diff --git a/src/test/modules/worker_spi/t/001_worker_spi.pl b/src/test/modules/worker_spi/t/001_worker_spi.pl
index 06bb73816f..178962eddb 100644
--- a/src/test/modules/worker_spi/t/001_worker_spi.pl
+++ b/src/test/modules/worker_spi/t/001_worker_spi.pl
@@ -105,30 +105,30 @@ postgres|myrole|WorkerSpiMain]),
 ) or die "Timed out while waiting for dynamic bgworkers to be launched";
 
 # Check BGWORKER_BYPASS_ALLOWCONN.
-$node->safe_psql('postgres', q(ALTER DATABASE mydb ALLOW_CONNECTIONS false;));
+$node->safe_psql('postgres',
+	q(CREATE DATABASE noconndb ALLOW_CONNECTIONS false;));
+my $noconndb_id = $node->safe_psql('mydb',
+	"SELECT oid FROM pg_database where datname = 'noconndb';");
 my $log_offset = -s $node->logfile;
 
-# bgworker cannot be launched with connection restriction.
-my $worker3_pid = $node->safe_psql('postgres',
-	qq[SELECT worker_spi_launch(12, $mydb_id, $myrole_id);]);
+# worker_spi_launch() may be able to detect that the worker has been
+# stopped, so do not rely on psql_safe().
+$node->psql('postgres',
+	qq[SELECT worker_spi_launch(12, $noconndb_id, $myrole_id);]);
 $node->wait_for_log(
-	qr/database "mydb" is not currently accepting connections/, $log_offset);
-
-$result = $node->safe_psql('postgres',
-	"SELECT count(*) FROM pg_stat_activity WHERE pid = $worker3_pid;");
-is($result, '0', 'dynamic bgworker without BYPASS_ALLOWCONN not started');
+	qr/database "noconndb" is not currently accepting connections/,
+	$log_offset);
 
 # bgworker bypasses the connection check, and can be launched.
 my $worker4_pid = $node->safe_psql('postgres',
-	qq[SELECT worker_spi_launch(12, $mydb_id, $myrole_id, '{"ALLOWCONN"}');]);
+	qq[SELECT worker_spi_launch(12, $noconndb_id, $myrole_id, '{"ALLOWCONN"}');]
+);
 ok( $node->poll_query_until(
 		'postgres',
 		qq[SELECT datname, usename, wait_event FROM pg_stat_activity
             WHERE backend_type = 'worker_spi dynamic' AND
             pid IN ($worker4_pid) ORDER BY datname;],
-		qq[mydb|myrole|WorkerSpiMain]),
+		qq[noconndb|myrole|WorkerSpiMain]),
 	'dynamic bgworker with BYPASS_ALLOWCONN started');
 
-$node->safe_psql('postgres', q(ALTER DATABASE mydb ALLOW_CONNECTIONS true;));
-
 done_testing();