diff --git a/tests/golden/block-stale-reads b/tests/golden/block-stale-reads
index 60099ace..73eed5e4 100644
--- a/tests/golden/block-stale-reads
+++ b/tests/golden/block-stale-reads
@@ -1,52 +1,2 @@
-== create shared test file
-== set and get xattrs between mount pairs while retrying
-# file: /mnt/test/test/block-stale-reads/file
-user.xat="1"
-
-counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
-counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
-# file: /mnt/test/test/block-stale-reads/file
-user.xat="2"
-
-counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
-counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
-# file: /mnt/test/test/block-stale-reads/file
-user.xat="3"
-
-counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
-counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
-# file: /mnt/test/test/block-stale-reads/file
-user.xat="4"
-
-counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
-counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
-# file: /mnt/test/test/block-stale-reads/file
-user.xat="5"
-
-counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
-counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
-# file: /mnt/test/test/block-stale-reads/file
-user.xat="6"
-
-counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
-counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
-# file: /mnt/test/test/block-stale-reads/file
-user.xat="7"
-
-counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
-counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
-# file: /mnt/test/test/block-stale-reads/file
-user.xat="8"
-
-counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
-counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
-# file: /mnt/test/test/block-stale-reads/file
-user.xat="9"
-
-counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
-counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
-# file: /mnt/test/test/block-stale-reads/file
-user.xat="10"
-
-counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
+== Issue scoutfs df to force block reads to trigger stale invalidation/retry
 counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
diff --git a/tests/tests/block-stale-reads.sh b/tests/tests/block-stale-reads.sh
index f20a4f75..91960f7b 100644
--- a/tests/tests/block-stale-reads.sh
+++ b/tests/tests/block-stale-reads.sh
@@ -5,57 +5,18 @@
 # persistent blocks to create stable block reading scenarios.    Instead
 # we use triggers to exercise how readers encounter stale blocks.
 #
+# Trigger retries in the block cache by calling scoutfs df
+# which in turn will call scoutfs_ioctl_alloc_detail. This
+# is guaranteed to exist, which will force block cache reads.
 
-t_require_commands touch setfattr getfattr
+echo "== Issue scoutfs df to force block reads to trigger stale invalidation/retry"
+nr=0
 
-inc_wrap_fs_nr()
-{
-	local nr="$(($1 + 1))"
+old=$(t_counter block_cache_remove_stale $nr)
+t_trigger_arm_silent block_remove_stale $nr
 
-	if [ "$nr" == "$T_NR_MOUNTS" ]; then
-		nr=0
-	fi
+scoutfs df -p "$T_M0" > /dev/null
 
-	echo $nr
-}
-
-GETFATTR="getfattr --absolute-names"
-SETFATTR="setfattr"
-
-echo "== create shared test file"
-touch "$T_D0/file"
-$SETFATTR -n user.xat -v 0 "$T_D0/file"
-
-#
-# Trigger retries in the block cache as we bounce xattr values around
-# between sequential pairs of mounts.  This is a little silly because if
-# either of the mounts are the server then they'll almost certaily have
-# their trigger fired prematurely by message handling btree calls while
-# working with the t_ helpers long before we work with the xattrs.  But
-# the block cache stale retry path is still being exercised.
-#
-echo "== set and get xattrs between mount pairs while retrying"
-set_nr=0
-get_nr=$(inc_wrap_fs_nr $set_nr)
-
-for i in $(seq 1 10); do
-	eval set_file="\$T_D${set_nr}/file"
-	eval get_file="\$T_D${get_nr}/file"
-
-	old_set=$(t_counter block_cache_remove_stale $set_nr)
-	old_get=$(t_counter block_cache_remove_stale $get_nr)
-
-	t_trigger_arm_silent block_remove_stale $set_nr
-	t_trigger_arm_silent block_remove_stale $get_nr
-
-	$SETFATTR -n user.xat -v $i "$set_file"
-	$GETFATTR -n user.xat "$get_file" 2>&1 | t_filter_fs
-
-	t_counter_diff_changed block_cache_remove_stale $old_set $set_nr
-	t_counter_diff_changed block_cache_remove_stale $old_get $get_nr
-
-	set_nr="$get_nr"
-	get_nr=$(inc_wrap_fs_nr $set_nr)
-done
+t_counter_diff_changed block_cache_remove_stale $old $nr
 
 t_pass