diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 432192be..63350f8b 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ ostree (2017.12-1) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
     We don't actually need Internet access, so this is OK.
   * debian/test.sh: Unexport HTTP proxy variables for build-time tests
     too
+  * Make build-time test failures fatal if they fail at least twice
+    out of 5 tries (previously they had to fail at least 3 times)
 
  -- Simon McVittie <smcv@debian.org>  Tue, 03 Oct 2017 19:14:14 +0100
 
diff --git a/debian/test.sh b/debian/test.sh
index f23a06f4..eadeda4e 100755
--- a/debian/test.sh
+++ b/debian/test.sh
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ fi
 # There are several race conditions that cause intermittent failures.
 # They are not actually a regression - we've just been luckier in the
 # past - so let newer versions build reliably.
-if [ "$failed" -gt 2 ]; then
+if [ "$failed" -gt 1 ]; then
     echo "Failed $failed out of $try_tests test runs; that seems bad"
     exit 1
 elif [ "$failed" -gt 0 ]; then