diff --git a/test/functional/apps/context/_filters.js b/test/functional/apps/context/_filters.js
index 4b71ca4909b4..8cc65e7fc01d 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/context/_filters.js
+++ b/test/functional/apps/context/_filters.js
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
     it('should be toggleable via the filter bar', async function () {
       const table = await docTable.getTable();
       await filterBar.addFilter(TEST_ANCHOR_FILTER_FIELD, 'IS', TEST_ANCHOR_FILTER_VALUE);
+      await PageObjects.context.waitUntilContextLoadingHasFinished();
+      // disable filter
       await filterBar.toggleFilterEnabled(TEST_ANCHOR_FILTER_FIELD);
       await PageObjects.context.waitUntilContextLoadingHasFinished();
 
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/context/index.js b/test/functional/apps/context/index.js
index d925269dd434..e912bafa68f2 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/context/index.js
+++ b/test/functional/apps/context/index.js
@@ -21,12 +21,15 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects, loadTestFile }) {
   const remote = getService('remote');
   const esArchiver = getService('esArchiver');
   const PageObjects = getPageObjects(['common']);
+  const kibanaServer = getService('kibanaServer');
 
   describe('context app', function () {
     before(async function () {
       await remote.setWindowSize(1200, 800);
       await esArchiver.loadIfNeeded('logstash_functional');
       await esArchiver.load('visualize');
+      await kibanaServer.uiSettings.replace({ 'dateFormat:tz': 'UTC', 'defaultIndex': 'logstash-*',
+        'telemetry:optIn': false });
       await PageObjects.common.navigateToApp('discover');
     });
 
diff --git a/test/functional/page_objects/context_page.js b/test/functional/page_objects/context_page.js
index 58d40a29c4ba..8126d4f3614b 100644
--- a/test/functional/page_objects/context_page.js
+++ b/test/functional/page_objects/context_page.js
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ export function ContextPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       });
 
       await remote.get(appUrl);
+      await PageObjects.header.awaitGlobalLoadingIndicatorHidden();
       await this.waitUntilContextLoadingHasFinished();
       // For lack of a better way, using a sleep to ensure page is loaded before proceeding
       await PageObjects.common.sleep(1000);
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ export function ContextPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
         const predecessorButton = await this.getPredecessorLoadMoreButton();
         await predecessorButton.click();
       });
+      await this.waitUntilContextLoadingHasFinished();
       await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
     }
 
@@ -81,6 +83,7 @@ export function ContextPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
         const sucessorButton = await this.getSuccessorLoadMoreButton();
         await sucessorButton.click();
       });
+      await this.waitUntilContextLoadingHasFinished();
       await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
     }
 
diff --git a/test/functional/page_objects/discover_page.js b/test/functional/page_objects/discover_page.js
index 4aac982f6689..c717f100079d 100644
--- a/test/functional/page_objects/discover_page.js
+++ b/test/functional/page_objects/discover_page.js
@@ -289,25 +289,28 @@ export function DiscoverPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       });
     }
 
-    clickFieldListPlusFilter(field, value) {
+    async clickFieldListPlusFilter(field, value) {
       // this method requires the field details to be open from clickFieldListItem()
       // testSubjects.find doesn't handle spaces in the data-test-subj value
-      return getRemote()
+      await getRemote()
         .findByCssSelector(`[data-test-subj="plus-${field}-${value}"]`)
         .click();
+      await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
     }
 
-    clickFieldListMinusFilter(field, value) {
+    async clickFieldListMinusFilter(field, value) {
       // this method requires the field details to be open from clickFieldListItem()
       // testSubjects.find doesn't handle spaces in the data-test-subj value
-      return getRemote()
+      await getRemote()
         .findByCssSelector('[data-test-subj="minus-' + field + '-' + value + '"]')
         .click();
+      await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
     }
 
     async selectIndexPattern(indexPattern) {
       await getRemote().findByClassName('index-pattern-selection').click();
       await getRemote().findByClassName('ui-select-search').type(indexPattern + '\n');
+      await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
     }
 
     async removeAllFilters() {
diff --git a/test/functional/page_objects/header_page.js b/test/functional/page_objects/header_page.js
index 450c28add724..0e914ef6b14d 100644
--- a/test/functional/page_objects/header_page.js
+++ b/test/functional/page_objects/header_page.js
@@ -268,6 +268,11 @@ export function HeaderPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       await testSubjects.find('globalLoadingIndicator-hidden', defaultFindTimeout * 10);
     }
 
