diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/reconnects_integration_test.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/reconnects_integration_test.go
index 65c13bf3..672a9c13 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/reconnects_integration_test.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/reconnects_integration_test.go
@@ -52,8 +52,9 @@ func TestTheServingControllerLendsItsOwnConnection(t *testing.T) {
 	if a := answer.(verbAnswer); !a.OK || a.Answer == nil {
 		t.Fatalf("hand-acts answered %+v", a)
 	}
-	// A read-only verb that dials the bus and the store: inside the serving controller it borrows.
-	_, _ = handlers["conditions"](context.Background(), json.RawMessage(`{}`))
+	// A read-only verb that runs in the serving process, as a verb that reads the bus does: it uses the
+	// serving connection and opens none. (A verb run as a command re-executes this test binary, which never ends.)
+	_, _ = handlers["dead-letters"](context.Background(), json.RawMessage(`{}`))
 	after, _ := bus.Varz(nil)
 	if opened := after.TotalConnections - before.TotalConnections; opened != 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("the serving controller opened %d connection(s) of its own", opened)