diff --git a/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/commoncmd/check_provisioning_source.sh b/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/commoncmd/check_provisioning_source.sh
index 427afb73e..9b6f7f632 100755
--- a/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/commoncmd/check_provisioning_source.sh
+++ b/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/commoncmd/check_provisioning_source.sh
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 #
+# check_provisioning_source.sh --baseline <compute node> <service node>
 # check_provisioning_source.sh <compute node> <service node>
-# check_provisioning_source.sh --count <ip>
+# check_provisioning_source.sh --count <ip> [<baseline spec>]
 #
-# Answer which server sent the compute node its boot payload.
+# Answer which server sent the compute node its boot payload during THIS run.
 #
 # The hierarchy cases set noderes.servicenode and read SERVICEGROUP back out of the compute
 # node's xcatinfo. That records what xCAT wrote, not where the node fetched from. The management
@@ -14,8 +15,13 @@
 #
 # The httpd access logs settle it. The xNBA exchange hands out an http:// filename, so the
 # kernel, the initrd, the root image and the install tree are HTTP requests logged against the
-# compute node's address on the server that answered them. The service node must have served the
-# compute node, and the management node must have served it nothing.
+# compute node's address on the server that answered them.
+#
+# Two things bound what counts, and without either one the answer is wrong in both directions.
+# Run --baseline before provisioning: an earlier flat run leaves management-node requests for the
+# same address, and counting the whole log fails a later hierarchical run for them. And only a
+# request under /install or /tftpboot is a boot payload: a 404 for /favicon.ico is a request from
+# the compute node that carries no payload, and it must not stand for one.
 #
 # Scope: the PXE ROM exchange hands out xcat/xnba.kpxe over TFTP and httpd never sees it.
 # xnba.kpxe is the same binary on both servers, so it decides nothing about the fetch source.
@@ -26,14 +32,12 @@
 set -u
 
 TOKEN=XCAT_HTTPD_REQUESTS
+STATE="${XCAT_PROV_SOURCE_STATE:-/var/tmp/xcat-provisioning-source.base}"
 
-# The first argument to --count is the address to count. Every readable candidate log is read:
-# the combined format puts the client address in field 1, and the Debian per-vhost format puts
-# the vhost there and the client in field 2.
-count_local_requests()
+# Every readable candidate log. The combined format puts the client address in field 1, and the
+# Debian per-vhost format puts the vhost there and the client in field 2.
+local_logs()
 {
-    ip="$1"
-    logs=""
     for f in ${XCAT_HTTPD_ACCESS_LOG:-} \
              /var/log/httpd/access_log \
              /var/log/apache2/access.log \
@@ -41,24 +45,81 @@ count_local_requests()
              /var/log/apache2/other_vhosts_access.log
     do
         [ -r "$f" ] || continue
-        logs="$logs $f"
+        echo "$f"
     done
+}
+
+# Record how many lines each log holds now, as file:lines joined by commas.
+baseline_local()
+{
+    spec=""
+    for f in $(local_logs); do
+        n=$(wc -l <"$f" 2>/dev/null | tr -d ' ')
+        [ -n "$n" ] || n=0
+        spec="$spec,$f:$n"
+    done
+    echo "$TOKEN base $(echo "$spec" | sed 's/^,//')"
+}
+
+# Count the boot-payload requests this address made AFTER the baseline. A log shorter than its
+# baseline was rotated, so its baseline no longer locates anything and the whole file is new.
+count_local_requests()
+{
+    ip="$1"
+    spec="${2:-}"
+    logs=$(local_logs | tr '\n' ' ')
 
     if [ -z "$logs" ]; then
-        echo "$TOKEN nolog 0 0"
+        echo "$TOKEN nolog 0 0 0"
         return 0
     fi
 
