diff --git a/integration/cluster.go b/integration/cluster.go
index a132ece0c..a64f024ee 100644
--- a/integration/cluster.go
+++ b/integration/cluster.go
@@ -175,8 +175,12 @@ func (c *cluster) URL(i int) string {
 
 // URLs returns a list of all active client URLs in the cluster
 func (c *cluster) URLs() []string {
+	return getMembersURLs(c.Members)
+}
+
+func getMembersURLs(members []*member) []string {
 	urls := make([]string, 0)
-	for _, m := range c.Members {
+	for _, m := range members {
 		select {
 		case <-m.s.StopNotify():
 			continue
@@ -343,6 +347,18 @@ func (c *cluster) waitLeader(t *testing.T, membs []*member) int {
 	for _, m := range membs {
 		possibleLead[uint64(m.s.ID())] = true
 	}
+	cc := MustNewHTTPClient(t, getMembersURLs(membs), nil)
+	kapi := client.NewKeysAPI(cc)
+
+	// ensure leader is up via linearizable get
+	for {
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 10*tickDuration)
+		_, err := kapi.Get(ctx, "0", &client.GetOptions{Quorum: true})
+		cancel()
+		if err == nil || strings.Contains(err.Error(), "Key not found") {
+			break
+		}
+	}
 
 	for lead == 0 || !possibleLead[lead] {
 		lead = 0
diff --git a/integration/cluster_test.go b/integration/cluster_test.go
index 627f72ffd..1bf5fc56c 100644
--- a/integration/cluster_test.go
+++ b/integration/cluster_test.go
@@ -447,13 +447,24 @@ func TestRejectUnhealthyRemove(t *testing.T) {
 func clusterMustProgress(t *testing.T, membs []*member) {
 	cc := MustNewHTTPClient(t, []string{membs[0].URL()}, nil)
 	kapi := client.NewKeysAPI(cc)
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), requestTimeout)
 	key := fmt.Sprintf("foo%d", rand.Int())
-	resp, err := kapi.Create(ctx, "/"+key, "bar")
+	var (
+		err  error
+		resp *client.Response
+	)
+	// retry in case of leader loss induced by slow CI
+	for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), requestTimeout)
+		resp, err = kapi.Create(ctx, "/"+key, "bar")
+		cancel()
+		if err == nil {
+			break
+		}
+		t.Logf("failed to create key on %q (%v)", membs[0].URL(), err)
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("create on %s error: %v", membs[0].URL(), err)
 	}
-	cancel()
 
 	for i, m := range membs {
 		u := m.URL()