diff --git a/tests/test_pay.py b/tests/test_pay.py
index 4bad1387d..1dea06e04 100644
--- a/tests/test_pay.py
+++ b/tests/test_pay.py
@@ -1356,20 +1356,23 @@ def test_pay_direct(node_factory, bitcoind):
 
     # Direct channel l0->l1->l3
     l0.rpc.connect(l1.info['id'], 'localhost', l1.port)
-    l0.fund_channel(l1, 10**7)
+    # Waiting takes a *long* time if !DEVELOPER.
+    l0.fund_channel(l1, 10**7, wait_for_active=False)
     l1.rpc.connect(l3.info['id'], 'localhost', l3.port)
-    l1.fund_channel(l3, 10**7)
+    l1.fund_channel(l3, 10**7, wait_for_active=False)
     # Indirect route l0->l1->l2->l3
     l1.rpc.connect(l2.info['id'], 'localhost', l2.port)
-    l1.fund_channel(l2, 10**7)
+    l1.fund_channel(l2, 10**7, wait_for_active=False)
     l2.rpc.connect(l3.info['id'], 'localhost', l3.port)
-    c3 = l2.fund_channel(l3, 10**7)
+    c3 = l2.fund_channel(l3, 10**7, wait_for_active=False)
 
     # Let channels lock in.
     bitcoind.generate_block(5)
 
     # Make sure l0 knows the l2->l3 channel.
-    l0.wait_channel_active(c3)
+    # Without DEVELOPER, channel lockin can take 30 seconds to detect,
+    # and gossip 2 minutes to propagate
+    wait_for(lambda: l0.is_channel_active(c3), timeout=180)
 
     # Find out how much msatoshi l1 owns on l1->l2 channel.
     l1l2msatreference = only_one(l1.rpc.getpeer(l2.info['id'])['channels'])['msatoshi_to_us']