diff --git a/planet/clients/data.py b/planet/clients/data.py
index 83552cb5..e558de27 100644
--- a/planet/clients/data.py
+++ b/planet/clients/data.py
@@ -599,7 +599,7 @@ async def wait_asset(
         # loop without end if max_attempts is zero
         # otherwise, loop until num_attempts reaches max_attempts
         num_attempts = 0
-        while not max_attempts or num_attempts < max_attempts:
+        while True:
             t = time.time()
 
             try:
@@ -615,6 +615,10 @@ async def wait_asset(
             if current_status == 'active':
                 break
 
+            if max_attempts and num_attempts >= max_attempts:
+                raise exceptions.ClientError(
+                    f'Maximum number of attempts ({max_attempts}) reached.')
+
             sleep_time = max(delay - (time.time() - t), 0)
             LOGGER.debug(f'sleeping {sleep_time}s')
             await asyncio.sleep(sleep_time)
@@ -630,10 +634,6 @@ async def wait_asset(
             response = await self._session.request(method='GET', url=asset_url)
             asset = response.json()
 
-        if max_attempts and num_attempts >= max_attempts:
-            raise exceptions.ClientError(
-                f'Maximum number of attempts ({max_attempts}) reached.')
-
         return asset
 
     async def download_asset(self,
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_data_api.py b/tests/integration/test_data_api.py
index e717de74..23259216 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_data_api.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_data_api.py
@@ -1379,6 +1379,44 @@ async def test_wait_asset_max_attempts(session):
         await cl.wait_asset(basic_udm2_asset, delay=0, max_attempts=1)
 
 
+@respx.mock
+@pytest.mark.anyio
+async def test_wait_asset_active_on_last_attempt(session):
+    asset_url = f'{TEST_URL}/asset'
+
+    basic_udm2_asset = {
+        "_links": {
+            "_self": asset_url,
+            "activate": "ACTIVATEURL",
+            "type": "https://api.planet.com/data/v1/asset-types/basic_udm2"
+        },
+        "_permissions": ["download"],
+        "md5_digest": None,
+        "status": 'activating',
+        "type": "basic_udm2"
+    }
+
+    basic_udm2_asset_active = copy.deepcopy(basic_udm2_asset)
+    basic_udm2_asset_active['status'] = 'active'
+
+    route = respx.get(asset_url)
+    route.side_effect = [
+        httpx.Response(HTTPStatus.OK, json=basic_udm2_asset),
+        httpx.Response(HTTPStatus.OK, json=basic_udm2_asset_active)
+    ]
+
+    statuses = []
+    cl = DataClient(session, base_url=TEST_URL)
+    asset = await cl.wait_asset(basic_udm2_asset,
+                                delay=0,
+                                max_attempts=2,
+                                callback=statuses.append)
+
+    assert asset == basic_udm2_asset_active
+    assert statuses == ['activating', 'activating', 'active']
+    assert route.call_count == 2
+
+
 @respx.mock
 @pytest.mark.anyio
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("exists, overwrite",