+    checked=""
+    for f in $logs; do
+        base=$(echo "$spec" | tr ',' '\n' | sed -n "s|^$f:||p" | head -1)
+        [ -n "$base" ] || base=0
+        now=$(wc -l <"$f" 2>/dev/null | tr -d ' ')
+        [ -n "$now" ] || now=0
+        [ "$now" -lt "$base" ] && base=0
+        checked="$checked,$f:$base"
+    done
+
     # shellcheck disable=SC2086
-    awk -v ip="$ip" -v token="$TOKEN" \
-        '$1 == ip || $2 == ip { n++ } END { print token, "ok", n+0, NR+0 }' $logs
+    awk -v ip="$ip" -v token="$TOKEN" -v bases="$(echo "$checked" | sed 's/^,//')" '
+        BEGIN {
+            n = split(bases, a, ",")
+            for (i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
+                if (a[i] == "") continue
+                p = index(a[i], ":")
+                if (p) base[substr(a[i], 1, p - 1)] = substr(a[i], p + 1) + 0
+            }
+        }
+        {
+            total++
+            b = (FILENAME in base) ? base[FILENAME] : 0
+            if (FNR <= b) next
+            fresh++
+            if ($1 != ip && $2 != ip) next
+            path = ""
+            for (i = 1; i <= NF; i++) if ($i ~ /^"(GET|HEAD|POST)$/) { path = $(i + 1); break }
+            if (path ~ /^\/(install|tftpboot)\//) payload++
+        }
+        END { print token, "ok", payload + 0, fresh + 0, total + 0 }
+    ' $logs
 }
 
 # xdsh prefixes each line with the node name, so read the fields after the token.
 read_counts()
 {
     awk -v token="$TOKEN" '
-        { for (i = 1; i <= NF; i++) if ($i == token) { print $(i+1), $(i+2), $(i+3); exit } }
+        { for (i = 1; i <= NF; i++) if ($i == token) { print $(i+1), $(i+2), $(i+3), $(i+4); exit } }
+    '
+}
+
+read_baseline()
+{
+    awk -v token="$TOKEN" '
+        { for (i = 1; i <= NF; i++) if ($i == token && $(i+1) == "base") { print $(i+2); exit } }
     '
 }
 
@@ -71,36 +132,68 @@ node_address()
 }
 
 if [ "${1:-}" = "--count" ]; then
-    count_local_requests "${2:-}"
+    count_local_requests "${2:-}" "${3:-}"
     exit 0
 fi
 
+if [ "${1:-}" = "--baseline-local" ]; then
+    baseline_local
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+MODE=check
+if [ "${1:-}" = "--baseline" ]; then
+    MODE=baseline
+    shift
+fi
+
 CN="${1:-}"
 SN="${2:-}"
 if [ -z "$CN" ] || [ -z "$SN" ]; then
-    echo "provisioning source error: usage: $0 <compute node> <service node>" >&2
+    echo "provisioning source error: usage: $0 [--baseline] <compute node> <service node>" >&2
     exit 2
 fi
 
 SELF=$(readlink -f "$0")
 MN=$(hostname)
 
+if [ "$MODE" = baseline ]; then
+    MN_BASE=$(baseline_local | read_baseline)
+    SN_BASE=$(xdsh "$SN" -e "$SELF" --baseline-local 2>&1 | read_baseline)
+    if [ -z "$MN_BASE" ] || [ -z "$SN_BASE" ]; then
+        echo "provisioning source error: no access log to baseline on ${MN_BASE:+$SN}${MN_BASE:-$MN}" >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    printf 'MN %s\nSN %s\n' "$MN_BASE" "$SN_BASE" >"$STATE" || exit 1
+    echo "provisioning source baseline recorded in $STATE"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+# Without a baseline this cannot tell a request from this run from one an earlier run left
+# behind, so it refuses rather than answering from the whole log.
+if [ ! -r "$STATE" ]; then
+    echo "provisioning source error: no baseline in $STATE. Run --baseline before provisioning" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+MN_BASE=$(sed -n 's/^MN //p' "$STATE" | head -1)
+SN_BASE=$(sed -n 's/^SN //p' "$STATE" | head -1)
+
 CN_IP=$(node_address "$CN")
 if [ -z "$CN_IP" ]; then
     echo "provisioning source error: $CN has no address, so no log can be read for it" >&2
     exit 1
 fi
 
-MN_COUNTS=$(count_local_requests "$CN_IP" | read_counts)
-SN_COUNTS=$(xdsh "$SN" -e "$SELF" --count "$CN_IP" 2>&1 | read_counts)
+MN_COUNTS=$(count_local_requests "$CN_IP" "$MN_BASE" | read_counts)
+SN_COUNTS=$(xdsh "$SN" -e "$SELF" --count "$CN_IP" "$SN_BASE" 2>&1 | read_counts)
 
 set -- $MN_COUNTS
-MN_STATE="${1:-none}" MN_REQ="${2:-0}" MN_LINES="${3:-0}"
+MN_STATE="${1:-none}" MN_REQ="${2:-0}" MN_NEW="${3:-0}" MN_LINES="${4:-0}"
 set -- $SN_COUNTS
-SN_STATE="${1:-none}" SN_REQ="${2:-0}" SN_LINES="${3:-0}"
+SN_STATE="${1:-none}" SN_REQ="${2:-0}" SN_NEW="${3:-0}" SN_LINES="${4:-0}"
 
