diff --git a/tests/rm/rm-readdir-fail.sh b/tests/rm/rm-readdir-fail.sh
index 75fa339db..01c9554ed 100755
--- a/tests/rm/rm-readdir-fail.sh
+++ b/tests/rm/rm-readdir-fail.sh
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ export READDIR_PARTIAL
 for READDIR_PARTIAL in '' '1'; do
   rm -f preloaded
   (export LD_PRELOAD=$LD_PRELOAD:./k.so
-   returns_ 1 rm -Rf dir 2>>errt) || fail=1
+   returns_ 1 gdb --args rm -Rf dir 2>>errt) || fail=1
   if ! test -f preloaded; then
     cat err
     skip_ "internal test failure: maybe LD_PRELOAD doesn't work?"