diff --git a/cmd/mountlib/mounttest/file.go b/cmd/mountlib/mounttest/file.go
index e36503e35..b0d03e8a3 100644
--- a/cmd/mountlib/mounttest/file.go
+++ b/cmd/mountlib/mounttest/file.go
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ func TestFileModTimeWithOpenWriters(t *testing.T) {
 	err = f.Close()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
+	run.waitForWriters()
+
 	info, err := os.Stat(filepath)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
diff --git a/cmd/mountlib/mounttest/fs.go b/cmd/mountlib/mounttest/fs.go
index a6c3af98f..dd79410d4 100644
--- a/cmd/mountlib/mounttest/fs.go
+++ b/cmd/mountlib/mounttest/fs.go
@@ -304,10 +304,16 @@ func (r *Run) checkDir(t *testing.T, dirString string) {
 	assert.Equal(t, dm, localDm, "expected vs fuse mount")
 }
 
+// wait for any files being written to be released by fuse
+func (r *Run) waitForWriters() {
+	run.vfs.WaitForWriters(10 * time.Second)
+}
+
 func (r *Run) createFile(t *testing.T, filepath string, contents string) {
 	filepath = r.path(filepath)
 	err := ioutil.WriteFile(filepath, []byte(contents), 0600)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
+	r.waitForWriters()
 }
 
 func (r *Run) readFile(t *testing.T, filepath string) string {
diff --git a/cmd/mountlib/mounttest/write.go b/cmd/mountlib/mounttest/write.go
index e2ce7868d..c2ab5d65a 100644
--- a/cmd/mountlib/mounttest/write.go
+++ b/cmd/mountlib/mounttest/write.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package mounttest
 
 import (
 	"testing"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
@@ -18,8 +17,7 @@ func TestWriteFileNoWrite(t *testing.T) {
 	err = fd.Close()
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
-	// FIXME - wait for the Release on the file
-	time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
+	run.waitForWriters()
 
 	run.checkDir(t, "testnowrite 0")
 
@@ -38,6 +36,8 @@ func FIXMETestWriteOpenFileInDirListing(t *testing.T) {
 	err = fd.Close()
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
+	run.waitForWriters()
+
 	run.rm(t, "testnowrite")
 }
 
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ func TestWriteFileOverwrite(t *testing.T) {
 //
 // NB the code for this is in file.go rather than write.go
 func TestWriteFileFsync(t *testing.T) {
+	run.skipIfNoFUSE(t)
+
 	filepath := run.path("to be synced")
 	fd, err := osCreate(filepath)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -77,4 +79,6 @@ func TestWriteFileFsync(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	err = fd.Close()
 	require.NoError(t, err)
+	run.waitForWriters()
+	run.rm(t, "to be synced")
 }
diff --git a/cmd/mountlib/mounttest/write_unix.go b/cmd/mountlib/mounttest/write_unix.go
index 01f17d41b..0d8256764 100644
--- a/cmd/mountlib/mounttest/write_unix.go
+++ b/cmd/mountlib/mounttest/write_unix.go
@@ -45,5 +45,6 @@ func TestWriteFileDoubleClose(t *testing.T) {
 	err = syscall.Close(fd2)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
+	run.waitForWriters()
 	run.rm(t, "testdoubleclose")
 }