diff --git a/tests/test_dm_media.c b/tests/test_dm_media.c
index ebd69e257..f31ebc989 100644
--- a/tests/test_dm_media.c
+++ b/tests/test_dm_media.c
@@ -440,7 +440,9 @@ static int release_failures(struct media_test* t) {
             }
             control(t, S, t->ids[M], cmd, packet, cmd == DM_MEDIA_EXPIRED ? 32 : 33);
             if (release_state(t, completed) || completed[0] || completed[1] || completed[2] != (cmd == DM_MEDIA_EXPIRED) ||
-                completed[3] != before[3] || completed[4] || completed[5] != (cmd == DM_MEDIA_EXPIRED ? 2 : 3) ||
+                completed[3] != before[3] || (cmd == DM_MEDIA_EXPIRED ? completed[4] != 0 :
+                    completed[4] < (sqlite3_int64)ntp_time_get_seconds(t->nodes[S]) + 59) ||
+                completed[5] != (cmd == DM_MEDIA_EXPIRED ? 2 : 3) ||
                 value(t->nodes[S], "SELECT count(*) FROM dm_media_jobs WHERE receipt IS NOT NULL") ||
                 value(t->nodes[S], "SELECT count(*) FROM dm_media_jobs WHERE body IS NULL")) return -1;
             control(t, S, t->ids[M], cmd, packet, cmd == DM_MEDIA_EXPIRED ? 32 : 33);
diff --git a/tests/test_dm_media_cleanup.c b/tests/test_dm_media_cleanup.c
index 83ae7a053..c9ec8c37b 100644
--- a/tests/test_dm_media_cleanup.c
+++ b/tests/test_dm_media_cleanup.c
@@ -167,6 +167,10 @@ int main(void) {
     check_receipt(inst.topo_sqlite_db);
     reply(media, 77, 999, DM_MEDIA_DELETE_ACK, id, sizeof(id));
     assert(scalar(inst.topo_sqlite_db, "SELECT released FROM dm_media_holders") == 0);
+    uint8_t stale[32] = {101}; memcpy(stale + 16, id, sizeof(id)); stale[15] = 1;
+    dm_mailbox_media_recv(media, 78, 101, DM_MEDIA_DELETE_ACK, stale, sizeof(stale));
+    assert(scalar(inst.topo_sqlite_db, "SELECT released FROM dm_media_holders") == 0);
+    assert(scalar(inst.topo_sqlite_db, "SELECT holder FROM dm_media_jobs") == 101);
     exec_sql(inst.topo_sqlite_db, "INSERT INTO dm_media_holders SELECT id,102,x'66000000000000000000000000000000',0 FROM dm_media_jobs");
     reply(media, 78, 101, DM_MEDIA_DELETE_ACK, id, sizeof(id));
     assert(scalar(inst.topo_sqlite_db, "SELECT released FROM dm_media_holders WHERE node_id=101") == 1);