diff --git a/bin/test b/bin/test
index eb9b5e3..a94ea8d 100755
--- a/bin/test
+++ b/bin/test
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ docker run --rm "$img" bash -ec '
     valkey-server --version
     valkey-cli --version
     valkey-server /etc/valkey/valkey.conf
-    valkey-cli ping
+    ok=; for i in $(seq 1 50); do if valkey-cli ping 2>/dev/null | grep -q PONG; then ok=1; break; fi; sleep 0.1; done; [ -n "$ok" ]
     valkey-cli shutdown nosave
     psql --version
     postgres --version
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index d74bde4..528931c 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ bundle --version
 valkey-server --version
 valkey-cli --version
 valkey-server /etc/valkey/valkey.conf
-valkey-cli ping
+ok=; for i in $(seq 1 50); do if valkey-cli ping 2>/dev/null | grep -q PONG; then ok=1; break; fi; sleep 0.1; done; [ -n "$ok" ]
 valkey-cli shutdown nosave
 psql --version
 postgres --version
@@ -190,6 +190,8 @@ virtualenv --version
 test -x /usr/local/sbin/runsvinit
 test -d /etc/service
 
-# The checks above leave caches behind (node compile cache etc).
+# The checks above leave caches and log files behind.
 rm -rf /tmp/* /var/tmp/* /root/.cache /root/.npm /root/.config
+rm -f /var/log/valkey/*
+install -d -o valkey -g adm -m 2750 /var/log/valkey
 rm -f "$0"