diff --git a/test/functional/apps/dashboard/_dashboard_listing.js b/test/functional/apps/dashboard/_dashboard_listing.js
index 208ac30e83c7..1273b85314a5 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/dashboard/_dashboard_listing.js
+++ b/test/functional/apps/dashboard/_dashboard_listing.js
@@ -67,8 +67,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
 
         await PageObjects.common.pressEnterKey();
 
-        const isConfirmOpen = await PageObjects.common.isConfirmModalOpen();
-        expect(isConfirmOpen).to.be(false);
+        await PageObjects.common.expectConfirmModalOpenState(false);
 
         const countOfDashboards = await PageObjects.dashboard.getDashboardCountWithName(dashboardName);
         expect(countOfDashboards).to.equal(1);
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/dashboard/_view_edit.js b/test/functional/apps/dashboard/_view_edit.js
index 0d1d1be7d874..f99e59323aa2 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/dashboard/_view_edit.js
+++ b/test/functional/apps/dashboard/_view_edit.js
@@ -209,8 +209,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
         await PageObjects.header.setAbsoluteRange('2014-10-19 06:31:44.000', '2014-12-19 06:31:44.000');
         await PageObjects.dashboard.clickCancelOutOfEditMode();
 
-        const isOpen = await PageObjects.common.isConfirmModalOpen();
-        expect(isOpen).to.be(false);
+        await PageObjects.common.expectConfirmModalOpenState(false);
       });
 
       // See https://github.com/elastic/kibana/issues/10110 - this is intentional.
@@ -222,8 +221,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
 
         await PageObjects.dashboard.clickCancelOutOfEditMode();
 
-        const isOpen = await PageObjects.common.isConfirmModalOpen();
-        expect(isOpen).to.be(false);
+        await PageObjects.common.expectConfirmModalOpenState(false);
 
         await PageObjects.dashboard.loadSavedDashboard(dashboardName);
         const query = await queryBar.getQueryString();
diff --git a/test/functional/page_objects/common_page.js b/test/functional/page_objects/common_page.js
index 1fa5276f2244..fbf74f0453f4 100644
--- a/test/functional/page_objects/common_page.js
+++ b/test/functional/page_objects/common_page.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
  */
 
 import { delay } from 'bluebird';
+import expect from 'expect.js';
 
 import getUrl from '../../../src/test_utils/get_url';
 
@@ -260,9 +261,20 @@ export function CommonPageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       }
     }
 
-    async isConfirmModalOpen() {
-      log.debug('isConfirmModalOpen');
-      return await testSubjects.exists('confirmModalCancelButton', 2000);
+    async expectConfirmModalOpenState(state) {
+      if (typeof state !== 'boolean') {
+        throw new Error('pass true or false to expectConfirmModalOpenState()');
+      }
+
+      log.debug(`expectConfirmModalOpenState(${state})`);
+
+      // we use retry here instead of a simple .exists() check because the modal
+      // fades in/out, which takes time, and we really only care that at some point
+      // the modal is either open or closed
+      await retry.try(async () => {
+        const actualState = await testSubjects.exists('confirmModalCancelButton');
+        expect(actualState).to.be(state);
+      });
     }
 
     async getBreadcrumbPageTitle() {