diff --git a/src/test/recovery/t/003_recovery_targets.pl b/src/test/recovery/t/003_recovery_targets.pl
index d1f6d78388..fd759525d3 100644
--- a/src/test/recovery/t/003_recovery_targets.pl
+++ b/src/test/recovery/t/003_recovery_targets.pl
@@ -5,8 +5,9 @@ use PostgresNode;
 use TestLib;
 use Test::More tests => 7;
 
-# Create and test a standby from given backup, with a certain
-# recovery target.
+# Create and test a standby from given backup, with a certain recovery target.
+# Choose $until_lsn later than the transaction commit that causes the row
+# count to reach $num_rows, yet not later than the recovery target.
 sub test_recovery_standby
 {
 	my $test_name       = shift;
@@ -73,9 +74,9 @@ my ($lsn2, $recovery_txid) = split /\|/, $ret;
 # More data, with recovery target timestamp
 $node_master->safe_psql('postgres',
 	"INSERT INTO tab_int VALUES (generate_series(2001,3000))");
-$ret = $node_master->safe_psql('postgres',
-	"SELECT pg_current_xlog_location(), now();");
-my ($lsn3, $recovery_time) = split /\|/, $ret;
+my $lsn3 =
+  $node_master->safe_psql('postgres', "SELECT pg_current_xlog_location();");
+my $recovery_time = $node_master->safe_psql('postgres', "SELECT now()");
 
 # Even more data, this time with a recovery target name
 $node_master->safe_psql('postgres',