diff --git a/physical/postgresql/postgresql_test.go b/physical/postgresql/postgresql_test.go
index b6f4113de..25e3a6264 100644
--- a/physical/postgresql/postgresql_test.go
+++ b/physical/postgresql/postgresql_test.go
@@ -177,7 +177,18 @@ func TestConnectionURL(t *testing.T) {
 // Similar to testHABackend, but using internal implementation details to
 // trigger the lock failure scenario by setting the lock renew period for one
 // of the locks to a higher value than the lock TTL.
+const maxTries = 3
+
 func testPostgresSQLLockTTL(t *testing.T, ha physical.HABackend) {
+	for tries := 1; tries <= maxTries; tries++ {
+		// Try this several times.  If the test environment is too slow the lock can naturally lapse
+		if attemptLockTTLTest(t, ha, tries) {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func attemptLockTTLTest(t *testing.T, ha physical.HABackend, tries int) bool {
 	// Set much smaller lock times to speed up the test.
 	lockTTL := 3
 	renewInterval := time.Second * 1
@@ -199,6 +210,7 @@ func testPostgresSQLLockTTL(t *testing.T, ha physical.HABackend) {
 		lock.ttlSeconds = lockTTL
 
 		// Attempt to lock
+		lockTime := time.Now()
 		leaderCh, err = lock.Lock(nil)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
@@ -207,12 +219,19 @@ func testPostgresSQLLockTTL(t *testing.T, ha physical.HABackend) {
 			t.Fatalf("failed to get leader ch")
 		}
 
+		if tries == 1 {
+			time.Sleep(3 * time.Second)
+		}
 		// Check the value
 		held, val, err := lock.Value()
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
 		}
 		if !held {
+			if tries < maxTries && time.Since(lockTime) > (time.Second*time.Duration(lockTTL)) {
+				//Our test environment is slow enough that we failed this, retry
+				return false
+			}
 			t.Fatalf("should be held")
 		}
 		if val != "bar" {
@@ -239,6 +258,7 @@ func testPostgresSQLLockTTL(t *testing.T, ha physical.HABackend) {
 		})
 
 		// Attempt to lock should work
+		lockTime := time.Now()
 		leaderCh2, err := lock2.Lock(stopCh)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
@@ -254,19 +274,23 @@ func testPostgresSQLLockTTL(t *testing.T, ha physical.HABackend) {
 			t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
 		}
 		if !held {
+			if tries < maxTries && time.Since(lockTime) > (time.Second*time.Duration(lockTTL)) {
+				//Our test environment is slow enough that we failed this, retry
+				return false
+			}
 			t.Fatalf("should be held")
 		}
 		if val != "baz" {
 			t.Fatalf("bad value: %v", val)
 		}
 	}
-
 	// The first lock should have lost the leader channel
 	select {
 	case <-time.After(longRenewInterval * 2):
 		t.Fatalf("original lock did not have its leader channel closed.")
 	case <-leaderCh:
 	}
+	return true
 }
 
 // Verify that once Unlock is called, we don't keep trying to renew the original