-echo "$SN served $CN $SN_REQ request(s) (log $SN_STATE, $SN_LINES lines)"
-echo "$MN served $CN $MN_REQ request(s) (log $MN_STATE, $MN_LINES lines)"
+echo "$SN served $CN $SN_REQ boot-payload request(s) since the baseline (log $SN_STATE, $SN_NEW new of $SN_LINES lines)"
+echo "$MN served $CN $MN_REQ boot-payload request(s) since the baseline (log $MN_STATE, $MN_NEW new of $MN_LINES lines)"
 
 RC=0
 
@@ -109,22 +202,22 @@ if [ "$SN_STATE" != ok ]; then
     RC=1
 fi
 
-# The management node provisioned the service node over http, so its log is never empty on a
-# hierarchical run. An empty log cannot show that the management node served nothing.
-if [ "$MN_STATE" != ok ] || [ "$MN_LINES" -eq 0 ]; then
-    echo "provisioning source error: no httpd access log with entries could be read on $MN" >&2
+# The management node provisioned the service node over http, so its log gains lines on every
+# hierarchical run. A log with nothing new cannot show that the management node served nothing.
+if [ "$MN_STATE" != ok ] || [ "$MN_NEW" -eq 0 ]; then
+    echo "provisioning source error: no httpd access log with new entries could be read on $MN" >&2
     RC=1
 fi
 
 if [ "$RC" -eq 0 ] && [ "$SN_REQ" -eq 0 ]; then
-    echo "provisioning source error: $SN served $CN nothing, so it did not provision it" >&2
+    echo "provisioning source error: $SN served $CN no boot payload, so it did not provision it" >&2
     RC=1
 fi
 
 # Count requests, not bytes. A 304 or a HEAD carries no body, so the management node can answer
 # for the compute node and still log 0 bytes.
 if [ "$RC" -eq 0 ] && [ "$MN_REQ" -gt 0 ]; then
-    echo "provisioning source error: $MN answered $MN_REQ request(s) for $CN, so this provision was flat" >&2
+    echo "provisioning source error: $MN answered $MN_REQ boot-payload request(s) for $CN, so this provision was flat" >&2
     RC=1
 fi
 
diff --git a/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/installation/reg_linux_diskfull_installation_hierarchy b/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/installation/reg_linux_diskfull_installation_hierarchy
index ad739928c..47b329f07 100644
--- a/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/installation/reg_linux_diskfull_installation_hierarchy
+++ b/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/installation/reg_linux_diskfull_installation_hierarchy
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ check:rc==0
 cmd:if [[ -f /test.synclist ]] ;then mv -f /test.synclist /test.synclist.bak;fi;
 cmd:echo "/test.synclist -> /test.synclist" > /test.synclist;chdef -t osimage -o __GETNODEATTR($$CN,os)__-__GETNODEATTR($$CN,arch)__-install-compute synclists=/test.synclist
 check:rc==0
+# The logs carry requests from earlier runs, so record where both of them end
+# before this provision. The check below reads only what comes after.
+cmd:/opt/xcat/share/xcat/tools/autotest/testcase/commoncmd/check_provisioning_source.sh --baseline $$CN $$SN
+check:rc==0
 cmd:nodeset $$CN osimage=__GETNODEATTR($$CN,os)__-__GETNODEATTR($$CN,arch)__-install-compute
 check:rc==0
 cmd:updatenode $$CN -f
diff --git a/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/installation/reg_linux_diskless_installation_hierarchy b/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/installation/reg_linux_diskless_installation_hierarchy
index 639bf0225..fbc24cc23 100644
--- a/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/installation/reg_linux_diskless_installation_hierarchy
+++ b/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/installation/reg_linux_diskless_installation_hierarchy
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ check:rc==0
 cmd:packimage __GETNODEATTR($$CN,os)__-__GETNODEATTR($$CN,arch)__-netboot-compute
 check:rc==0
 