+    async awaitKibanaChrome() {
+      log.debug('awaitKibanaChrome');
+      await testSubjects.find('kibanaChrome', defaultFindTimeout * 10);
+    }
+
     async getGlobalNavigationLink(linkText) {
       const nav = await testSubjects.find('globalNav');
       return await nav.findByPartialLinkText(linkText);
diff --git a/test/functional/page_objects/settings_page.js b/test/functional/page_objects/settings_page.js
index 55d64b3ae18a..cd09a81cdb98 100644
--- a/test/functional/page_objects/settings_page.js
+++ b/test/functional/page_objects/settings_page.js
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
  */
 
 import { map as mapAsync } from 'bluebird';
+import expect from 'expect.js';
+
 export function SettingsPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
   const log = getService('log');
   const retry = getService('retry');
@@ -273,7 +275,9 @@ export function SettingsPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
         await this.navigateTo();
         await this.clickKibanaIndices();
         await this.clickOptionalAddNewButton();
-        await this.setIndexPatternField(indexPatternName);
+        await retry.try(async () => {
+          await this.setIndexPatternField(indexPatternName);
+        });
         await PageObjects.common.sleep(2000);
         await (await this.getCreateIndexPatternGoToStep2Button()).click();
         await PageObjects.common.sleep(2000);
@@ -323,6 +327,9 @@ export function SettingsPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       const field = await this.getIndexPatternField();
       await field.clearValue();
       await field.type(indexPatternName);
+      const currentName = await field.getAttribute('value');
+      log.debug(`setIndexPatternField set to ${currentName}`);
+      expect(currentName).to.eql(`${indexPatternName}*`);
     }
 
     async getCreateIndexPatternGoToStep2Button() {
diff --git a/test/functional/services/doc_table.js b/test/functional/services/doc_table.js
index aa44139c80eb..5992ee7c5e57 100644
--- a/test/functional/services/doc_table.js
+++ b/test/functional/services/doc_table.js
@@ -17,9 +17,11 @@
  * under the License.
  */
 
-export function DocTableProvider({ getService }) {
+export function DocTableProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
   const testSubjects = getService('testSubjects');
   const retry = getService('retry');
+  const PageObjects = getPageObjects(['common', 'header']);
+
 
   class DocTable {
     async getTable() {
@@ -70,11 +72,13 @@ export function DocTableProvider({ getService }) {
       const tableDocViewRow = await this.getTableDocViewRow(detailsRow, fieldName);
       const addInclusiveFilterButton = await this.getAddInclusiveFilterButton(tableDocViewRow);
       await addInclusiveFilterButton.click();
+      await PageObjects.header.awaitGlobalLoadingIndicatorHidden();
     }
 
     async toggleRowExpanded(row) {
       const rowExpandToggle = await this.getRowExpandToggle(row);
       await rowExpandToggle.click();
+      await PageObjects.header.awaitGlobalLoadingIndicatorHidden();
 
       const detailsRow = await row.findByXpath('./following-sibling::*[@data-test-subj="docTableDetailsRow"]');
       return await retry.try(async () => {
diff --git a/test/functional/services/filter_bar.js b/test/functional/services/filter_bar.js
index 2abfd93b8fd1..d722e638dba4 100644
--- a/test/functional/services/filter_bar.js
+++ b/test/functional/services/filter_bar.js
@@ -19,10 +19,11 @@
 
 import Keys from 'leadfoot/keys';
 
-export function FilterBarProvider({ getService }) {
+export function FilterBarProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
   const remote = getService('remote');
   const testSubjects = getService('testSubjects');
   const find = getService('find');
+  const PageObjects = getPageObjects(['common', 'header']);
 
   async function typeIntoReactSelect(testSubj, value) {
     const select = await testSubjects.find(testSubj);
@@ -44,12 +45,14 @@ export function FilterBarProvider({ getService }) {
       const filterElement = await testSubjects.find(`filter & filter-key-${key}`);
       await remote.moveMouseTo(filterElement);
       await testSubjects.click(`filter & filter-key-${key} removeFilter-${key}`);
+      await PageObjects.header.awaitGlobalLoadingIndicatorHidden();
     }
 
     async toggleFilterEnabled(key) {
       const filterElement = await testSubjects.find(`filter & filter-key-${key}`);
       await remote.moveMouseTo(filterElement);
       await testSubjects.click(`filter & filter-key-${key} disableFilter-${key}`);
+      await PageObjects.header.awaitGlobalLoadingIndicatorHidden();
     }
 
     async toggleFilterPinned(key) {
@@ -93,6 +96,7 @@ export function FilterBarProvider({ getService }) {
         }
       }
       await testSubjects.click('saveFilter');
+      await PageObjects.header.awaitGlobalLoadingIndicatorHidden();
     }
 
     async clickEditFilter(key, value) {