diff --git a/test/units/testsuite-44.sh b/test/units/testsuite-44.sh
index 78022cb545..0badb71125 100755
--- a/test/units/testsuite-44.sh
+++ b/test/units/testsuite-44.sh
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@ systemd-analyze log-level debug
 systemd-run -p LogNamespace=foobar echo "hello world"
 
 journalctl --namespace=foobar --sync
-journalctl --namespace=foobar >/tmp/hello-world
-journalctl >/tmp/no-hello-world
+journalctl -o cat --namespace=foobar >/tmp/hello-world
+journalctl -o cat >/tmp/no-hello-world
 
-grep "hello world" /tmp/hello-world
-! grep "hello world" /tmp/no-hello-world
+grep "^hello world$" /tmp/hello-world
+grep "^hello world$" /tmp/no-hello-world && { echo 'unexpected success'; exit 1; }
 
 systemd-analyze log-level info