diff --git a/test/emacs b/test/emacs
index 5d118b67..174a9ac9 100755
--- a/test/emacs
+++ b/test/emacs
@@ -653,6 +653,8 @@ test_expect_equal "$(cat OUTPUT)" "thread:XXX"
 test_begin_subtest 'notmuch-show-advance-and-archive with invisible signature'
 message1='id:20091118010116.GC25380@dottiness.seas.harvard.edu'
 message2='id:1258491078-29658-1-git-send-email-dottedmag@dottedmag.net'
+test_emacs "(notmuch-show \"$message2\")
+	    (test-output \"EXPECTED\")"
 test_emacs "(notmuch-search \"$message1 or $message2\")
 	    (notmuch-test-wait)
 	    (notmuch-search-show-thread)
@@ -660,8 +662,6 @@ test_emacs "(notmuch-search \"$message1 or $message2\")
 	    (redisplay)
 	    (notmuch-show-advance-and-archive)
 	    (test-output)"
-test_emacs "(notmuch-show \"$message2\")
-	    (test-output \"EXPECTED\")"
 test_expect_equal_file OUTPUT EXPECTED
 
 test_begin_subtest "Refresh show buffer"
diff --git a/test/test-lib.sh b/test/test-lib.sh
index f34b1fb8..7448b454 100644
--- a/test/test-lib.sh
+++ b/test/test-lib.sh
@@ -985,6 +985,14 @@ test_emacs () {
 		done
 	fi
 
+	# Clear test-output output file.  Most Emacs tests end with a
+	# call to (test-output).  If the test code fails with an
+	# exception before this call, the output file won't get
+	# updated.  Since we don't want to compare against an output
+	# file from another test, so start out with an empty file.
+	rm -f OUTPUT
+	touch OUTPUT
+
 	emacsclient --socket-name="$EMACS_SERVER" --eval "(progn $@)"
 }