diff --git a/CIME/build.py b/CIME/build.py
index 3845de47f2d..a522b599763 100644
--- a/CIME/build.py
+++ b/CIME/build.py
@@ -338,6 +338,7 @@ def _build_model(
     thread_bad_results = []
     libroot = os.path.join(exeroot, "lib")
     bldroot = None
+    bld_threads = []
     for model, comp, nthrds, _, config_dir in complist:
         if buildlist is not None and model.lower() not in buildlist:
             continue
@@ -391,12 +392,13 @@ def _build_model(
             ),
         )
         t.start()
+        bld_threads.append(t)
 
         logs.append(file_build)
 
     # Wait for threads to finish
-    while threading.active_count() > 1:
-        time.sleep(1)
+    for bld_thread in bld_threads:
+        bld_thread.join()
 
     expect(not thread_bad_results, "\n".join(thread_bad_results))
 
diff --git a/CIME/tests/test_sys_cime_case.py b/CIME/tests/test_sys_cime_case.py
index dabea7d9600..4b226ff3b46 100644
--- a/CIME/tests/test_sys_cime_case.py
+++ b/CIME/tests/test_sys_cime_case.py
@@ -509,8 +509,10 @@ def test_cime_case_test_walltime_mgmt_8(self):
         if self._config.test_mode == "cesm":
             self.skipTest("Skipping walltime test. Depends on E3SM batch settings")
 
-        test_name = "SMS_P25600.f19_g16_rx1.A"
-        machine, compiler = "theta", "gnu"
+        # Frontier has 56 MAX_MPITASKS_PER_NODE so 5600 should require 100 nodes
+        # which should land us in 6 hour queue
+        test_name = "SMS_P5600.f19_g16_rx1.A"
+        machine, compiler = "frontier", "gnu"
         casedir = self._create_test(
             [
                 "--no-setup",
@@ -528,12 +530,12 @@ def test_cime_case_test_walltime_mgmt_8(self):
             "./xmlquery JOB_WALLCLOCK_TIME -N --subgroup=case.test --value",
             from_dir=casedir,
         )
-        self.assertEqual(result, "09:00:00")
+        self.assertEqual(result, "06:00:00")
 
         result = self.run_cmd_assert_result(
             "./xmlquery JOB_QUEUE -N --subgroup=case.test --value", from_dir=casedir
         )
-        self.assertEqual(result, "default")
+        self.assertEqual(result, "batch")
 
     def test_cime_case_test_custom_project(self):
         test_name = "ERS_P1.f19_g16_rx1.A"
diff --git a/CIME/wait_for_tests.py b/CIME/wait_for_tests.py
index a6e87eaac8c..7636d5f8986 100644
--- a/CIME/wait_for_tests.py
+++ b/CIME/wait_for_tests.py
@@ -658,6 +658,7 @@ def wait_for_tests_impl(
     ###############################################################################
     results = queue.Queue()
 
+    wft_threads = []
     for test_path in test_paths:
         t = threading.Thread(
             target=wait_for_test,
@@ -675,9 +676,10 @@ def wait_for_tests_impl(
         )
         t.daemon = True
         t.start()
+        wft_threads.append(t)
 
-    while threading.active_count() > 1:
-        time.sleep(1)
+    for wft_thread in wft_threads:
+        wft_thread.join()
 
     test_results = {}
     completed_test_paths = []