diff --git a/packages/zoe/test/swingsetTests/zoe/test-zoe-upgrade.js b/packages/zoe/test/swingsetTests/zoe/test-zoe-upgrade.js
index febdb8ecccf2..28ed9b656c82 100644
--- a/packages/zoe/test/swingsetTests/zoe/test-zoe-upgrade.js
+++ b/packages/zoe/test/swingsetTests/zoe/test-zoe-upgrade.js
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 import '@agoric/swingset-vat/tools/prepare-test-env.js';
 import test from 'ava';
+
+import bundleSource from '@endo/bundle-source';
 import { buildVatController } from '@agoric/swingset-vat';
 import { kunser } from '@agoric/swingset-vat/src/lib/kmarshal.js';
 
@@ -52,6 +54,18 @@ test('zoe vat upgrade trauma', async t => {
   const messageObject = (presence, methodName, args) =>
     run('messageVatObject', [{ presence, methodName, args }]);
 
+  const restartVatAdminVat = async controller => {
+    const vaBundle = await bundleSource(
+      new URL(
+        '../../../../SwingSet/src/vats/vat-admin/vat-vat-admin.js',
+        import.meta.url,
+      ).pathname,
+    );
+    const bundleID = await controller.validateAndInstallBundle(vaBundle);
+    controller.upgradeStaticVat('vatAdmin', true, bundleID, {});
+    await controller.run();
+  };
+
   /**
    * @see {@link ../upgradeCoveredCall/bootstrap-coveredCall-service-upgrade.js}
    */
@@ -206,9 +220,14 @@ test('zoe vat upgrade trauma', async t => {
     pausedFlows.push({ result, remainingSteps: flow.slice(i) });
   }
 
+  // Null-upgrade vatAdmin.
+  await restartVatAdminVat(c);
+
   // Null-upgrade Zoe.
-  const { incarnationNumber } = await run('upgradeVat', [zoeVatConfig]);
-  t.is(incarnationNumber, 1, 'Zoe vat must be upgraded');
+  const { incarnationNumber: zoeIncarnationNumber } = await run('upgradeVat', [
+    zoeVatConfig,
+  ]);
+  t.is(zoeIncarnationNumber, 1, 'Zoe vat must be upgraded');
 
   // Verify a complete run in the new Zoe.
   await doSteps('post-upgrade', flow);