diff --git a/test/common/testlib.py b/test/common/testlib.py
index a31bd9cf5728..ce1238d09029 100644
--- a/test/common/testlib.py
+++ b/test/common/testlib.py
@@ -1697,7 +1697,9 @@ def _terminate_sessions(self) -> None:
                 raise
 
         # terminate all systemd user services for users who are not logged in
-        m.execute("systemctl stop user@*.service")
+        # since systemd 256 we stop user@*.service now also stops the root session (uid 0)
+        m.execute("cd /run/systemd/users/; "
+                  "for f in $(ls); do [ $f -le 500 ] || systemctl stop user@$f; done")
 
         # Clean up "closing" sessions again, and clean user id cache for non-system users
         m.execute("systemctl stop systemd-logind; cd /run/systemd/users/; "
diff --git a/test/verify/check-users b/test/verify/check-users
index 0eedc18ef437..ca9d6382279a 100755
--- a/test/verify/check-users
+++ b/test/verify/check-users
@@ -607,7 +607,11 @@ class TestAccounts(testlib.MachineCase):
 
         if not m.ostree_image:  # User is not shown as logged in when logged in through Cockpit
             b.go("#/admin")
-            b.wait_visible("#account-logout[disabled]")
+            m.execute("loginctl terminate-user admin || true; loginctl kill-user admin || true")
+            print(m.execute("loginctl list-sessions"))
+            with b.wait_timeout(60):
+                print(m.execute("loginctl list-sessions"))
+                b.wait_visible("#account-logout[disabled]")
 
             (year, month) = m.execute("date +'%Y %b'").strip().split()