diff --git a/test/e2e/issuer.go b/test/e2e/issuer.go
index 21dbb5383..5610e7c05 100644
--- a/test/e2e/issuer.go
+++ b/test/e2e/issuer.go
@@ -48,12 +48,32 @@ var _ = framework.CertManagerDescribe("Issuer", func() {
 		_, err := f.CertManagerClientSet.CertmanagerV1alpha1().Issuers(f.Namespace.Name).Create(newCertManagerACMEIssuer(issuerName, testingACMEURL, testingACMEEmail, testingACMEPrivateKey))
 		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 		By("Waiting for Issuer to become Ready")
-		err = util.WaitForIssuerReady(f.CertManagerClientSet.CertmanagerV1alpha1().Issuers(f.Namespace.Name), issuerName)
+		err = util.WaitForIssuerCondition(f.CertManagerClientSet.CertmanagerV1alpha1().Issuers(f.Namespace.Name),
+			issuerName,
+			v1alpha1.IssuerCondition{
+				Type:   v1alpha1.IssuerConditionReady,
+				Status: v1alpha1.ConditionTrue,
+			})
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+	})
+
+	It("should fail to register an ACME account", func() {
+		By("Creating an Issuer with an invalid server")
+		_, err := f.CertManagerClientSet.CertmanagerV1alpha1().Issuers(f.Namespace.Name).Create(newCertManagerACMEIssuer(issuerName, invalidACMEURL, testingACMEEmail, testingACMEPrivateKey))
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		By("Waiting for Issuer to become non-Ready")
+		err = util.WaitForIssuerCondition(f.CertManagerClientSet.CertmanagerV1alpha1().Issuers(f.Namespace.Name),
+			issuerName,
+			v1alpha1.IssuerCondition{
+				Type:   v1alpha1.IssuerConditionReady,
+				Status: v1alpha1.ConditionFalse,
+			})
 		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 	})
 })
 
 const testingACMEURL = "https://acme-staging.api.letsencrypt.org/directory"
+const invalidACMEURL = "http://not-a-real-acme-url.com"
 const testingACMEEmail = "test@example.com"
 const testingACMEPrivateKey = "test-acme-private-key"
 
diff --git a/test/util/util.go b/test/util/util.go
index e38dc6926..82b8570b9 100644
--- a/test/util/util.go
+++ b/test/util/util.go
@@ -7,19 +7,30 @@ import (
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/wait"
 
+	"github.com/golang/glog"
+	"github.com/jetstack-experimental/cert-manager/pkg/apis/certmanager/v1alpha1"
 	clientset "github.com/jetstack-experimental/cert-manager/pkg/client/typed/certmanager/v1alpha1"
 )
 
-func WaitForIssuerReady(cl clientset.IssuerInterface, name string) error {
+// WaitForIssuerCondition waits for the status of the named issuer to contain
+// a condition whose type and status matches the supplied one.
+func WaitForIssuerCondition(client clientset.IssuerInterface, name string, condition v1alpha1.IssuerCondition) error {
 	return wait.PollImmediate(500*time.Millisecond, wait.ForeverTestTimeout,
 		func() (bool, error) {
-			issuer, err := cl.Get(name, metav1.GetOptions{})
+			glog.V(5).Infof("Waiting for issuer %v condition %#v", name, condition)
+			issuer, err := client.Get(name, metav1.GetOptions{})
 			if nil != err {
-				return false, fmt.Errorf("error getting Broker %v: %v", name, err)
+				return false, fmt.Errorf("error getting Issuer %v: %v", name, err)
 			}
 
-			if issuer.Status.Ready {
-				return true, nil
+			if len(issuer.Status.Conditions) == 0 {
+				return false, nil
+			}
+
+			for _, cond := range issuer.Status.Conditions {
+				if condition.Type == cond.Type && condition.Status == cond.Status {
+					return true, nil
+				}
 			}
 
 			return false, nil