diff --git a/bin/tests/system/statschannel/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/statschannel/tests.sh
index 314eb0ab19..c535e85de2 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/statschannel/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/statschannel/tests.sh
@@ -734,19 +734,19 @@ _wait_for_transfers() {
     if [ $count != 1 ]; then return 1; fi
   fi
 
-  if [ "$PERL_JSON" ]; then
+  if [ "$PERL_JSON" ] && [ -x "$JQ" ]; then
     getxfrins json j$n || return 1
 
     # We expect 4 transfers
-    count=$(grep -c -E '"state":"(Zone Transfer Request|First Data|Receiving AXFR Data)"' xfrins.json.j$n)
+    count=$("$JQ" '.views._default.xfrins | length' <xfrins.json.j$n)
     if [ $count != 4 ]; then return 1; fi
 
     # We expect 3 of 4 to be retransfers
-    count=$(grep -c -F '"firstrefresh":"No"' xfrins.json.j$n)
+    count=$("$JQ" '.views._default.xfrins | map(select(.firstrefresh == "No")) | length' <xfrins.json.j$n)
     if [ $count != 3 ]; then return 1; fi
 
     # We expect 1 of 4 to be a new transfer
-    count=$(grep -c -F '"firstrefresh":"Yes"' xfrins.json.j$n)
+    count=$("$JQ" '.views._default.xfrins | map(select(.firstrefresh == "Yes")) | length' <xfrins.json.j$n)
     if [ $count != 1 ]; then return 1; fi
   fi
 }
@@ -766,7 +766,7 @@ if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=$((status + ret))
 n=$((n + 1))
 
-if [ "$PERL_JSON" ]; then
+if [ "$PERL_JSON" ] && [ -x "$JQ" ]; then
   echo_i "Checking zone transfer transports ($n)"
   ret=0
   cp xfrins.json.j$((n - 2)) xfrins.json.j$n
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/synthfromdnssec/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/synthfromdnssec/tests.sh
index e599b0d2a7..7d011ce7e3 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/synthfromdnssec/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/synthfromdnssec/tests.sh
@@ -776,7 +776,7 @@ for ns in 2 4 5 6; do
     echo_i "Skipping XML statistics checks"
   fi
 
-  if $FEATURETEST --have-json-c && [ -x "${CURL}" ]; then
+  if $FEATURETEST --have-json-c && [ -x "${CURL}" ] && [ -x "${JQ}" ]; then
     echo_i "getting JSON statisistcs for (synth-from-dnssec ${description};) ($n)"
     ret=0
     json=json.out$n
@@ -787,9 +787,9 @@ for ns in 2 4 5 6; do
 
     echo_i "check JSON for 'CoveringNSEC' with (synth-from-dnssec ${description};) ($n)"
     ret=0
-    count=$(grep '"CoveringNSEC":' $json | wc -l)
+    count=$("${JQ}" '.views | map(select(.resolver.cachestats | has("CoveringNSEC"))) | length' <$json)
     test $count = 2 || ret=1
-    zero=$(grep '"CoveringNSEC":0' $json | wc -l)
+    zero=$("${JQ}" '.views | map(select(.resolver.cachestats.CoveringNSEC == 0)) | length' <$json)
     if [ ${synth} = yes ]; then
       test $zero = 1 || ret=1
     else
@@ -801,9 +801,9 @@ for ns in 2 4 5 6; do
 
     echo_i "check JSON for 'CacheNSECNodes' with (synth-from-dnssec ${description};) ($n)"
     ret=0
-    count=$(grep '"CacheNSECNodes":' $json | wc -l)
+    count=$("${JQ}" '.views | map(select(.resolver.cachestats | has("CacheNSECNodes"))) | length' <$json)
     test $count = 2 || ret=1
-    zero=$(grep '"CacheNSECNodes":0' $json | wc -l)
+    zero=$("${JQ}" '.views | map(select(.resolver.cachestats.CacheNSECNodes == 0)) | length' <$json)
     if [ ${ad} = yes ]; then
       test $zero = 1 || ret=1
     else
@@ -823,9 +823,9 @@ for ns in 2 4 5 6; do
       echo_i "check JSON for '$synthesized}' with (synth-from-dnssec ${description};) ($n)"
       ret=0
       if [ ${synth} = yes ]; then
-        grep '"'$synthesized'":'$count'' $json >/dev/null || ret=1
+        test $("${JQ}" ".nsstats.${synthesized}" <$json) -eq $count || ret=1
       else
-        grep '"'$synthesized'":' $json >/dev/null && ret=1
+        "${JQ}" -e '.nsstats | has("'"${synthesized}"'")' <$json >/dev/null && ret=1
       fi
       n=$((n + 1))
       if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi