diff --git a/community/kernel/src/test/java/org/neo4j/kernel/impl/api/KernelTransactionsTest.java b/community/kernel/src/test/java/org/neo4j/kernel/impl/api/KernelTransactionsTest.java
index 5c367f512cf95..6923d9ce719fd 100644
--- a/community/kernel/src/test/java/org/neo4j/kernel/impl/api/KernelTransactionsTest.java
+++ b/community/kernel/src/test/java/org/neo4j/kernel/impl/api/KernelTransactionsTest.java
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReferenceArray;
 
-import org.neo4j.graphdb.DatabaseShutdownException;
 import org.neo4j.graphdb.security.AuthorizationExpiredException;
 import org.neo4j.kernel.AvailabilityGuard;
 import org.neo4j.kernel.api.KernelTransaction;
@@ -73,8 +72,6 @@
 import org.neo4j.test.Race;
 import org.neo4j.test.rule.concurrent.OtherThreadRule;
 
-import static java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS;
-import static java.util.concurrent.locks.LockSupport.parkNanos;
 import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.equalTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.instanceOf;
 import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.is;
@@ -94,6 +91,10 @@
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
+
+import static java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS;
+import static java.util.concurrent.locks.LockSupport.parkNanos;
+
 import static org.neo4j.helpers.collection.Iterators.asSet;
 import static org.neo4j.kernel.api.KernelTransaction.Type.explicit;
 import static org.neo4j.kernel.api.security.SecurityContext.AUTH_DISABLED;
@@ -410,15 +411,22 @@ public void shouldNotLeakTransactionOnSecurityContextFreezeFailure() throws Thro
     }
 
     @Test
-    public void exceptionWhenStartingNewTransactionOnShutdownInstance() throws Throwable
+    public void shouldStartNewTransactionAfterGuardMarkedAsShutdown() throws Throwable
     {
+        // This is because the first thing thast happens when shutting down is that AvailabilityGuard gets
+        // marked as shut down. After that, transactions that just made it passed some layers in db.beginTx()
+        // or similar will have time to complete (other parts of shutdown will take care of that).
+
         KernelTransactions kernelTransactions = newKernelTransactions();
         SecurityContext securityContext = mock( SecurityContext.class );
 
         availabilityGuard.shutdown();
 
-        expectedException.expect( DatabaseShutdownException.class );
-        kernelTransactions.newInstance( KernelTransaction.Type.explicit, securityContext, 0L );
+        try ( KernelTransaction transaction =
+                kernelTransactions.newInstance( KernelTransaction.Type.explicit, securityContext, 0L ) )
+        {
+            assertNotNull( transaction );
+        }
     }
 
     @Test