diff --git a/src/test/recovery/t/031_recovery_conflict.pl b/src/test/recovery/t/031_recovery_conflict.pl
index c87acd20e0a..ae9434f12a5 100644
--- a/src/test/recovery/t/031_recovery_conflict.pl
+++ b/src/test/recovery/t/031_recovery_conflict.pl
@@ -281,13 +281,17 @@ $node_standby->restart();
 $psql_standby->reconnect_and_clear();
 
 
-# Check that expected number of conflicts show in pg_stat_database. Needs to
-# be tested before database is dropped, for obvious reasons.
-is( $node_standby->safe_psql(
+# Check that at least the expected number of conflicts show in
+# pg_stat_database. Needs to be tested before database is dropped, for obvious
+# reasons. A backend can process the same recovery conflict more than once
+# before it exits.
+cmp_ok( $node_standby->safe_psql(
 		$test_db,
 		qq[SELECT conflicts FROM pg_stat_database WHERE datname='$test_db';]),
+	'>=',
 	$expected_conflicts,
-	qq[$expected_conflicts recovery conflicts shown in pg_stat_database]);
+	qq[at least $expected_conflicts recovery conflicts shown in pg_stat_database]
+);
 
 
 ## RECOVERY CONFLICT 6: Database conflict
@@ -328,7 +332,7 @@ sub check_conflict_stat
 
 	ok( $node_standby->poll_query_until(
 			$test_db,
-			qq[SELECT confl_$conflict_type FROM pg_stat_database_conflicts WHERE datname='$test_db';],
-			'1'),
+			qq[SELECT confl_$conflict_type > 0 FROM pg_stat_database_conflicts WHERE datname='$test_db';],
+			't'),
 		"$sect: stats show conflict on standby");
 }