diff --git a/rhodecode/tests/vcs_operations/test_vcs_operations_branch_protection.py b/rhodecode/tests/vcs_operations/test_vcs_operations_branch_protection.py
index 49ed26b9..35ecf829 100644
--- a/rhodecode/tests/vcs_operations/test_vcs_operations_branch_protection.py
+++ b/rhodecode/tests/vcs_operations/test_vcs_operations_branch_protection.py
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 # and proprietary license terms, please see https://rhodecode.com/licenses/
 
 import os
+import time
+
 import pytest
 
 from rhodecode.tests import TEST_USER_ADMIN_LOGIN, TEST_USER_ADMIN_PASS, TEST_USER_REGULAR_LOGIN, TEST_USER_REGULAR_PASS
@@ -54,6 +56,12 @@ class TestVCSOperations(object):
         branch_permission_setter(repo_name, username, permission=branch_perm)
 
         clone_url = rcstack.repo_clone_url(repo.repo_name, user=username, passwd=password)
+        # Give VCSServer time to initialize the empty Mercurial repository
+        # Empty hg repos (unlike git bare repos) need a moment to be fully indexed
+        # This prevents intermittent "repository is unrelated" errors
+        time.sleep(0.2)
+        repo.scm_instance(cache=False)  # Force load in VCSServer
+
         Command(os.path.dirname(tmpdir.strpath)).execute("hg clone", clone_url, tmpdir.strpath)
 
         stdout, stderr = _add_files_and_push("hg", tmpdir.strpath, clone_url=clone_url)