diff --git a/bin/tests/system/fetchlimit/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/fetchlimit/tests.sh
index b36f792570..f994406249 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/fetchlimit/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/fetchlimit/tests.sh
@@ -60,6 +60,15 @@ stat() {
   return 0
 }
 
+# Succeed once the lame domain reaches the fetches-per-zone limit (40),
+# checking both recursive clients (stat) and active fetches (rndc fetchlimit
+# field 3).  Used with retry_quiet to wait out transient low readings.
+perdomain_at_limit() {
+  stat 10.53.0.3 40 40 || return 1
+  active=$(rndccmd 10.53.0.3 fetchlimit | awk '/lamesub/ { print $3 }')
+  [ "${active:-0}" -eq 40 ]
+}
+
 _wait_for_message() (
   nextpartpeek "$1" >wait_for_message.$n
   grep -F "$2" wait_for_message.$n >/dev/null
@@ -177,6 +186,7 @@ echo_i "checking lame server clients are dropped at the per-domain limit ($n)"
 ret=0
 fail=0
 success=0
+reached=0
 sendcmd 10.53.0.4 send-responses "disable"
 for try in 1 2 3 4 5; do
   burst 10.53.0.3 d $try 300
@@ -185,15 +195,22 @@ for try in 1 2 3 4 5; do
     && success=$((success + 1))
   grep "status: SERVFAIL" dig.out.ns3.$n.$try >/dev/null 2>&1 \
     && fail=$(($fail + 1))
-  stat 10.53.0.3 40 40 || ret=1
-  allowed=$(rndccmd 10.53.0.3 fetchlimit | awk '/lamesub/ { print $6 }')
-  [ "${allowed:-0}" -eq 40 ] || {
-    echo_i "allowed ${allowed}/40"
+  # The active count (field 3) is capped at 40 but can dip lower between
+  # bursts, so retry the sample, flag only a count above 40, and require the
+  # limit to be reached at least once.  (Field 6 is the cumulative "allowed"
+  # counter, which grows past 40 as refilled slots are counted.)
+  retry_quiet 5 perdomain_at_limit && reached=1
+  if [ "${active:-0}" -gt 40 ]; then
+    echo_i "active ${active}/40"
     ret=1
-  }
-  [ $ret -eq 1 ] && break
+    break
+  fi
   sleep 1
 done
+[ "$reached" -eq 1 ] || {
+  echo_i "per-domain limit (40) not reached"
+  ret=1
+}
 echo_i "$success successful valid queries, $fail SERVFAIL"
 if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=$((status + ret))