
 		"-master.volumeSizeLimitMB=32", "-volume.max=2",
 		"-filer.remoteCacheEvictThreshold=0.99")
 	waitForHTTP(t, evictPrimaryS3)
+	waitForFilerListed(t, evictPrimaryMaster)
 
 	remote := createS3Client(evictRemoteS3)
 	_, err := remote.CreateBucket(&s3.CreateBucketInput{Bucket: aws.String(evictBucket)})