diff --git a/app/scripts/controllers/permissions/index.js b/app/scripts/controllers/permissions/index.js
index 0bb628d2dbcd..bc3f718191b4 100644
--- a/app/scripts/controllers/permissions/index.js
+++ b/app/scripts/controllers/permissions/index.js
@@ -724,17 +724,17 @@ export class PermissionsController {
        * @param {string} req - The internal rpc-cap user request object.
        */
       requestUserApproval: (req) => {
-        const { metadata: { id, origin } } = req
+        return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+          const { metadata: { id, origin } } = req
 
-        if (this.pendingApprovalOrigins.has(origin)) {
-          throw ethErrors.rpc.resourceUnavailable(
-            'Permissions request already pending; please wait.',
-          )
-        }
+          if (this.pendingApprovalOrigins.has(origin)) {
+            throw ethErrors.rpc.resourceUnavailable(
+              'Permissions request already pending; please wait.',
+            )
+          }
 
-        this._showPermissionRequest()
+          this._showPermissionRequest()
 
-        return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
           this._addPendingApproval(id, origin, resolve, reject)
         })
       },
diff --git a/test/unit/app/controllers/permissions/permissions-middleware-test.js b/test/unit/app/controllers/permissions/permissions-middleware-test.js
index 501cbb233283..8b56eb764339 100644
--- a/test/unit/app/controllers/permissions/permissions-middleware-test.js
+++ b/test/unit/app/controllers/permissions/permissions-middleware-test.js
@@ -397,12 +397,17 @@ describe('permissions middleware', function () {
       )
       const resA2 = {}
 
-      await assert.rejects(
+      userApprovalPromise = getUserApprovalPromise(permController)
+
+      const requestApprovalFail = assert.rejects(
         aMiddleware(reqA2, resA2),
         expectedError,
         'request should be rejected with correct error',
       )
 
+      await userApprovalPromise
+      await requestApprovalFail
+
       assert.ok(
         (
           !resA2.result && resA2.error &&