diff --git a/python/ray/experimental/state.py b/python/ray/experimental/state.py
index ffc12173a..9b02f1cf9 100644
--- a/python/ray/experimental/state.py
+++ b/python/ray/experimental/state.py
@@ -229,6 +229,8 @@ class GlobalState(object):
         message = self._execute_command(object_id, "RAY.TABLE_LOOKUP",
                                         ray.gcs_utils.TablePrefix.OBJECT, "",
                                         object_id.binary())
+        if message is None:
+            return {}
         gcs_entry = ray.gcs_utils.GcsTableEntry.GetRootAsGcsTableEntry(
             message, 0)
 
@@ -292,6 +294,8 @@ class GlobalState(object):
         message = self._execute_command(task_id, "RAY.TABLE_LOOKUP",
                                         ray.gcs_utils.TablePrefix.RAYLET_TASK,
                                         "", task_id.binary())
+        if message is None:
+            return {}
         gcs_entries = ray.gcs_utils.GcsTableEntry.GetRootAsGcsTableEntry(
             message, 0)
 
diff --git a/test/monitor_test.py b/test/monitor_test.py
index d21a6a3f3..248aa6fb0 100644
--- a/test/monitor_test.py
+++ b/test/monitor_test.py
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ def _test_cleanup_on_driver_exit(num_redis_shards):
     init_cmd = [m for m in lines if m.startswith("ray.init")]
     assert 1 == len(init_cmd)
     redis_address = init_cmd[0].split("redis_address=\"")[-1][:-2]
+    max_attempts_before_failing = 100
+    # Wait for monitor.py to start working.
+    time.sleep(2)
 
     def StateSummary():
         obj_tbl_len = len(ray.global_state.object_table())
@@ -40,8 +43,6 @@ def _test_cleanup_on_driver_exit(num_redis_shards):
         if (0, 1) != summary_start[:2]:
             success.value = False
 
-        max_attempts_before_failing = 100
-
         # Two new objects.
         ray.get(ray.put(1111))
         ray.get(ray.put(1111))
@@ -83,18 +84,17 @@ def _test_cleanup_on_driver_exit(num_redis_shards):
     driver.start()
     # Wait for client to exit.
     driver.join()
-    time.sleep(3)
 
-    # Just make sure Driver() is run and succeeded. Note(rkn), if the below
-    # assertion starts failing, then the issue may be that the summary
-    # values computed in the Driver function are being updated slowly and
-    # so the call to StateSummary() is getting outdated values. This could
-    # be fixed by looping until StateSummary() returns the desired values.
+    # Just make sure Driver() is run and succeeded.
     assert success.value
     # Check that objects, tasks, and functions are cleaned up.
     ray.init(redis_address=redis_address)
-    # The assertion below can fail if the monitor is too slow to clean up
-    # the global state.
+    attempts = 0
+    while (0, 1) != StateSummary()[:2]:
+        time.sleep(0.1)
+        attempts += 1
+        if attempts == max_attempts_before_failing:
+            break
     assert (0, 1) == StateSummary()[:2]
 
     ray.shutdown()