diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/229 b/tests/qemu-iotests/229
index 893d098ad2..b0d4885fa6 100755
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/229
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/229
@@ -81,11 +81,15 @@ echo
 echo '=== Force cancel job paused in error state  ==='
 echo
 
+# Filter out BLOCK_JOB_ERROR events because they may or may not occur.
+# Cancelling the job means resuming it for a bit before it is actually
+# aborted, and in that time it may or may not re-encounter the error.
 success_or_failure="y" _send_qemu_cmd $QEMU_HANDLE \
     "{'execute': 'block-job-cancel',
                  'arguments': { 'device': 'testdisk',
                                 'force': true}}" \
-     "BLOCK_JOB_CANCELLED" "Assertion"
+     "BLOCK_JOB_CANCELLED" "Assertion" \
+    | grep -v '"BLOCK_JOB_ERROR"'
 
 # success, all done
 echo "*** done"
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/229.out b/tests/qemu-iotests/229.out
index 4c4112805f..a3eb33788a 100644
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/229.out
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/229.out
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ wrote 2097152/2097152 bytes at offset 0
 
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "JOB_STATUS_CHANGE", "data": {"status": "running", "id": "testdisk"}}
 {"return": {}}
-{"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "BLOCK_JOB_ERROR", "data": {"device": "testdisk", "operation": "write", "action": "stop"}}
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "JOB_STATUS_CHANGE", "data": {"status": "aborting", "id": "testdisk"}}
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "BLOCK_JOB_CANCELLED", "data": {"device": "testdisk", "len": 2097152, "offset": 1048576, "speed": 0, "type": "mirror"}}
 *** done