diff --git a/src/mongo/s/query/async_results_merger.cpp b/src/mongo/s/query/async_results_merger.cpp
index 9100df3c57d..3025e627f0e 100644
--- a/src/mongo/s/query/async_results_merger.cpp
+++ b/src/mongo/s/query/async_results_merger.cpp
@@ -761,6 +761,15 @@ void AsyncResultsMerger::_processBatchResults(WithLock lk,
     // Update the cursorId; it is sent as '0' when the cursor has been exhausted on the shard.
     remote.cursorId = cursorResponse.getCursorId();

+    // Adding sleep to repro SERVER-31978
+    if (remote.cursorId == 0 && _tailableMode == TailableModeEnum::kTailableAndAwaitData) {
+        std::cout <<
+              "AsyncResultsMerger()::_processBatchResults going to sleep" << std::endl;
+        sleepmillis(5000);
+        std::cout <<
+              "AsyncResultsMerger()::_processBatchResults woke up" << std::endl;
+    }
+
     // Save the batch in the remote's buffer.
     if (!_addBatchToBuffer(lk, remoteIndex, cursorResponse)) {
         return;