diff --git a/tests/golden/block-stale-reads b/tests/golden/block-stale-reads
index 51f11b28..60099ace 100644
--- a/tests/golden/block-stale-reads
+++ b/tests/golden/block-stale-reads
@@ -1,29 +1,52 @@
-== 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
+== create shared test file
+== set and get xattrs between mount pairs while retrying
 # 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
+counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
+counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
 # 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
+counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
+counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
 # 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
+counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
+counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
 # file: /mnt/test/test/block-stale-reads/file
 user.xat="4"
 
-trigger block_remove_stale after: 0
-counter block_cache_remove_stale diff 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
+counter block_cache_remove_stale changed
diff --git a/tests/tests/block-stale-reads.sh b/tests/tests/block-stale-reads.sh
index a41d821d..f20a4f75 100644
--- a/tests/tests/block-stale-reads.sh
+++ b/tests/tests/block-stale-reads.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #
-# exercise stale block reading.
+# Exercise stale block reading.
 #
 # It would be very difficult to manipulate the allocators, cache, and
 # persistent blocks to create stable block reading scenarios.    Instead
@@ -7,34 +7,55 @@
 #
 
 t_require_commands touch setfattr getfattr
-t_require_mounts 2
+
+inc_wrap_fs_nr()
+{
+	local nr="$(($1 + 1))"
+
+	if [ "$nr" == "$T_NR_MOUNTS" ]; then
+		nr=0
+	fi
+
+	echo $nr
+}
 
 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 "$get_file" 2>&1 | t_filter_fs
+echo "== create shared test file"
+touch "$T_D0/file"
+$SETFATTR -n user.xat -v 0 "$T_D0/file"
 
-echo "== retry btree forest reads between mounts" 
-for i in $(seq 1 4); do
-	tmp="$set_file"
-	set_file="$get_file"
-	get_file="$tmp"
+#
+# 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"
-	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
+
+	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_pass