diff --git a/api/test/mining.go b/api/test/mining.go
index 373266b0e..7667b3e61 100644
--- a/api/test/mining.go
+++ b/api/test/mining.go
@@ -132,21 +132,22 @@ func TestDealMining(t *testing.T, b APIBuilder, blocktime time.Duration, carExpo
 	done := make(chan struct{})
 	minedTwo := make(chan struct{})
 
+	m2addr, err := sn[1].ActorAddress(context.TODO())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
 	go func() {
-		doneMinedTwo := false
 		defer close(done)
 
-		prevExpect := 0
 		for atomic.LoadInt32(&mine) != 0 {
-			wait := make(chan int, 2)
+			wait := make(chan int)
 			mdone := func(mined bool, err error) {
-				go func() {
-					n := 0
-					if mined {
-						n = 1
-					}
-					wait <- n
-				}()
+				n := 0
+				if mined {
+					n = 1
+				}
+				wait <- n
 			}
 
 			if err := sn[0].MineOne(ctx, miner.MineReq{Done: mdone}); err != nil {
@@ -166,33 +167,27 @@ func TestDealMining(t *testing.T, b APIBuilder, blocktime time.Duration, carExpo
 				continue
 			}
 
-			for {
-				n := 0
-				for i, node := range sn {
-					mb, err := node.MiningBase(ctx)
-					if err != nil {
-						t.Error(err)
-						return
-					}
+			var nodeOneMined bool
+			for _, node := range sn {
+				mb, err := node.MiningBase(ctx)
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Error(err)
+					return
+				}
 
-					if len(mb.Cids()) != expect {
-						log.Warnf("node %d mining base not complete (%d, want %d)", i, len(mb.Cids()), expect)
-						continue
+				for _, b := range mb.Blocks() {
+					if b.Miner == m2addr {
+						nodeOneMined = true
+						break
 					}
-					n++
 				}
-				if n == len(sn) {
-					break
-				}
-				time.Sleep(blocktime)
+
 			}
 
-			if prevExpect == 2 && expect == 2 && !doneMinedTwo {
+			if nodeOneMined {
 				close(minedTwo)
-				doneMinedTwo = true
 			}
 
-			prevExpect = expect
 		}
 	}()
 
diff --git a/miner/miner.go b/miner/miner.go
index 61a5e1bb0..92fc7e2bc 100644
--- a/miner/miner.go
+++ b/miner/miner.go
@@ -6,10 +6,11 @@ import (
 	"crypto/rand"
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/gen/slashfilter"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/filecoin-project/lotus/chain/gen/slashfilter"
+
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/go-address"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/specs-actors/actors/abi"
 	"github.com/filecoin-project/specs-actors/actors/crypto"
@@ -162,6 +163,16 @@ func (m *Miner) mine(ctx context.Context) {
 			if base != nil && base.TipSet.Height() == prebase.TipSet.Height() && base.NullRounds == prebase.NullRounds {
 				break
 			}
+			if base != nil {
+				onDone(false, nil)
+			}
+
+			// TODO: need to change the orchestration here. the problem is that
+			// we are waiting *after* we enter this loop and selecta mining
+			// candidate, which is almost certain to change in multiminer
+			// tests. Instead, we should block before entering the loop, so
+			// that when the test 'MineOne' function is triggered, we pull our
+			// best mining candidate at that time.
 
 			// Wait until propagation delay period after block we plan to mine on
 			onDone, injectNulls, err = m.waitFunc(ctx, prebase.TipSet.MinTimestamp())