diff --git a/Lib/test/test_epoll.py b/Lib/test/test_epoll.py
index b623852f9..c94946a6a 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_epoll.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_epoll.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import select
 import socket
 import time
 import unittest
+from test import support
 
 if not hasattr(select, "epoll"):
     raise unittest.SkipTest("test works only on Linux 2.6")
@@ -186,10 +187,16 @@ class TestEPoll(unittest.TestCase):
         client.sendall(b"Hello!")
         server.sendall(b"world!!!")
 
-        now = time.monotonic()
-        events = ep.poll(1.0, 4)
-        then = time.monotonic()
-        self.assertFalse(then - now > 0.01)
+        # we might receive events one at a time, necessitating multiple calls to
+        # poll
+        events = []
+        for _ in support.busy_retry(support.SHORT_TIMEOUT):
+            now = time.monotonic()
+            events += ep.poll(1.0, 4)
+            then = time.monotonic()
+            self.assertFalse(then - now > 0.01)
+            if len(events) >= 2:
+                break
 
         expected = [(client.fileno(), select.EPOLLIN | select.EPOLLOUT),
                     (server.fileno(), select.EPOLLIN | select.EPOLLOUT)]