diff --git a/tests/pthread_barrier/main.c b/tests/pthread_barrier/main.c
index b7b6881088..b579fe7dbf 100644
--- a/tests/pthread_barrier/main.c
+++ b/tests/pthread_barrier/main.c
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ int main(void)
 {
     random_init(RAND_SEED);
 
-    puts("START\n");
+    printf("NUM_CHILDREN: %d, NUM_ITERATIONS: %d\n", NUM_CHILDREN,
+           NUM_ITERATIONS);
     pthread_barrier_init(&barrier, NULL, NUM_CHILDREN);
 
     pthread_t children[NUM_CHILDREN];
diff --git a/tests/pthread_barrier/tests/01-run.py b/tests/pthread_barrier/tests/01-run.py
index c5972d9afe..97c82a4e40 100755
--- a/tests/pthread_barrier/tests/01-run.py
+++ b/tests/pthread_barrier/tests/01-run.py
@@ -5,9 +5,13 @@ from testrunner import run
 
 
 def testfunc(child):
-    child.expect('START')
-    for i in range(4):
+    child.expect(r'NUM_CHILDREN: (\d+), NUM_ITERATIONS: (\d+)')
+    children = int(child.match.group(1))
+    iterations = int(child.match.group(2))
+    for i in range(children):
         child.expect('Start {}'.format(i + 1))
+    for _ in range(children * iterations):
+        child.expect(r'Child \d sleeps for [" "\d]+ us.')
     child.expect('Done 2')
     child.expect('Done 1')
     child.expect('Done 3')