diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/test/AbstractWatcherIntegrationTestCase.java b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/test/AbstractWatcherIntegrationTestCase.java
index ae22d9f6dac9..7334ee4ed0a1 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/test/AbstractWatcherIntegrationTestCase.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/test/AbstractWatcherIntegrationTestCase.java
@@ -567,7 +567,8 @@ protected void ensureLicenseEnabled() throws Exception {
 
     protected void stopWatcher() throws Exception {
         assertBusy(() -> {
-            WatcherStatsResponse watcherStatsResponse = new WatcherStatsRequestBuilder(client()).get();
+
+            WatcherStatsResponse watcherStatsResponse = new WatcherStatsRequestBuilder(client()).setIncludeCurrentWatches(true).get();
             assertThat(watcherStatsResponse.hasFailures(), is(false));
             List<Tuple<String, WatcherState>> currentStatesFromStatsRequest = watcherStatsResponse.getNodes()
                 .stream()
@@ -580,7 +581,8 @@ protected void stopWatcher() throws Exception {
                 .collect(Collectors.toList());
             List<WatcherState> states = currentStatesFromStatsRequest.stream().map(Tuple::v2).collect(Collectors.toList());
 
-            logger.info("waiting to stop watcher, current states {}", currentStatesFromStatsRequest);
+            long currentWatches = watcherStatsResponse.getNodes().stream().mapToLong(n -> n.getSnapshots().size()).sum();
+            logger.info("waiting to stop watcher, current states {}, current watches [{}]", currentStatesFromStatsRequest, currentWatches);
 
             boolean isAllStateStarted = states.stream().allMatch(w -> w == WatcherState.STARTED);
             if (isAllStateStarted) {
@@ -594,7 +596,7 @@ protected void stopWatcher() throws Exception {
             }
 
             boolean isAllStateStopped = states.stream().allMatch(w -> w == WatcherState.STOPPED);
-            if (isAllStateStopped) {
+            if (isAllStateStopped && currentWatches == 0) {
                 return;
             }
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/transport/action/activate/ActivateWatchTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/transport/action/activate/ActivateWatchTests.java
index bce9aaf0187d..ec03215435fa 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/transport/action/activate/ActivateWatchTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/transport/action/activate/ActivateWatchTests.java
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ protected boolean timeWarped() {
         return false;
     }
 
-    @AwaitsFix(bugUrl = "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/66495")
     public void testDeactivateAndActivate() throws Exception {
         PutWatchResponse putWatchResponse = new PutWatchRequestBuilder(client()).setId("_id")
             .setSource(
@@ -107,7 +106,6 @@ public void testDeactivateAndActivate() throws Exception {
         });
     }
 
-    @AwaitsFix(bugUrl = "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/66495")
     public void testLoadWatchWithoutAState() throws Exception {
         PutWatchResponse putWatchResponse = new PutWatchRequestBuilder(client()).setId("_id")
             .setSource(