diff --git a/lib/behat/behat_base.php b/lib/behat/behat_base.php
index 8c60cecd4fe..c2dac9a9e72 100644
--- a/lib/behat/behat_base.php
+++ b/lib/behat/behat_base.php
@@ -302,6 +302,11 @@ class behat_base extends Behat\MinkExtension\Context\RawMinkContext {
             $loops = $timeout;
         }
 
+        // DOM will never change on non-javascript case; do not wait or try again.
+        if (!$this->running_javascript()) {
+            $loops = 1;
+        }
+
         for ($i = 0; $i < $loops; $i++) {
             // We catch the exception thrown by the step definition to execute it again.
             try {
@@ -320,10 +325,12 @@ class behat_base extends Behat\MinkExtension\Context\RawMinkContext {
                 continue;
             }
 
-            if ($microsleep) {
-                usleep(100000);
-            } else {
-                sleep(1);
+            if ($this->running_javascript()) {
+                if ($microsleep) {
+                    usleep(100000);
+                } else {
+                    sleep(1);
+                }
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/lib/tests/behat/behat_forms.php b/lib/tests/behat/behat_forms.php
index 72e186ee930..f7a5a529e65 100644
--- a/lib/tests/behat/behat_forms.php
+++ b/lib/tests/behat/behat_forms.php
@@ -98,6 +98,10 @@ class behat_forms extends behat_base {
      * @return void
      */
     protected function expand_all_fields() {
+        // Expand only if JS mode, else not needed.
+        if (!$this->running_javascript()) {
+            return;
+        }
 
         // We already know that we waited for the DOM and the JS to be loaded, even the editor
         // so, we will use the reduced timeout as it is a common task and we should save time.