+# The logs carry requests from earlier runs, so record where both of them end
+# before this provision. The check below reads only what comes after.
+cmd:/opt/xcat/share/xcat/tools/autotest/testcase/commoncmd/check_provisioning_source.sh --baseline $$CN $$SN
+check:rc==0
 cmd:nodeset $$CN osimage=__GETNODEATTR($$CN,os)__-__GETNODEATTR($$CN,arch)__-netboot-compute
 check:rc==0
 
@@ -178,6 +182,10 @@ cmd:packimage -m squashfs __GETNODEATTR($$CN,os)__-__GETNODEATTR($$CN,arch)__-ne
 check:rc==0
 check:output=~archive method:squashfs
 
+# The logs carry requests from earlier runs, so record where both of them end
+# before this provision. The check below reads only what comes after.
+cmd:/opt/xcat/share/xcat/tools/autotest/testcase/commoncmd/check_provisioning_source.sh --baseline $$CN $$SN
+check:rc==0
 cmd:nodeset $$CN osimage=__GETNODEATTR($$CN,os)__-__GETNODEATTR($$CN,arch)__-netboot-compute
 check:rc==0
 
diff --git a/xCAT-test/bats/check_provisioning_source.bats b/xCAT-test/bats/check_provisioning_source.bats
index 16ba69835..bcf5b76f9 100644
--- a/xCAT-test/bats/check_provisioning_source.bats
+++ b/xCAT-test/bats/check_provisioning_source.bats
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
 # dhcpd instances answer for the compute node, so the management node can win the xNBA exchange
 # and serve the boot payload itself. The httpd access logs are the only record of that.
 #
+# The check takes a baseline of both logs before provisioning and reads only what came after, so
+# these tests write the old lines, take the baseline, then append the lines of the run.
+#
 # lsdef, xdsh and hostname are stubbed. XCAT_HTTPD_ACCESS_LOG is the management node's log.
 
 load 'helpers/shell_source'
@@ -19,7 +22,10 @@ setup()
     BIN="${BATS_TEST_TMPDIR}/bin"
     MN_LOG="${BATS_TEST_TMPDIR}/mn-access_log"
     SN_LOG="${BATS_TEST_TMPDIR}/sn-access_log"
+    STATE="${BATS_TEST_TMPDIR}/baseline"
     mkdir -p "$BIN"
+    : >"$MN_LOG"
+    : >"$SN_LOG"
 
     printf '#!/bin/sh\nprintf "Object name: %s\\n    ip=%s\\n" "$3" "%s"\n' "%s" "%s" "$CN_IP" >"$BIN/lsdef"
     printf '#!/bin/sh\necho mn01\n' >"$BIN/hostname"
@@ -35,20 +41,104 @@ setup()
     export PATH="$BIN:$PATH"
 }
 
-# One access-log line in the combined format, from $1, for $2 bytes.
+# One access-log line in the combined format: $1 client, $2 bytes, $3 path.
 access_line()
 {
     printf '%s - - [01/Jan/2026:00:00:00 +0000] "GET %s HTTP/1.1" 200 %s "-" "iPXE"\n' "$1" "$3" "$2"
 }
 
+take_baseline()
+{
+    env XCAT_HTTPD_ACCESS_LOG="$MN_LOG" XCAT_PROV_SOURCE_STATE="$STATE" \
+        "$SCRIPT" --baseline "$CN" "$SN" >/dev/null
+}
+
 run_check()
 {
-    run env XCAT_HTTPD_ACCESS_LOG="$MN_LOG" "$SCRIPT" "$CN" "$SN"
+    run env XCAT_HTTPD_ACCESS_LOG="$MN_LOG" XCAT_PROV_SOURCE_STATE="$STATE" "$SCRIPT" "$CN" "$SN"
+}
+
+# A log that has to hold something at baseline time, so the baseline is not trivially zero.
+seed_logs()
+{
+    access_line 192.0.2.30 512 /install/rh/x86_64/ >"$SN_LOG"
+    access_line 192.0.2.31 512 /install/rh/x86_64/ >"$MN_LOG"
 }
 
