diff --git a/kmod/src/block.c b/kmod/src/block.c
index 6d93e116..e13aa8e0 100644
--- a/kmod/src/block.c
+++ b/kmod/src/block.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "msg.h"
 #include "scoutfs_trace.h"
 #include "alloc.h"
+#include "triggers.h"
 
 /*
  * The scoutfs block cache manages metadata blocks that can be larger
@@ -682,7 +683,8 @@ retry:
 
 	ret = 0;
 out:
-	if (ret == -ESTALE && !retried && !block_is_dirty(bp)) {
+	if ((ret == -ESTALE || scoutfs_trigger(sb, BLOCK_REMOVE_STALE)) &&
+	    !retried && !block_is_dirty(bp)) {
 		retried = true;
 		scoutfs_inc_counter(sb, block_cache_remove_stale);
 		block_remove(sb, bp);
diff --git a/kmod/src/triggers.c b/kmod/src/triggers.c
index a94f2b65..75ba07d7 100644
--- a/kmod/src/triggers.c
+++ b/kmod/src/triggers.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ struct scoutfs_triggers {
 	struct scoutfs_triggers *name = SCOUTFS_SB(sb)->triggers
 
 static char *names[] = {
+	[SCOUTFS_TRIGGER_BLOCK_REMOVE_STALE] = "block_remove_stale",
 	[SCOUTFS_TRIGGER_BTREE_STALE_READ] = "btree_stale_read",
 	[SCOUTFS_TRIGGER_BTREE_ADVANCE_RING_HALF] = "btree_advance_ring_half",
 	[SCOUTFS_TRIGGER_HARD_STALE_ERROR] = "hard_stale_error",
diff --git a/kmod/src/triggers.h b/kmod/src/triggers.h
index 8796cd18..d3d2e0f6 100644
--- a/kmod/src/triggers.h
+++ b/kmod/src/triggers.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #define _SCOUTFS_TRIGGERS_H_
 
 enum scoutfs_trigger {
+	SCOUTFS_TRIGGER_BLOCK_REMOVE_STALE,
 	SCOUTFS_TRIGGER_BTREE_STALE_READ,
 	SCOUTFS_TRIGGER_BTREE_ADVANCE_RING_HALF,
 	SCOUTFS_TRIGGER_HARD_STALE_ERROR,
diff --git a/tests/golden/block-stale-reads b/tests/golden/block-stale-reads
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..51f11b28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/golden/block-stale-reads
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+== create file for xattr ping pong
+# file: /mnt/test/test/block-stale-reads/file
+user.xat="initial"
+
+== retry btree forest reads between mounts
+trigger block_remove_stale armed: 0
+# file: /mnt/test/test/block-stale-reads/file
+user.xat="1"
+
+trigger block_remove_stale after: 0
+counter block_cache_remove_stale diff 1
+trigger block_remove_stale armed: 0
+# file: /mnt/test/test/block-stale-reads/file
+user.xat="2"
+
+trigger block_remove_stale after: 0
+counter block_cache_remove_stale diff 2
+trigger block_remove_stale armed: 0
+# file: /mnt/test/test/block-stale-reads/file
+user.xat="3"
+
+trigger block_remove_stale after: 0
+counter block_cache_remove_stale diff 3
+trigger block_remove_stale armed: 0
+# file: /mnt/test/test/block-stale-reads/file
+user.xat="4"
+
+trigger block_remove_stale after: 0
+counter block_cache_remove_stale diff 4
diff --git a/tests/golden/stale-btree-read b/tests/golden/stale-btree-read
deleted file mode 100644
index 07cb3bf1..00000000
--- a/tests/golden/stale-btree-read
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-== create file for xattr ping pong
-# file: /mnt/test/test/stale-btree-read/file
-user.xat="initial"
-
-== retry btree block read
-trigger btree_stale_read armed: 1
-# file: /mnt/test/test/stale-btree-read/file
-user.xat="btree"
-
-trigger btree_stale_read after: 0
-counter btree_stale_read diff 1
diff --git a/tests/sequence b/tests/sequence
index 8cd44c87..764ec501 100644
--- a/tests/sequence
+++ b/tests/sequence
@@ -28,5 +28,5 @@ setup-error-teardown.sh
 mount-unmount-race.sh
 createmany-parallel-mounts.sh
 archive-light-cycle.sh
-stale-btree-read.sh
+block-stale-reads.sh
 xfstests.sh
diff --git a/tests/tests/block-stale-reads.sh b/tests/tests/block-stale-reads.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a41d821d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tests/block-stale-reads.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+#
+# exercise stale block reading.
+#
+# It would be very difficult to manipulate the allocators, cache, and
+# persistent blocks to create stable block reading scenarios.    Instead
+# we use triggers to exercise how readers encounter stale blocks.
+#
+
+t_require_commands touch setfattr getfattr
+t_require_mounts 2
+
+GETFATTR="getfattr --absolute-names"
+SETFATTR="setfattr"
+
+#
+# force re-reading forest btree blocks as each mount reads the items
+# written by the other.
+#
+set_file="$T_D0/file"
+get_file="$T_D1/file"
+echo "== create file for xattr ping pong"
+touch "$set_file"
+$SETFATTR -n user.xat -v initial "$set_file"
+$GETFATTR -n user.xat "$get_file" 2>&1 | t_filter_fs
+
+echo "== retry btree forest reads between mounts" 
+for i in $(seq 1 4); do
+	tmp="$set_file"
+	set_file="$get_file"
+	get_file="$tmp"
+
+	$SETFATTR -n user.xat -v $i "$set_file"
+	t_trigger_arm block_remove_stale $cl
+	old=$(t_counter btree_stale_read $cl)
+	$GETFATTR -n user.xat "$get_file" 2>&1 | t_filter_fs
+	t_trigger_show block_remove_stale "after" $cl
+	t_counter_diff block_cache_remove_stale $old $cl
+done
+
+t_pass
diff --git a/tests/tests/stale-btree-read.sh b/tests/tests/stale-btree-read.sh
deleted file mode 100644
index 36c43cb7..00000000
--- a/tests/tests/stale-btree-read.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,40 +0,0 @@
-#
-# verify stale btree block reading
-#
-
-t_require_commands touch stat setfattr getfattr createmany
-t_require_mounts 2
-
-GETFATTR="getfattr --absolute-names"
-SETFATTR="setfattr"
-
-#
-# This exercises the soft retry of btree blocks when
-# inconsistent cached versions are found.  It ensures that basic hard
-# error returning turns into EIO in the case where the persistent reread
-# blocks and segments really are inconsistent.
-#
-# The triggers apply across all execution in the file system.  So to
-# trigger btree block retries in the client we make sure that the server
-# is running on the other node.
-# 
-
-cl=$(t_first_client_nr)
-sv=$(t_server_nr)
-eval cl_dir="\$T_D${cl}"
-eval sv_dir="\$T_D${sv}"
-
-echo "== create file for xattr ping pong"
-touch "$sv_dir/file"
-$SETFATTR -n user.xat -v initial "$sv_dir/file"
-$GETFATTR -n user.xat "$sv_dir/file" 2>&1 | t_filter_fs
-
-echo "== retry btree block read"
-$SETFATTR -n user.xat -v btree "$sv_dir/file"
-t_trigger_arm btree_stale_read $cl
-old=$(t_counter btree_stale_read $cl)
-$GETFATTR -n user.xat "$cl_dir/file" 2>&1 | t_filter_fs
-t_trigger_show btree_stale_read "after" $cl
-t_counter_diff btree_stale_read $old $cl
-
-t_pass