diff --git a/bin/tests/system/dnstap/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/dnstap/tests.sh
index 588ced2cea..b6dd1c1040 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/dnstap/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/dnstap/tests.sh
@@ -44,7 +44,12 @@ wait_for_log 20 "all zones loaded" ns4/named.run || ret=1
 if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=`expr $status + $ret`
 
+# both the 'a.example/A' lookup and the './NS' lookup to ns1
+# need tocomplete before reopening/rolling for the counts to
+# be correct.
+
 $DIG $DIGOPTS @10.53.0.3 a.example > dig.out
+wait_for_log 20 "(./NS): query_reset" ns1/named.run || true
 
 # check three different dnstap reopen/roll methods:
 # ns1: dnstap-reopen; ns2: dnstap -reopen; ns3: dnstap -roll