diff --git a/pkg/cli/interactive_tests/common.tcl b/pkg/cli/interactive_tests/common.tcl
index bc50d6d7d05d..9ef881f5a044 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/interactive_tests/common.tcl
+++ b/pkg/cli/interactive_tests/common.tcl
@@ -69,6 +69,15 @@ proc eexpect {text} {
     }
 }
 
+# eexpect_re is like eexpect, but takes a regular expression argument
+# instead of a text string
+proc eexpect_re {text} {
+  expect {
+    -re $text {}
+    timeout { handle_timeout $text }
+  }
+}
+
 # Convenience function that sends Ctrl+C to the monitored process.
 proc interrupt {} {
     report "INTERRUPT TO FOREGROUND PROCESS"
@@ -178,4 +187,3 @@ proc stop_tenant {tenant_id argv} {
 
     report "END STOP TENANT $tenant_id"
 }
-
diff --git a/pkg/cli/interactive_tests/test_txn_prompt.tcl b/pkg/cli/interactive_tests/test_txn_prompt.tcl
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index a74a18ab89c8..389b86902386
--- a/pkg/cli/interactive_tests/test_txn_prompt.tcl
+++ b/pkg/cli/interactive_tests/test_txn_prompt.tcl
@@ -43,7 +43,11 @@ eexpect abcdefaultdbdef
 
 # Check prompt with no formatting code.
 send "\\set prompt1 woo \r"
-eexpect woo
+# use a regular expression to match the `woo` prompt (beginning of
+# line). If we use `eexpect` here, the match would happen
+# instantaneously as it would match the previous `set prompt1 woo`
+# command, as it also contains the string `woo`.
+eexpect_re "(?n)^woo $"
 
 send "SET database \r"
 eexpect "\r\n -> "