diff --git a/tests/rptest/tests/raft_availability_test.py b/tests/rptest/tests/raft_availability_test.py
index 10d3943b54a5..88607f3c8df8 100644
--- a/tests/rptest/tests/raft_availability_test.py
+++ b/tests/rptest/tests/raft_availability_test.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 import random
 import ducktape.errors
 from typing import Optional
+import requests
 
 from ducktape.mark import parametrize
 from ducktape.utils.util import wait_until
@@ -123,41 +124,48 @@ def _expect_available(self):
         self.logger.info("Cluster is available as expected")
 
     def _transfer_leadership(self, admin: Admin, namespace: str, topic: str,
-                             target_node_id: int) -> None:
-
-        last_log_msg = ""  # avoid spamming log
-
-        def leader_predicate(l: Optional[int]) -> bool:
-            nonlocal last_log_msg, target_node_id
-            if not l:
-                return False
-            if l != target_node_id:  # type: ignore
-                log_msg = f'Still waiting for leader {target_node_id}, got {l}'
-                if log_msg != last_log_msg:  # type: ignore # "unbound"
-                    self.logger.info(log_msg)
-                    last_log_msg = log_msg
-                return False
-            return True
+                             target_id: int) -> None:
 
-        retry_once = True
+        count = 0
         while True:
-            self.logger.info(f"Starting transfer to {target_node_id}")
-            admin.partition_transfer_leadership("kafka", topic, 0,
-                                                target_node_id)
+            count += 1
+            self.logger.info(f"Waiting for a leader")
+            leader_id = admin.await_stable_leader(topic,
+                                                  partition=0,
+                                                  namespace=namespace,
+                                                  timeout_s=30,
+                                                  backoff_s=2)
+            self.logger.info(f"Current leader {leader_id}")
+
+            if leader_id == target_id:
+                return
+
+            self.logger.info(f"Starting transfer to {target_id}")
+            requests.exceptions.HTTPError
             try:
-                self._wait_for_leader(leader_predicate,
-                                      timeout=ELECTION_TIMEOUT * 2)
-            except ducktape.errors.TimeoutError as e:
-                if retry_once:
+                admin.transfer_leadership_to(topic=topic,
+                                             namespace=namespace,
+                                             partition=0,
+                                             target_id=target_id,
+                                             leader_id=leader_id)
+            except requests.exceptions.HTTPError as e:
+                if count <= 10 and e.response.status_code == 503:
                     self.logger.info(
-                        f'Failed to get desired leader, retrying once.')
-                    retry_once = False
+                        f"Got 503: {leader_id}'s metadata hasn't been updated yet"
+                    )
+                    time.sleep(1)
                     continue
-                else:
-                    raise e
-            break  # no exception -> success, we can return now
+                raise
+            break
 
-        self.logger.info(f"Completed transfer to {target_node_id}")
+        admin.await_stable_leader(topic,
+                                  partition=0,
+                                  namespace=namespace,
+                                  timeout_s=ELECTION_TIMEOUT * 4,
+                                  backoff_s=2,
+                                  check=lambda node_id: node_id != leader_id)
+
+        self.logger.info(f"Completed transfer to {target_id}")
 
     @cluster(num_nodes=3)
     def test_one_node_down(self):
@@ -404,7 +412,7 @@ def test_leader_transfers_recovery(self, acks):
         # is tripping up the cluster when we have so many leadership transfers.
         # https://github.com/redpanda-data/redpanda/issues/2623
 
-        admin = Admin(self.redpanda)
+        admin = Admin(self.redpanda, retry_codes=[])
 
         initial_leader_id = leader_node_id
         for n in range(0, transfer_count):