diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index b595926746..f2d965483a 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+4907.	[test]		Improved the reliabilty of the 'notify' system
+			test. [GL #59]
+
 4906.	[func]		Replace getquad() with inet_pton(), completing
 			change #4900. [GL #56]
 
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/notify/clean.sh b/bin/tests/system/notify/clean.sh
index 48e26bdef0..7f0b4075bc 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/notify/clean.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/notify/clean.sh
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 #
 
 rm -f */named.memstats
-rm -f */named.run
+rm -f */named.run */named.run.prev
 rm -f */named.conf
 rm -f */named.port
 rm -f dig.out.?.ns5.test*
@@ -32,3 +32,4 @@ rm -f ns5/x21.bk-b.jnl
 rm -f ns5/x21.bk-c
 rm -f ns5/x21.bk-c.jnl
 rm -f ns5/x21.db.jnl
+rm -f tmp
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/notify/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/notify/tests.sh
index 50cf02232b..ecd8838d90 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/notify/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/notify/tests.sh
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ awk '$1 > 5 { exit(1) }' log.out || ret=1
 [ $ret = 0 ] || echo_i "failed"
 status=`expr $ret + $status`
 
+nextpart ns3/named.run > /dev/null
+
 sleep 1 # make sure filesystem time stamp is newer for reload.
 rm -f ns2/example.db
 cp -f ns2/example2.db ns2/example.db
@@ -72,11 +74,13 @@ else
     echo_i "reloading with example2 using rndc and waiting up to 45 seconds"
     $RNDCCMD 10.53.0.2 reload 2>&1 | sed 's/^/I:ns2 /'
 fi
+
 try=0
 while test $try -lt 45
 do
+    nextpart ns3/named.run > tmp
+    grep 'transfer of 'example/IN' from 10.53.0.2#.*success' tmp > /dev/null && break
     sleep 1
-    grep 'notify from 10.53.0.2#[0-9][0-9]*: serial 2$' ns3/named.run > /dev/null && break
     try=`expr $try + 1`
 done
 
@@ -121,8 +125,9 @@ $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/start.pl --noclean --restart --port ${PORT} . ns2
 try=0
 while test $try -lt 45
 do
+    nextpart ns3/named.run > tmp
+    grep 'transfer of 'example/IN' from 10.53.0.2#.*success' tmp > /dev/null && break
     sleep 1
-    grep 'notify from 10.53.0.2#[0-9][0-9]*: serial 4$' ns3/named.run > /dev/null && break
     try=`expr $try + 1`
 done