 @test "a service node that served the compute node and a silent management node pass" {
+    seed_logs
+    take_baseline
+    access_line "$CN_IP" 12345678 /tftpboot/xcat/genesis.kernel >>"$SN_LOG"
+    access_line 192.0.2.21 4096 /install/rh/x86_64/ >>"$MN_LOG"
+
+    run_check
+    [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+    [[ "$output" == *"provisioning source ok"* ]]
+}
+
+@test "a management node request from BEFORE the baseline does not fail this run" {
+    access_line "$CN_IP" 12345678 /tftpboot/xcat/genesis.kernel >"$MN_LOG"
+    access_line 192.0.2.30 512 /install/rh/x86_64/ >"$SN_LOG"
+    take_baseline
+    access_line "$CN_IP" 12345678 /tftpboot/xcat/genesis.kernel >>"$SN_LOG"
+    access_line 192.0.2.21 4096 /install/rh/x86_64/ >>"$MN_LOG"
+
+    run_check
+    [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+    [[ "$output" == *"provisioning source ok"* ]]
+}
+
+@test "a service node request from BEFORE the baseline does not satisfy the check" {
     access_line "$CN_IP" 12345678 /tftpboot/xcat/genesis.kernel >"$SN_LOG"
-    access_line 192.0.2.21 4096 /install/rh/x86_64/ >"$MN_LOG"
+    access_line 192.0.2.31 512 /install/rh/x86_64/ >"$MN_LOG"
+    take_baseline
+    access_line 192.0.2.21 4096 /install/rh/x86_64/ >>"$MN_LOG"
+
+    run_check
+    [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+    [[ "$output" == *"no boot payload"* ]]
+}
+
+@test "a request that carries no boot payload does not satisfy the check" {
+    seed_logs
+    take_baseline
+    printf '%s - - [01/Jan/2026:00:00:00 +0000] "GET /favicon.ico HTTP/1.1" 404 209 "-" "iPXE"\n' \
+        "$CN_IP" >>"$SN_LOG"
+    access_line 192.0.2.21 4096 /install/rh/x86_64/ >>"$MN_LOG"
+
+    run_check
+    [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+    [[ "$output" == *"no boot payload"* ]]
+}
+
+@test "a management node request that carries no boot payload does not read as a flat provision" {
+    seed_logs
+    take_baseline
+    access_line "$CN_IP" 12345678 /tftpboot/xcat/genesis.kernel >>"$SN_LOG"
+    printf '%s - - [01/Jan/2026:00:00:00 +0000] "GET /favicon.ico HTTP/1.1" 404 209 "-" "iPXE"\n' \
+        "$CN_IP" >>"$MN_LOG"
+
+    run_check
+    [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+    [[ "$output" == *"provisioning source ok"* ]]
+}
+
+@test "the check refuses to answer with no baseline" {
+    seed_logs
+    access_line "$CN_IP" 12345678 /tftpboot/xcat/genesis.kernel >>"$SN_LOG"
+
+    run_check
+    [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+    [[ "$output" == *"no baseline"* ]]
+    [[ "$output" != *"provisioning source ok"* ]]
+}
+
+@test "a log rotated below its baseline is read from its first line" {
+    for i in 1 2 3 4 5; do access_line 192.0.2.30 512 /install/rh/x86_64/; done >"$SN_LOG"
+    access_line 192.0.2.31 512 /install/rh/x86_64/ >"$MN_LOG"
+    take_baseline
+    access_line "$CN_IP" 12345678 /tftpboot/xcat/genesis.kernel >"$SN_LOG"
+    access_line 192.0.2.21 4096 /install/rh/x86_64/ >>"$MN_LOG"
 
     run_check
     [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
@@ -56,11 +146,13 @@ run_check()
 }
 
 @test "the management node answering for the compute node fails the check" {
-    access_line "$CN_IP" 12345678 /tftpboot/xcat/genesis.kernel >"$SN_LOG"
+    seed_logs
+    take_baseline
+    access_line "$CN_IP" 12345678 /tftpboot/xcat/genesis.kernel >>"$SN_LOG"
     {
         access_line 192.0.2.21 4096 /install/rh/x86_64/
         access_line "$CN_IP" 12345678 /tftpboot/xcat/genesis.kernel
-    } >"$MN_LOG"
+    } >>"$MN_LOG"
 
     run_check
     [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
@@ -69,12 +161,14 @@ run_check()
 }
 
