diff --git a/tests/functional/restricted.sh b/tests/functional/restricted.sh
index 2d6ab964b..3de26eb36 100644
--- a/tests/functional/restricted.sh
+++ b/tests/functional/restricted.sh
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ nix-instantiate --restrict-eval --eval -E 'builtins.readFile ./simple.nix' -I sr
 (! nix-instantiate --restrict-eval --eval -E 'builtins.readDir ../../src/nix-channel')
 nix-instantiate --restrict-eval --eval -E 'builtins.readDir ../../src/nix-channel' -I src=../../src
 
-(! nix-instantiate --restrict-eval --eval -E 'let __nixPath = [ { prefix = "foo"; path = ./.; } ]; in builtins.readFile <foo/simple.nix>')
+expectStderr 1 nix-instantiate --restrict-eval --eval -E 'let __nixPath = [ { prefix = "foo"; path = ./.; } ]; in builtins.readFile <foo/simple.nix>' | grepQuiet "forbidden in restricted mode"
 nix-instantiate --restrict-eval --eval -E 'let __nixPath = [ { prefix = "foo"; path = ./.; } ]; in builtins.readFile <foo/simple.nix>' -I src=.
 
 p=$(nix eval --raw --expr "builtins.fetchurl file://$(pwd)/restricted.sh" --impure --restrict-eval --allowed-uris "file://$(pwd)")