diff --git a/spec/integ/matrix-client-crypto.spec.js b/spec/integ/matrix-client-crypto.spec.js
index 7d9fb8181..80fb15f45 100644
--- a/spec/integ/matrix-client-crypto.spec.js
+++ b/spec/integ/matrix-client-crypto.spec.js
@@ -314,31 +314,37 @@ function recvMessage(httpBackend, client, sender, message) {
         },
     };
     httpBackend.when("GET", "/sync").respond(200, syncData);
-    const deferred = Promise.defer();
-    const onEvent = function(event) {
-        console.log(client.credentials.userId + " received event",
-                    event);
 
-        // ignore the m.room.member events
-        if (event.getType() == "m.room.member") {
-            return;
-        }
+    const eventPromise = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+        const onEvent = function(event) {
+            // ignore the m.room.member events
+            if (event.getType() == "m.room.member") {
+                return;
+            }
+            console.log(client.credentials.userId + " received event",
+                        event);
 
+            client.removeListener("event", onEvent);
+            resolve(event);
+        };
+        client.on("event", onEvent);
+    });
+
+    httpBackend.flush();
+
+    return eventPromise.then((event) => {
+        expect(event.isEncrypted()).toBeTruthy();
+
+        // it may still be being decrypted
+        return testUtils.awaitDecryption(event);
+    }).then((event) => {
         expect(event.getType()).toEqual("m.room.message");
         expect(event.getContent()).toEqual({
             msgtype: "m.text",
             body: "Hello, World",
         });
         expect(event.isEncrypted()).toBeTruthy();
-
-        client.removeListener("event", onEvent);
-        deferred.resolve();
-    };
-
-    client.on("event", onEvent);
-
-    httpBackend.flush();
-    return deferred.promise;
+    });
 }
 
 
@@ -583,27 +589,25 @@ describe("MatrixClient crypto", function() {
                 };
                 bobTestClient.httpBackend.when("GET", "/sync").respond(200, syncData);
 
-                const deferred = Promise.defer();
-                const onEvent = function(event) {
-                    console.log(bobUserId + " received event",
-                                event);
-
-                    // ignore the m.room.member events
-                    if (event.getType() == "m.room.member") {
-                        return;
-                    }
-
-                    expect(event.isEncrypted()).toBeTruthy();
-
-                    expect(event.getType()).toEqual("m.room.message");
-                    expect(event.getContent().msgtype).toEqual("m.bad.encrypted");
-                    deferred.resolve();
-                };
-
-                bobTestClient.client.once("event", onEvent);
+                const eventPromise = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+                    const onEvent = function(event) {
+                        console.log(bobUserId + " received event",
+                                    event);
+                        resolve(event);
+                    };
+                    bobTestClient.client.once("event", onEvent);
+                });
 
                 bobTestClient.httpBackend.flush();
-                return deferred.promise;
+                return eventPromise;
+            }).then((event) => {
+                expect(event.isEncrypted()).toBeTruthy();
+
+                // it may still be being decrypted
+                return testUtils.awaitDecryption(event);
+            }).then((event) => {
+                expect(event.getType()).toEqual("m.room.message");
+                expect(event.getContent().msgtype).toEqual("m.bad.encrypted");
             });
     });
 
diff --git a/spec/integ/megolm-integ.spec.js b/spec/integ/megolm-integ.spec.js
index 639be831d..e77a0e332 100644
--- a/spec/integ/megolm-integ.spec.js
+++ b/spec/integ/megolm-integ.spec.js
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ function encryptMegolmEvent(opts) {
     }
 
     return {
+        event_id: 'test_megolm_event',
         content: {
             algorithm: "m.megolm.v1.aes-sha2",
             ciphertext: opts.groupSession.encrypt(JSON.stringify(plaintext)),
@@ -342,6 +343,9 @@ describe("megolm", function() {
         }).then(function() {
             const room = aliceTestClient.client.getRoom(ROOM_ID);
             const event = room.getLiveTimeline().getEvents()[0];
+            expect(event.isEncrypted()).toBe(true);
+            return testUtils.awaitDecryption(event);
+        }).then((event) => {
             expect(event.getContent().body).toEqual('42');
         });
     });
diff --git a/spec/test-utils.js b/spec/test-utils.js
index 2448d9874..d0b673568 100644
--- a/spec/test-utils.js
+++ b/spec/test-utils.js
@@ -219,3 +219,25 @@ module.exports.MockStorageApi.prototype = {
         delete this.data[k];
     },
 };
+
+
+/**
+ * If an event is being decrypted, wait for it to finish being decrypted.
+ *
+ * @param {MatrixEvent} event
+ * @returns {Promise} promise which resolves (to `event`) when the event has been decrypted
+ */
+module.exports.awaitDecryption = function(event) {
+    if (!event.isBeingDecrypted()) {
+        return Promise.resolve(event);
+    }
+
+    console.log(`${Date.now()} event ${event.getId()} is being decrypted; waiting`);
+
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+        event.once('Event.decrypted', (ev) => {
+            console.log(`${Date.now()} event ${event.getId()} now decrypted`);
+            resolve(ev);
+        });
+    });
+};