diff --git a/sdks/java/io/jms/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/jms/JmsIOTest.java b/sdks/java/io/jms/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/jms/JmsIOTest.java
index 6cd6505e680b..4e9672767463 100644
--- a/sdks/java/io/jms/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/jms/JmsIOTest.java
+++ b/sdks/java/io/jms/src/test/java/org/apache/beam/sdk/io/jms/JmsIOTest.java
@@ -214,7 +214,6 @@ public void testReadMessages() throws Exception {
     producer.send(message);
     producer.send(message);
     producer.send(message);
-    producer.send(message);
     producer.close();
     session.close();
     connection.close();
@@ -232,11 +231,22 @@ public void testReadMessages() throws Exception {
     PAssert.thatSingleton(output.apply("Count", Count.globally())).isEqualTo(5L);
     pipeline.run();
 
-    connection = connectionFactory.createConnection(USERNAME, PASSWORD);
-    session = connection.createSession(false, Session.AUTO_ACKNOWLEDGE);
-    MessageConsumer consumer = session.createConsumer(session.createQueue(QUEUE));
-    Message msg = consumer.receiveNoWait();
-    assertNull(msg);
+    assertQueueIsEmpty();
+  }
+
+  private void assertQueueIsEmpty() throws JMSException {
+    // we need to disable the prefetch, otherwise the receiveNoWait could still return null even
+    // when there are messages waiting on the queue
+    Connection connection =
+        connectionFactoryWithSyncAcksAndWithoutPrefetch.createConnection(USERNAME, PASSWORD);
+    try {
+      Session session = connection.createSession(false, Session.AUTO_ACKNOWLEDGE);
+      MessageConsumer consumer = session.createConsumer(session.createQueue(QUEUE));
+      connection.start();
+      assertNull(consumer.receiveNoWait());
+    } finally {
+      connection.close();
+    }
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -268,11 +278,7 @@ public void testReadBytesMessages() throws Exception {
     PAssert.thatSingleton(output.apply("Count", Count.<String>globally())).isEqualTo(1L);
     pipeline.run();
 
-    connection = connectionFactory.createConnection(USERNAME, PASSWORD);
-    session = connection.createSession(false, Session.AUTO_ACKNOWLEDGE);
-    MessageConsumer consumer = session.createConsumer(session.createQueue(QUEUE));
-    Message msg = consumer.receiveNoWait();
-    assertNull(msg);
+    assertQueueIsEmpty();
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -921,11 +927,7 @@ public void testWriteMessageWithRetryPolicyReachesLimit() throws Exception {
                                 "%s:%s",
                                 JMS_IO_PRODUCER_METRIC_NAME, PUBLICATION_RETRIES_METRIC_NAME)))))));
 
-    Connection connection = connectionFactory.createConnection(USERNAME, PASSWORD);
-    connection.start();
-    Session session = connection.createSession(false, Session.AUTO_ACKNOWLEDGE);
-    MessageConsumer consumer = session.createConsumer(session.createQueue(QUEUE));
-    assertNull(consumer.receiveNoWait());
+    assertQueueIsEmpty();
   }
 
   @Test