diff --git a/tests/xim_live_test.c b/tests/xim_live_test.c
index f1a008d..4656b79 100644
--- a/tests/xim_live_test.c
+++ b/tests/xim_live_test.c
@@ -405,6 +405,9 @@ testcallbacks(Display *dpy, XIM im, Window win)
 /*
  * The popup is the one viewable override-redirect window on the private
  * display; created before the client window, it must still stack above it.
+ * The order and the map states have to be one observation: the daemon
+ * raises and maps between two ungrabbed round trips, and a stale order read
+ * against a fresh map state says the popup is below when it is not.
  */
 static int
 popupabove(Display *dpy, Window client)
@@ -419,8 +422,11 @@ popupabove(Display *dpy, Window client)
 	for(;;){
 		above = 0;
 		root = DefaultRootWindow(dpy);
-		if(!XQueryTree(dpy, root, &root, &parent, &kids, &n))
+		XGrabServer(dpy);
+		if(!XQueryTree(dpy, root, &root, &parent, &kids, &n)){
+			XUngrabServer(dpy);
 			return fail("query the window tree");
+		}
 		for(i = 0; i < n; i++){
 			if(kids[i] == client)
 				above = 1;
@@ -429,6 +435,7 @@ popupabove(Display *dpy, Window client)
 				break;
 		}
 		XFree(kids);
+		XUngrabServer(dpy);
 		if(i < n)
 			return above || fail("popup is stacked below the client");
 		if(leftms(deadline) == 0)