diff --git a/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/tests/online/test_2_deltachat.py b/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/tests/online/test_2_deltachat.py
index 9cf79ffce..964e98735 100644
--- a/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/tests/online/test_2_deltachat.py
+++ b/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/tests/online/test_2_deltachat.py
@@ -175,13 +175,24 @@ def test_hide_senders_ip_address(cmfactory, ssl_context):
     user1, user2 = cmfactory.get_online_accounts(2)
     chat = cmfactory.get_accepted_chat(user1, user2)
 
-    chat.send_text("testing submission header cleanup")
-    user2.wait_for_incoming_msg()
     addr = user2.get_config("addr")
     host = addr.split("@")[1].strip("[").strip("]")
     pw = user2.get_config("mail_pw")
+
     mailbox = imap_tools.MailBox(host, ssl_context=ssl_context)
     mailbox.login(addr, pw)
-    msgs = list(mailbox.fetch(mark_seen=False))
+
+    chat.send_text("testing submission header cleanup")
+
+    deadline = time.time() + 10
+    msgs = []
+
+    while time.time() < deadline:
+        mailbox.folder.set("INBOX")
+        msgs = list(mailbox.fetch(criteria="ALL", mark_seen=False))
+        if msgs:
+            break
+        time.sleep(0.5)
+
     assert msgs, "expected at least one message"
-    assert public_ip not in msgs[0].obj.as_string()
+    assert public_ip not in msgs[-1].obj.as_string()
diff --git a/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/tests/plugin.py b/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/tests/plugin.py
index c61b44264..a0c59115b 100644
--- a/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/tests/plugin.py
+++ b/cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/tests/plugin.py
@@ -362,7 +362,8 @@ def get_online_accounts(self, num, domain=None):
 
             # ensure messages stay in INBOX so that they can be
             # concurrently fetched via extra IMAP connections during tests
-            account.set_config("delete_server_after", "10")
+            # commented out to validate ci failure trace
+            # account.set_config("delete_server_after", "10")
             accounts.append(account)
 
         for future in futures: