diff --git a/pkg/controller/job/controller.go b/pkg/controller/job/controller.go
index 6aa41f8a3c..87ec0c4339 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/job/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/job/controller.go
@@ -97,13 +97,9 @@ func NewJobController(kubeClient client.Interface) *JobController {
 		framework.ResourceEventHandlerFuncs{
 			AddFunc: jm.enqueueController,
 			UpdateFunc: func(old, cur interface{}) {
-				job := cur.(*experimental.Job)
-				for _, c := range job.Status.Conditions {
-					if c.Type == experimental.JobComplete && c.Status == api.ConditionTrue {
-						return
-					}
+				if job := cur.(*experimental.Job); !isJobFinished(job) {
+					jm.enqueueController(job)
 				}
-				jm.enqueueController(cur)
 			},
 			DeleteFunc: jm.enqueueController,
 		},
@@ -449,6 +445,15 @@ func filterPods(pods []api.Pod, phase api.PodPhase) int {
 	return result
 }
 
+func isJobFinished(j *experimental.Job) bool {
+	for _, c := range j.Status.Conditions {
+		if c.Type == experimental.JobComplete && c.Status == api.ConditionTrue {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // byCreationTimestamp sorts a list by creation timestamp, using their names as a tie breaker.
 type byCreationTimestamp []experimental.Job
 
diff --git a/pkg/controller/job/controller_test.go b/pkg/controller/job/controller_test.go
index d5e0ea7afc..4789e20e70 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/job/controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/job/controller_test.go
@@ -32,12 +32,6 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/watch"
 )
 
-// Give each test that starts a background controller up to 1/2 a second.
-// Since we need to start up a goroutine to test watch, this routine needs
-// to get cpu before the test can complete. If the test is starved of cpu,
-// the watch test will take up to 1/2 a second before timing out.
-const controllerTimeout = 500 * time.Millisecond
-
 var alwaysReady = func() bool { return true }
 
 func newJob(parallelism, completions int) *experimental.Job {
@@ -262,20 +256,11 @@ func TestSyncJobUpdateRequeue(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("Unxpected error when syncing jobs, got %v", err)
 	}
-	ch := make(chan interface{})
-	go func() {
-		item, _ := manager.queue.Get()
-		ch <- item
-	}()
-	select {
-	case key := <-ch:
-		expectedKey := getKey(job, t)
-		if key != expectedKey {
-			t.Errorf("Expected requeue of job with key %s got %s", expectedKey, key)
-		}
-	case <-time.After(controllerTimeout):
-		manager.queue.ShutDown()
-		t.Errorf("Expected to find a job in the queue, found none.")
+	t.Log("Waiting for a job in the queue")
+	key, _ := manager.queue.Get()
+	expectedKey := getKey(job, t)
+	if key != expectedKey {
+		t.Errorf("Expected requeue of job with key %s got %s", expectedKey, key)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -402,7 +387,7 @@ func TestWatchJobs(t *testing.T) {
 	manager.podStoreSynced = alwaysReady
 
 	var testJob experimental.Job
-	received := make(chan string)
+	received := make(chan struct{})
 
 	// The update sent through the fakeWatcher should make its way into the workqueue,
 	// and eventually into the syncHandler.
@@ -416,7 +401,7 @@ func TestWatchJobs(t *testing.T) {
 		if !api.Semantic.DeepDerivative(job, testJob) {
 			t.Errorf("Expected %#v, but got %#v", testJob, job)
 		}
-		received <- key
+		close(received)
 		return nil
 	}
 	// Start only the job watcher and the workqueue, send a watch event,
@@ -429,31 +414,32 @@ func TestWatchJobs(t *testing.T) {
 	// We're sending new job to see if it reaches syncHandler.
 	testJob.Name = "foo"
 	fakeWatch.Add(&testJob)
-	select {
-	case <-received:
-	case <-time.After(controllerTimeout):
-		t.Errorf("Expected 1 call but got 0")
-	}
+	t.Log("Waiting for job to reach syncHandler")
+	<-received
+}
 
-	// We're sending fake finished job, to see if it reaches syncHandler - it should not,
-	// since we're filtering out finished jobs.
-	testJobv2 := experimental.Job{
-		ObjectMeta: api.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo"},
+func TestIsJobFinished(t *testing.T) {
+	job := &experimental.Job{
 		Status: experimental.JobStatus{
 			Conditions: []experimental.JobCondition{{
-				Type:               experimental.JobComplete,
-				Status:             api.ConditionTrue,
-				LastProbeTime:      unversioned.Now(),
-				LastTransitionTime: unversioned.Now(),
+				Type:   experimental.JobComplete,
+				Status: api.ConditionTrue,
 			}},
 		},
 	}
-	fakeWatch.Modify(&testJobv2)
 
-	select {
-	case <-received:
-		t.Errorf("Expected 0 call but got 1")
-	case <-time.After(controllerTimeout):
+	if !isJobFinished(job) {
+		t.Error("Job was expected to be finished")
+	}
+
+	job.Status.Conditions[0].Status = api.ConditionFalse
+	if isJobFinished(job) {
+		t.Error("Job was not expected to be finished")
+	}
+
+	job.Status.Conditions[0].Status = api.ConditionUnknown
+	if isJobFinished(job) {
+		t.Error("Job was not expected to be finished")
 	}
 }
 
@@ -467,7 +453,7 @@ func TestWatchPods(t *testing.T) {
 	// Put one job and one pod into the store
 	testJob := newJob(2, 2)
 	manager.jobStore.Store.Add(testJob)
-	received := make(chan string)
+	received := make(chan struct{})
 	// The pod update sent through the fakeWatcher should figure out the managing job and
 	// send it into the syncHandler.
 	manager.syncHandler = func(key string) error {
@@ -495,9 +481,6 @@ func TestWatchPods(t *testing.T) {
 	testPod.Status.Phase = api.PodFailed
 	fakeWatch.Add(&testPod)
 
-	select {
-	case <-received:
-	case <-time.After(controllerTimeout):
-		t.Errorf("Expected 1 call but got 0")
-	}
+	t.Log("Waiting for pod to reach syncHandler")
+	<-received
 }