--- a/src/test/recovery/t/003_recovery_targets.pl
+++ b/src/test/recovery/t/003_recovery_targets.pl
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ my ($lsn2, $recovery_txid) = split /\|/, $ret;
 $node_master->safe_psql('postgres',
 	"INSERT INTO tab_int VALUES (generate_series(2001,3000))");
 $ret =
-  $node_master->safe_psql('postgres', "SELECT pg_current_wal_lsn(), now();");
-my ($lsn3, $recovery_time) = split /\|/, $ret;
+  $node_master->safe_psql('postgres', "SELECT pg_sleep(80), pg_current_wal_lsn(), now();");
+my ($delay_for_autovacuum, $lsn3, $recovery_time) = split /\|/, $ret;
 
 # Even more data, this time with a recovery target name
 $node_master->safe_psql('postgres',
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ $node_master->safe_psql('postgres',
 	"INSERT INTO tab_int VALUES (generate_series(4001,5000))");
 my $recovery_lsn =
   $node_master->safe_psql('postgres', "SELECT pg_current_wal_lsn()");
+$node_master->safe_psql('postgres', 'VACUUM');  # write some WAL
 my $lsn5 =
   $node_master->safe_psql('postgres', "SELECT pg_current_wal_lsn();");