diff --git a/tests/proxy_overload_recovery.erl b/tests/proxy_overload_recovery.erl
index 883ca19bd..03248d008 100644
--- a/tests/proxy_overload_recovery.erl
+++ b/tests/proxy_overload_recovery.erl
@@ -208,16 +208,13 @@ prepare(ThresholdSeed) ->
     {ok, VPid0} = riak_core_vnode_manager:get_vnode_pid(Id, riak_kv_vnode),
     sys:resume(VPid0),
     ok = supervisor:terminate_child(riak_core_vnode_sup, VPid0),
-    false = is_process_alive(VPid0),
 
     %% Reset the proxy pid to make sure it resets state and picks up the new
     %% environment variables
     ok = supervisor:terminate_child(riak_core_vnode_proxy_sup, {riak_kv_vnode, Id}),
     RegName = riak_core_vnode_proxy:reg_name(riak_kv_vnode, Index),
     undefined = whereis(RegName),
-    %% Fail if we get back the dead vnode
-    {ok, VPid1} = riak_core_vnode_manager:get_vnode_pid(Index, riak_kv_vnode),
-    ?assertNotEqual(VPid1, VPid0),
+    VPid1 = wait_for_vnode_change(VPid0, Index),
 
     {ok, PPid} = supervisor:restart_child(riak_core_vnode_proxy_sup, {riak_kv_vnode, Id}),
 
@@ -269,14 +266,14 @@ resume_args(#tstate{rt = RT}) ->
 resume(#rt{ppid = PPid, vpid = VPid}) ->
     sys:resume(VPid),
     %% Use the sys:get_status call to force a synchronous call
-    %% against the vnode proxy to ensure all messages sent by
+    %% against the vnode & the  proxy to ensure all messages sent by
     %% this process have been serviced and there are no pending
     %% 'ping's in the vnode before we continue.
     %% Then drain the vnode to make sure any pending pongs have
-    %% been sent.
-    ok = drain(VPid),
+    %% been sent, and ensure the proxy has
+    _ = sys:get_status(PPid),
     _ = sys:get_status(VPid),
-    _ = sys:get_status(PPid).
+    ok = drain([VPid, PPid]).
 
 resume_next(S, _V, _A) ->
     S#tstate{vnode_running = true, proxy_msgs = 0, direct_msgs = 0}.
@@ -329,28 +326,28 @@ overloaded_args(#tstate{vnode_running = Running, rt = RT}) ->
 overloaded(Running, #rt{ppid = PPid, vpid = VPid}) ->
     case Running of
         true ->
-            ok = drain(PPid), % make sure all proxy msgs processed/dropped
-            ok = drain(VPid); % make sure any pending ping/pongs are processed
+            ok = drain([PPid, VPid]);
         _ ->
             ok
     end,
-    {riak_core_vnode_proxy:overloaded(PPid),
-     msgq_len(VPid), % just for debug so we can review in log output
-     sys:get_status(PPid)}. % ditto
+    {messages, PMsgs} = process_info(PPid, messages),
+    {messages, VMsgs} = process_info(VPid, messages),
+    Overloaded = riak_core_vnode_proxy:overloaded(PPid),
+    {Overloaded, {VMsgs, PMsgs}, sys:get_status(PPid)}.
 
 overloaded_post(#tstate{threshold = undefined}, _A,
-                {R, _VnodeQ, _ProxyStatus}) ->
+                {R, _Messages, _ProxyStatus}) ->
     %% If there are no thresholds there should never be an overload
     eq(R, false);
 overloaded_post(#tstate{vnode_running = true}, _A,
-                {R, _VnodeQ = 0, _ProxyStatus}) ->
+                {R, _Messages, _ProxyStatus}) ->
     %% If the vnode is running, we have cleared queues so
     %% should not be in overload.
     eq(R, false);
 overloaded_post(#tstate{vnode_running = false,
                         proxy_msgs = ProxyMsgs,
                         threshold = Threshold}, _A,
-                {ResultOverload, _VnodeQ, _ProxyStatus}) ->
+                {ResultOverload, _Messages, _ProxyStatus}) ->
     %% Either
     %%   mailbox is completely an estimate based on proxy msgs
     %%   or mailbox is a check + estimate since
@@ -397,16 +394,33 @@ prep_env(Var, Val) ->
 %% Wait until all messages are drained by the Pid. No guarantees
 %% about future messages being sent, or that responses for the
 %% last message consumed have been transmitted.
-%%
-drain(Pid) ->
-    case erlang:process_info(Pid, message_queue_len) of
-        {message_queue_len, 0} ->
+%% NOTE: The "drain 3 times in a row" was determined empirically,
+%% and may not be sufficient (2 was not). Given time constraints,
+%% living with it for now. If this fails, we should really add some
+%% tracing code around the send of messages to Vnode and Proxy to
+%% determine where extra messages are coming from rather than just
+%% make this "try 4 times"
+%%
+drain(Pid) when is_pid(Pid) ->
+    drain([Pid], {-1, -1});
+
+drain(Pids) when is_list(Pids) ->
+    drain(Pids, {-1, -1}).
+drain(Pids, {PrevPrev, Prev}) ->
+    _ = [sys:suspend(Pid) || Pid <- Pids],
+    Len = lists:foldl(fun(Pid, Acc0) ->
+            {message_queue_len, Len} = erlang:process_info(Pid, message_queue_len),
+            Acc0 + Len
+            end, 0, Pids),
+    _ = [sys:resume(Pid) || Pid <- Pids],
+    case {PrevPrev, Prev, Len} of
+        {0, 0, 0} ->
             ok;
-        {message_queue_len, L} when L > 0 ->
-            timer:sleep(1), % give it a millisecond to drain
-            drain(Pid);
-        ER ->
-            ER
+        _ ->
+            %% Attempt to ensure something else is scheduled before we try to drain again
+            erlang:yield(),
+            timer:sleep(1),
+            drain(Pids, {Prev, Len})
     end.
 
 %% Return the length of the message queue (or crash if proc dead)
@@ -462,3 +476,14 @@ confirm() ->
     pass.
 
 -endif.
+
+
+wait_for_vnode_change(VPid0, Index) ->
+    {ok, VPid1} = riak_core_vnode_manager:get_vnode_pid(Index, riak_kv_vnode),
+        case VPid1 of
+            VPid0 ->
+                timer:sleep(1),
+                wait_for_vnode_change(VPid0, Index);
+            _ ->
+                VPid1
+        end.