diff --git a/tests/test-instance.c b/tests/test-instance.c
index 70b90d2f..c73369d7 100644
--- a/tests/test-instance.c
+++ b/tests/test-instance.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 
 #include "flatpak.h"
 #include "flatpak-instance-private.h"
+#include "flatpak-run-private.h"
 
 #include "libglnx/libglnx.h"
 
@@ -41,29 +42,64 @@ test_gc (void)
   g_autoptr(GBytes) bytes = NULL;
   g_autoptr(GError) error = NULL;
   g_autoptr(GPtrArray) instances = NULL;
-  g_autofree char *base_dir = flatpak_instance_get_instances_directory ();
-  g_autofree char *alive_dir = g_build_filename (base_dir, "1", NULL);
-  g_autofree char *alive_lock = g_build_filename (alive_dir, ".ref", NULL);
-  g_autofree char *dead_dir = g_build_filename (base_dir, "2", NULL);
-  g_autofree char *dead_lock = g_build_filename (dead_dir, ".ref", NULL);
+  g_autofree char *instances_dir = flatpak_instance_get_instances_directory ();
   g_autofree char *hold_lock = g_test_build_filename (G_TEST_BUILT, "hold-lock", NULL);
+  g_autofree char *alive_instance_dir = NULL;
+  g_autofree char *alive_instance_info = NULL;
+  g_autofree char *alive_instance_lock = NULL;
+  g_autofree char *alive_dead_instance_dir = NULL;
+  g_autofree char *alive_dead_instance_info = NULL;
+  g_autofree char *alive_dead_instance_lock = NULL;
+  g_autofree char *dead_instance_dir = NULL;
+  g_autofree char *dead_instance_info = NULL;
+  g_autofree char *dead_instance_lock = NULL;
   struct utimbuf a_while_ago = {};
-  const char *hold_lock_argv[] = { "hold-lock", "--lock-file", ".ref", NULL };
+  const char *hold_lock_argv[] =
+  {
+    "<BUILT>/hold-lock",
+    "--lock-file",
+    "<instance>/.ref",
+    NULL
+  };
   GPid pid = -1;
   int stdout_fd = -1;
   int wstatus = 0;
   FlatpakInstance *instance;
   struct stat stat_buf;
 
-  g_assert_no_errno (g_mkdir_with_parents (alive_dir, 0700));
-  g_assert_no_errno (g_mkdir_with_parents (dead_dir, 0700));
-  g_file_set_contents (alive_lock, "", 0, &error);
+  /* com.example.Alive has one instance, #1, running.
+   * A second instance, #2, was running until recently but has exited. */
+
+  alive_instance_dir = g_build_filename (instances_dir, "1", NULL);
+  g_assert_no_errno (g_mkdir_with_parents (alive_instance_dir, 0700));
+  alive_instance_info = g_build_filename (alive_instance_dir, "info", NULL);
+  g_file_set_contents (alive_instance_info,
+                       "[" FLATPAK_METADATA_GROUP_APPLICATION "]\n"
+                       FLATPAK_METADATA_KEY_NAME "=com.example.Alive\n",
+                       -1, &error);
   g_assert_no_error (error);
-  g_file_set_contents (dead_lock, "", 0, &error);
+  alive_instance_lock = g_build_filename (alive_instance_dir, ".ref", NULL);
+  g_file_set_contents (alive_instance_lock, "", 0, &error);
   g_assert_no_error (error);
 
+  alive_dead_instance_dir = g_build_filename (instances_dir, "2", NULL);
+  g_assert_no_errno (g_mkdir_with_parents (alive_dead_instance_dir, 0700));
+  alive_dead_instance_info = g_build_filename (alive_dead_instance_dir, "info", NULL);
+  g_file_set_contents (alive_dead_instance_info,
+                       "[" FLATPAK_METADATA_GROUP_APPLICATION "]\n"
+                       FLATPAK_METADATA_KEY_NAME "=com.example.Alive\n",
+                       -1, &error);
+  g_assert_no_error (error);
+  alive_dead_instance_lock = g_build_filename (alive_dead_instance_dir, ".ref", NULL);
+  g_file_set_contents (alive_dead_instance_lock, "", 0, &error);
+  g_assert_no_error (error);
+
+  /* This represents the running instance #1. We have to do this
+   * out-of-process because the locks we use are process-oriented,
+   * so the locks we take during GC would not conflict with locks held
+   * by our own process. */
   hold_lock_argv[0] = hold_lock;
-  hold_lock_argv[2] = alive_lock;
+  hold_lock_argv[2] = alive_instance_lock;
   g_spawn_async_with_pipes (NULL,
                             (gchar **) hold_lock_argv,
                             NULL,
@@ -79,20 +115,38 @@ test_gc (void)
   g_assert_cmpint (pid, >, 1);
   g_assert_cmpint (stdout_fd, >=, 0);
 
+  /* com.example.Dead has no instances running.
+   * Instance #4 was running until recently but has exited. */
+
+  dead_instance_dir = g_build_filename (instances_dir, "4", NULL);
+  g_assert_no_errno (g_mkdir_with_parents (dead_instance_dir, 0700));
+  dead_instance_info = g_build_filename (dead_instance_dir, "info", NULL);
+  g_file_set_contents (dead_instance_info,
+                       "[" FLATPAK_METADATA_GROUP_APPLICATION "]\n"
+                       FLATPAK_METADATA_KEY_NAME "=com.example.Dead\n",
+                       -1, &error);
+  g_assert_no_error (error);
+  dead_instance_lock = g_build_filename (dead_instance_dir, ".ref", NULL);
+  g_file_set_contents (dead_instance_lock, "", 0, &error);
+  g_assert_no_error (error);
+
   /* Wait for the child to be ready */
   bytes = glnx_fd_readall_bytes (stdout_fd, NULL, &error);
   g_assert_no_error (error);
 
   /* Pretend the locks were created in early 1970, to bypass the workaround
    * for a race */
-  g_assert_no_errno (g_utime (alive_lock, &a_while_ago));
-  g_assert_no_errno (g_utime (dead_lock, &a_while_ago));
+  g_assert_no_errno (g_utime (alive_instance_lock, &a_while_ago));
+  g_assert_no_errno (g_utime (alive_dead_instance_lock, &a_while_ago));
+  g_assert_no_errno (g_utime (dead_instance_lock, &a_while_ago));
 
   /* This has the side-effect of GC'ing instances */
   instances = flatpak_instance_get_all ();
 
-  g_assert_no_errno (stat (alive_dir, &stat_buf));
-  g_assert_cmpint (stat (dead_dir, &stat_buf) == 0 ? 0 : errno, ==, ENOENT);
+  /* We GC exactly those instances that are no longer running */
+  g_assert_no_errno (stat (alive_instance_dir, &stat_buf));
+  g_assert_cmpint (stat (alive_dead_instance_dir, &stat_buf) == 0 ? 0 : errno, ==, ENOENT);
+  g_assert_cmpint (stat (dead_instance_dir, &stat_buf) == 0 ? 0 : errno, ==, ENOENT);
 
   g_assert_cmpuint (instances->len, ==, 1);
   instance = g_ptr_array_index (instances, 0);