diff --git a/bin/tests/system/statistics/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/statistics/tests.sh
index 8db7741013..02283fd69a 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/statistics/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/statistics/tests.sh
@@ -89,7 +89,11 @@ $DIGCMD +tries=2 +time=1 +recurse @10.53.0.3 foo.info. any > /dev/null 2>&1
 
 ret=0
 echo_i "dumping updated stats for ns3 ($n)"
-rndc_stats ns3 10.53.0.3 || ret=1
+getstats() {
+    rndc_stats ns3 10.53.0.3 || return 1
+    grep "2 recursing clients" $last_stats > /dev/null || return 1
+}
+retry_quiet 5 getstats || ret=1
 if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=`expr $status + $ret`
 n=`expr $n + 1`
@@ -135,6 +139,13 @@ if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=`expr $status + $ret`
 n=`expr $n + 1`
 
+ret=0
+echo_i "checking priming queries are counted ($n)"
+grep "1 priming queries" $last_stats > /dev/null || ret=1
+if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
+status=`expr $status + $ret`
+n=`expr $n + 1`
+
 ret=0
 echo_i "checking that zones with slash are properly shown in XML output ($n)"
 if $FEATURETEST --have-libxml2 && [ -x ${CURL} ] ; then
@@ -236,13 +247,6 @@ if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=`expr $status + $ret`
 n=`expr $n + 1`
 
-ret=0
-echo_i "checking priming queries are counted ($n)"
-grep "1 priming queries" $last_stats
-if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
-status=`expr $status + $ret`
-n=`expr $n + 1`
-
 echo_i "Check that 'zone-statistics full;' is processed by 'rndc reconfig' ($n)"
 ret=0
 # off by default