 @test "a management node answering only a bodyless request still fails the check" {
-    access_line "$CN_IP" 12345678 /tftpboot/xcat/genesis.kernel >"$SN_LOG"
+    seed_logs
+    take_baseline
+    access_line "$CN_IP" 12345678 /tftpboot/xcat/genesis.kernel >>"$SN_LOG"
     {
         access_line 192.0.2.21 4096 /install/rh/x86_64/
         printf '%s - - [01/Jan/2026:00:00:00 +0000] "HEAD %s HTTP/1.1" 304 - "-" "iPXE"\n' \
             "$CN_IP" /tftpboot/xcat/genesis.kernel
-    } >"$MN_LOG"
+    } >>"$MN_LOG"
 
     run_check
     [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
@@ -82,16 +176,20 @@ run_check()
 }
 
 @test "a service node that served the compute node nothing fails the check" {
-    access_line 192.0.2.22 4096 /install/rh/x86_64/ >"$SN_LOG"
-    access_line 192.0.2.21 4096 /install/rh/x86_64/ >"$MN_LOG"
+    seed_logs
+    take_baseline
+    access_line 192.0.2.22 4096 /install/rh/x86_64/ >>"$SN_LOG"
+    access_line 192.0.2.21 4096 /install/rh/x86_64/ >>"$MN_LOG"
 
     run_check
     [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
-    [[ "$output" == *"served $CN nothing"* ]]
+    [[ "$output" == *"no boot payload"* ]]
 }
 
 @test "an unreadable service node log fails the check instead of passing it" {
-    access_line 192.0.2.21 4096 /install/rh/x86_64/ >"$MN_LOG"
+    seed_logs
+    take_baseline
+    access_line 192.0.2.21 4096 /install/rh/x86_64/ >>"$MN_LOG"
     printf '#!/bin/sh\nexit 1\n' >"$BIN/xdsh"
     chmod 0755 "$BIN/xdsh"
 
@@ -100,20 +198,23 @@ run_check()
     [[ "$output" == *"no httpd access log could be read on $SN"* ]]
 }
 
-@test "an empty management node log fails the check instead of reading as silence" {
-    access_line "$CN_IP" 12345678 /tftpboot/xcat/genesis.kernel >"$SN_LOG"
-    : >"$MN_LOG"
+@test "a management node log with nothing new fails the check instead of reading as silence" {
+    seed_logs
+    take_baseline
+    access_line "$CN_IP" 12345678 /tftpboot/xcat/genesis.kernel >>"$SN_LOG"
 
     run_check
     [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
-    [[ "$output" == *"no httpd access log with entries could be read on mn01"* ]]
+    [[ "$output" == *"no httpd access log with new entries could be read on mn01"* ]]
 }
 
 @test "the Debian per-vhost log format is read as the client address" {
+    seed_logs
+    take_baseline
     printf 'xcat:80 %s - - [01/Jan/2026:00:00:00 +0000] "GET %s HTTP/1.1" 200 12345678\n' \
-        "$CN_IP" /tftpboot/xcat/genesis.kernel >"$SN_LOG"
+        "$CN_IP" /tftpboot/xcat/genesis.kernel >>"$SN_LOG"
     printf 'xcat:80 %s - - [01/Jan/2026:00:00:00 +0000] "GET %s HTTP/1.1" 200 4096\n' \
-        192.0.2.21 /install/ubuntu/x86_64/ >"$MN_LOG"
+        192.0.2.21 /install/ubuntu/x86_64/ >>"$MN_LOG"
 
     run_check
     [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
@@ -121,11 +222,13 @@ run_check()
 }
 
 @test "a compute node with no address fails the check" {
+    seed_logs
+    take_baseline
     printf '#!/bin/sh\nexit 1\n' >"$BIN/lsdef"
     printf '#!/bin/sh\nexit 2\n' >"$BIN/getent"
     chmod 0755 "$BIN/lsdef" "$BIN/getent"
-    access_line "$CN_IP" 12345678 /tftpboot/xcat/genesis.kernel >"$SN_LOG"
-    access_line 192.0.2.21 4096 /install/rh/x86_64/ >"$MN_LOG"
+    access_line "$CN_IP" 12345678 /tftpboot/xcat/genesis.kernel >>"$SN_LOG"
+    access_line 192.0.2.21 4096 /install/rh/x86_64/ >>"$MN_LOG"
 
     run_check
     [ "$status" -ne 0 ]