diff --git a/test/units/TEST-55-OOMD.sh b/test/units/TEST-55-OOMD.sh
index 90d40069f7..6010d67225 100755
--- a/test/units/TEST-55-OOMD.sh
+++ b/test/units/TEST-55-OOMD.sh
@@ -301,6 +301,7 @@ testcase_reload() {
 testcase_kernel_oom() {
     cat >/tmp/script.sh <<"EOF"
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -x
 choom --adjust '+1000' -- bash -c 'echo f >/proc/sysrq-trigger && exec sleep infinity'
 choom --adjust '+1000' -p $$
 echo f >/proc/sysrq-trigger
@@ -324,12 +325,22 @@ EOF
 
     cat >/tmp/script.sh <<"EOF"
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -x
 echo '+memory' >/sys/fs/cgroup/system.slice/oom-kill.service/cgroup.subtree_control
 mkdir /sys/fs/cgroup/system.slice/oom-kill.service/sub
 echo 1 >/sys/fs/cgroup/system.slice/oom-kill.service/sub/memory.oom.group
-echo $$ >/sys/fs/cgroup/system.slice/oom-kill.service/sub/cgroup.procs
-choom --adjust '+1000' -p $$
-echo f >/proc/sysrq-trigger
+
+# Start a child process in the subcgroup that will trigger OOM and be killed but keep the main process
+# outside the subcgroup to avoid a race condition where the kernel SIGKILLs the main process before systemd
+# can process the OOM notification. With the main process still alive, systemd should have time to receive
+# the OOM event and enter the 'oom-kill' state before the service exits.
+(
+    echo $BASHPID >/sys/fs/cgroup/system.slice/oom-kill.service/sub/cgroup.procs
+    choom --adjust '+1000' -p $BASHPID
+    echo f >/proc/sysrq-trigger
+    exec sleep infinity
+) &
+wait $! || :
 exec sleep infinity
 EOF
     chmod +x /tmp/script.sh