diff --git a/contrib/lib/Cargo.toml b/contrib/lib/Cargo.toml
index 4ccf8806..40ef57aa 100644
--- a/contrib/lib/Cargo.toml
+++ b/contrib/lib/Cargo.toml
@@ -86,5 +86,8 @@ time = { version = "0.2.9", optional = true }
 brotli = { version = "3.3", optional = true }
 flate2 = { version = "1.0", optional = true }
 
+[dev-dependencies]
+tokio-timer = "=0.3.0-alpha.5"
+
 [package.metadata.docs.rs]
 all-features = true
diff --git a/contrib/lib/tests/templates.rs b/contrib/lib/tests/templates.rs
index d9f56ac8..7250ab9c 100644
--- a/contrib/lib/tests/templates.rs
+++ b/contrib/lib/tests/templates.rs
@@ -124,7 +124,6 @@ mod templates_tests {
         async fn test_template_reload() {
             use std::fs::File;
             use std::io::Write;
-            use std::thread;
             use std::time::Duration;
 
             use rocket::local::Client;
@@ -169,9 +168,8 @@ mod templates_tests {
                     return;
                 }
 
-                // TODO.async: blocking call in async context
                 // otherwise, retry a few times, waiting 250ms in between
-                thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(250));
+                tokio_timer::delay_for(Duration::from_millis(250)).await;
             }
 
             panic!("failed to reload modified template in 1.5s");