diff --git a/tests/test_gossip.py b/tests/test_gossip.py
index 123be7f7e..0b6000278 100644
--- a/tests/test_gossip.py
+++ b/tests/test_gossip.py
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ def test_gossip_timestamp_filter(node_factory, bitcoind):
     chan12 = l1.fund_channel(l2, 10**5)
     bitcoind.generate_block(5)
 
-    l3.wait_for_routes([chan12])
+    l3.wait_for_channel_updates([chan12])
     after_12 = int(time.time())
     # Full IO logging for l1's channeld
     subprocess.run(['kill', '-USR1', l1.subd_pid('channeld')])
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ def test_gossip_timestamp_filter(node_factory, bitcoind):
     chan23 = l2.fund_channel(l3, 10**5)
     bitcoind.generate_block(5)
 
-    l1.wait_for_routes([chan23])
+    l1.wait_for_channel_updates([chan23])
     after_23 = int(time.time())
 
     # Make sure l1 has received all the gossip.
@@ -750,7 +750,7 @@ def test_report_routing_failure(node_factory, bitcoind):
         lsrc.rpc.connect(ldst.info['id'], 'localhost', ldst.port)
         c = lsrc.fund_channel(ldst, 10000000)
         bitcoind.generate_block(5)
-        lpayer.wait_for_routes([c])
+        lpayer.wait_for_channel_updates([c])
 
     # Setup
     # Construct lightningd
diff --git a/tests/test_pay.py b/tests/test_pay.py
index 1dea06e04..2394a9806 100644
--- a/tests/test_pay.py
+++ b/tests/test_pay.py
@@ -1357,12 +1357,15 @@ def test_pay_direct(node_factory, bitcoind):
     # Direct channel l0->l1->l3
     l0.rpc.connect(l1.info['id'], 'localhost', l1.port)
     # Waiting takes a *long* time if !DEVELOPER.
-    l0.fund_channel(l1, 10**7, wait_for_active=False)
+    c0 = l0.fund_channel(l1, 10**7, wait_for_active=False)
+
     l1.rpc.connect(l3.info['id'], 'localhost', l3.port)
-    l1.fund_channel(l3, 10**7, wait_for_active=False)
+    c1 = l1.fund_channel(l3, 10**7, wait_for_active=False)
+
     # Indirect route l0->l1->l2->l3
     l1.rpc.connect(l2.info['id'], 'localhost', l2.port)
-    l1.fund_channel(l2, 10**7, wait_for_active=False)
+    c2 = l1.fund_channel(l2, 10**7, wait_for_active=False)
+
     l2.rpc.connect(l3.info['id'], 'localhost', l3.port)
     c3 = l2.fund_channel(l3, 10**7, wait_for_active=False)
 
@@ -1372,7 +1375,7 @@ def test_pay_direct(node_factory, bitcoind):
     # Make sure l0 knows the l2->l3 channel.
     # Without DEVELOPER, channel lockin can take 30 seconds to detect,
     # and gossip 2 minutes to propagate
-    wait_for(lambda: l0.is_channel_active(c3), timeout=180)
+    l0.wait_for_channel_updates([c0, c1, c2, c3])
 
     # Find out how much msatoshi l1 owns on l1->l2 channel.
     l1l2msatreference = only_one(l1.rpc.getpeer(l2.info['id'])['channels'])['msatoshi_to_us']
diff --git a/tests/utils.py b/tests/utils.py
index 5221714d9..897573a13 100644
--- a/tests/utils.py
+++ b/tests/utils.py
@@ -606,12 +606,25 @@ class LightningNode(object):
 
     # This waits until gossipd sees channel_update in both directions
     # (or for local channels, at least a local announcement)
-    def wait_for_routes(self, channel_ids):
+    def wait_for_channel_updates(self, scids):
         # Could happen in any order...
         self.daemon.wait_for_logs(['Received channel_update for channel {}/0'.format(c)
-                                   for c in channel_ids]
+                                   for c in scids]
                                   + ['Received channel_update for channel {}/1'.format(c)
-                                     for c in channel_ids])
+                                     for c in scids])
+
+    def wait_for_route(self, destination, timeout=30):
+        """ Wait for a route to the destination to become available.
+        """
+        start_time = time.time()
+        while time.time() < start_time + timeout:
+            try:
+                self.rpc.getroute(destination.info['id'], 1, 1)
+                return True
+            except Exception:
+                time.sleep(1)
+        if time.time() > start_time + timeout:
+            raise ValueError("Error waiting for a route to destination {}".format(destination))
 
     def pay(self, dst, amt, label=None):
         if not label: