diff --git a/tests/cluster/tests/14-consistency-check.tcl b/tests/cluster/tests/14-consistency-check.tcl
index 5a80dd0df..ddc0570e6 100644
--- a/tests/cluster/tests/14-consistency-check.tcl
+++ b/tests/cluster/tests/14-consistency-check.tcl
@@ -39,53 +39,79 @@ proc cluster_write_keys_with_expire {id ttl} {
     $cluster close
 }
 
+# make sure that replica who restarts from persistence will load keys
+# that have already expired, critical for correct execution of commands
+# that arrive from the master
 proc test_slave_load_expired_keys {aof} {
     test "Slave expired keys is loaded when restarted: appendonly=$aof" {
         set master_id [find_non_empty_master]
         set replica_id [get_one_of_my_replica $master_id]
 
-        set master_dbsize [R $master_id dbsize]
-        set slave_dbsize [R $replica_id dbsize]
-        assert_equal $master_dbsize $slave_dbsize
-
-        set data_ttl 5
-        cluster_write_keys_with_expire $master_id $data_ttl
-        after 100
-        set replica_dbsize_1 [R $replica_id dbsize]
-        assert {$replica_dbsize_1  > $slave_dbsize}
+        set master_dbsize_0 [R $master_id dbsize]
+        set replica_dbsize_0 [R $replica_id dbsize]
+        assert_equal $master_dbsize_0 $replica_dbsize_0
 
+        # config the replica persistency and rewrite the config file to survive restart
+        # note that this needs to be done before populating the volatile keys since
+        # that triggers and AOFRW, and we rather the AOF file to have SETEX commands
+        # rather than an RDB with volatile keys
         R $replica_id config set appendonly $aof
         R $replica_id config rewrite
 
-        set start_time [clock seconds]
-        set end_time [expr $start_time+$data_ttl+2]
-        R $replica_id save
-        set replica_dbsize_2 [R $replica_id dbsize]
-        assert {$replica_dbsize_2  > $slave_dbsize}
+        # fill with 100 keys with 3 second TTL
+        set data_ttl 3
+        cluster_write_keys_with_expire $master_id $data_ttl
+
+        # wait for replica to be in sync with master
+        wait_for_condition 500 10 {
+            [R $replica_id dbsize] eq [R $master_id dbsize]
+        } else {
+            fail "replica didn't sync"
+        }
+        
+        set replica_dbsize_1 [R $replica_id dbsize]
+        assert {$replica_dbsize_1 > $replica_dbsize_0}
+
+        # make replica create persistence file
+        if {$aof == "yes"} {
+            # we need to wait for the initial AOFRW to be done, otherwise
+            # kill_instance (which now uses SIGTERM will fail ("Writing initial AOF, can't exit")
+            wait_for_condition 100 10 {
+                [RI $replica_id aof_rewrite_in_progress] eq 0
+            } else {
+                fail "keys didn't expire"
+            }
+        } else {
+            R $replica_id save
+        }
+
+        # kill the replica (would stay down until re-started)
         kill_instance redis $replica_id
 
-        set master_port [get_instance_attrib redis $master_id port]
-        exec ../../../src/redis-cli \
-            -h 127.0.0.1 -p $master_port \
-            {*}[rediscli_tls_config "../../../tests"] \
-            debug sleep [expr $data_ttl+3] > /dev/null &
+        # Make sure the master doesn't do active expire (sending DELs to the replica)
+        R $master_id DEBUG SET-ACTIVE-EXPIRE 0
 
-        while {[clock seconds] <= $end_time} {
-            #wait for $data_ttl seconds
-        }
+        # wait for all the keys to get logically expired
+        after [expr $data_ttl*1000]
+
+        # start the replica again (loading an RDB or AOF file)
         restart_instance redis $replica_id
 
-        wait_for_condition 200 50 {
-            [R $replica_id ping] eq {PONG}
-        } else {
-            fail "replica #$replica_id not started"
-        }
-
+        # make sure the keys are still there
         set replica_dbsize_3 [R $replica_id dbsize]
-        assert {$replica_dbsize_3  > $slave_dbsize}
+        assert {$replica_dbsize_3 > $replica_dbsize_0}
+        
+        # restore settings
+        R $master_id DEBUG SET-ACTIVE-EXPIRE 1
+
+        # wait for the master to expire all keys and replica to get the DELs
+        wait_for_condition 500 10 {
+            [R $replica_id dbsize] eq $master_dbsize_0
+        } else {
+            fail "keys didn't expire"
+        }
     }
 }
 
 test_slave_load_expired_keys no
-after 5000
 test_slave_load_expired_keys yes