diff --git a/py/server/tests/test_table_data_service.py b/py/server/tests/test_table_data_service.py
index 359b7f51652..9c1aa34f726 100644
--- a/py/server/tests/test_table_data_service.py
+++ b/py/server/tests/test_table_data_service.py
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ def __init__(self, gen_pa_table: Generator[pa.Table, None, None], pt_schema: pa.
         self.partitions_size_subscriptions: Dict[TableLocationKey, bool] = {}
         self.existing_partitions_called: int = 0
         self.partition_size_called: int = 0
+        self.is_size_sub_failure_cb_called: bool = False
 
     def table_schema(self, table_key: TableKeyImpl,
                      schema_cb: Callable[[pa.Schema, Optional[pa.Schema]], None],
@@ -164,10 +165,12 @@ def _th_partition_size_changes(self, table_key: TableKeyImpl, table_location_key
             rbs.append(pa_table.to_batches()[0])
             new_pa_table = pa.Table.from_batches(rbs)
             self.partitions[table_location_key] = new_pa_table
-            size_cb(new_pa_table.num_rows)
             if self.sub_partition_size_fail_test:
                 failure_cb(Exception("table location size subscription failure"))
+                self.is_size_sub_failure_cb_called = True
                 return
+            else:
+                size_cb(new_pa_table.num_rows)
             time.sleep(0.1)
 
     def subscribe_to_table_location_size(self, table_key: TableKeyImpl,
@@ -357,9 +360,17 @@ def test_partition_size_sub_failure(self):
         data_service = TableDataService(backend)
         backend.sub_partition_size_fail_test = True
         table = data_service.make_table(TableKeyImpl("test"), refreshing=True)
+        table.coalesce()
+        # wait for the size subscription failure callback to be called for 5 seconds
+        for _ in range(50):
+            time.sleep(0.1)
+            if backend.is_size_sub_failure_cb_called:
+                break
+        else:
+            self.fail("size subscription failure callback was not called in 5s")
+
         with self.assertRaises(Exception) as cm:
-            # failure_cb will be called in the background thread after 2 PUG cycles, 3 seconds timeout should be enough
-            self.wait_ticking_table_update(table, 600, 3)
+            self.wait_ticking_table_update(table, 600, 1)
 
         self.assertTrue(table.j_table.isFailed())