diff --git a/needles/anaconda/universal/remote_server_running-20250717.json b/needles/anaconda/universal/remote_server_running-20250717.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3bcb206f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/needles/anaconda/universal/remote_server_running-20250717.json
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{
+  "area": [
+    {
+      "xpos": 121,
+      "ypos": 146,
+      "width": 239,
+      "height": 14,
+      "type": "match"
+    }
+  ],
+  "properties": [],
+  "tags": [
+    "anaconda_remote_server_running"
+  ]
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/needles/anaconda/universal/remote_server_running-20250717.png b/needles/anaconda/universal/remote_server_running-20250717.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..767c5eb5
Binary files /dev/null and b/needles/anaconda/universal/remote_server_running-20250717.png differ
diff --git a/tests/_boot_to_anaconda.pm b/tests/_boot_to_anaconda.pm
index 9cc6cc3a..cf94ada8 100644
--- a/tests/_boot_to_anaconda.pm
+++ b/tests/_boot_to_anaconda.pm
@@ -115,10 +115,18 @@ sub run {
     if (get_var("KICKSTART") || get_var("RDP_SERVER")) {
         # wait for the bootloader *here* - in a test that inherits from
         # anacondatest - so that if something goes wrong during install,
-        # we get anaconda logs. sleep a bit first so we don't get a
-        # match for the installer bootloader if it hangs around for a
-        # while after do_bootloader finishes (in PXE case it does)
-        sleep 60;
+        # we get anaconda logs.
+        if (get_var("RDP_SERVER")) {
+            # wait till the server is running and set a mutex
+            assert_screen("anaconda_remote_server_running", 180);
+            mutex_create("remote_server_running");
+        }
+        else {
+            # sleep a bit first so we don't get a
+            # match for the installer bootloader if it hangs around for a
+            # while after do_bootloader finishes (in PXE case it does)
+            sleep 60;
+        }
         assert_screen "bootloader", 1800;
     }
     else {
diff --git a/tests/_rdp_client_connect_pre.pm b/tests/_rdp_client_connect_pre.pm
index 6c7ed75f..e167d5e3 100644
--- a/tests/_rdp_client_connect_pre.pm
+++ b/tests/_rdp_client_connect_pre.pm
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use base "installedtest";
 use strict;
+use lockapi;
 use tapnet;
 use testapi;
 use utils;
@@ -9,6 +10,9 @@ sub run {
     boot_to_login_screen(timeout => 300);
     $self->root_console(tty => 3);
     setup_tap_static('172.16.2.115', 'rdp002.test.openqa.fedoraproject.org');
+    # wait for server to be up
+    mutex_lock("remote_server_running");
+    mutex_unlock("remote_server_running");
     # test test: check if we can see the server
     assert_script_run "ping -c 2 172.16.2.114";
     # We try to connect through Connections which should