diff --git a/test/old/testdir/test_statusline.vim b/test/old/testdir/test_statusline.vim
index 75b5d4be91..9685d42790 100644
--- a/test/old/testdir/test_statusline.vim
+++ b/test/old/testdir/test_statusline.vim
@@ -16,11 +16,15 @@ func TearDown()
 endfunc
 
 func s:get_statusline()
+  redraw!
   if has('gui_running')
-    redraw!
     sleep 1m
   endif
-  return ScreenLines(&lines - 1, &columns)[0]
+  " Read the screen directly after redraw! instead of going through
+  " ScreenLines(), whose own redraw! may process events and change the window
+  " layout between here and the screenstring() calls.
+  let row = &lines - 1
+  return join(map(range(1, &columns), 'screenstring(row, v:val)'), '')
 endfunc
 
 func StatuslineWithCaughtError()