diff --git a/bin/tests/system/rndc/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/rndc/tests.sh
index 81f05a8cc7..9ce0cb03da 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/rndc/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/rndc/tests.sh
@@ -562,8 +562,9 @@ status=$((status + ret))
 n=$((n + 1))
 echo_i "test 'rndc reconfig' with a broken config ($n)"
 ret=0
+nextpart ns4/named.run >/dev/null
 $RNDC -s 10.53.0.4 -p ${EXTRAPORT6} -c ns4/key6.conf reconfig >/dev/null || ret=1
-sleep 1
+wait_for_log 3 "running" ns4/named.run
 mv ns4/named.conf ns4/named.conf.save
 echo "error error error" >>ns4/named.conf
 $RNDC -s 10.53.0.4 -p ${EXTRAPORT6} -c ns4/key6.conf reconfig >rndc.out.1.test$n 2>&1 && ret=1
@@ -582,10 +583,11 @@ status=$((status + ret))
 n=$((n + 1))
 echo_i "restore working config ($n)"
 ret=0
+nextpart ns4/named.run >/dev/null
 mv ns4/named.conf.save ns4/named.conf
 sleep 1
 $RNDC -s 10.53.0.4 -p ${EXTRAPORT6} -c ns4/key6.conf reconfig >/dev/null || ret=1
-sleep 1
+wait_for_log 3 "running" ns4/named.run
 if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=$((status + ret))