diff --git a/bin/tests/system/xfer/ns1/ixfr-too-many-diffs.db b/bin/tests/system/xfer/ns1/ixfr-too-many-diffs.db
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c192316f91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/tests/system/xfer/ns1/ixfr-too-many-diffs.db
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+; Copyright (C) Internet Systems Consortium, Inc. ("ISC")
+;
+; SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+;
+; This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+; License, v. 2.0.  If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+; file, you can obtain one at https://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+;
+; See the COPYRIGHT file distributed with this work for additional
+; information regarding copyright ownership.
+
+$TTL	3600
+@	IN	SOA	. . 0 0 0 0 0
+@	IN	NS	ns1
+@	IN	NS	ns6
+ns1	IN	A	10.53.0.1
+ns6	IN	A	10.53.0.6
+$GENERATE 1-25	host$	A	1.2.3.$
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/xfer/ns1/named1.conf.in b/bin/tests/system/xfer/ns1/named1.conf.in
index d3f597dfda..c7e844964e 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/xfer/ns1/named1.conf.in
+++ b/bin/tests/system/xfer/ns1/named1.conf.in
@@ -74,6 +74,12 @@ zone "ixfr-too-big" {
 	file "ixfr-too-big.db";
 };
 
+zone "ixfr-too-many-diffs" {
+	type primary;
+	allow-update { any; };
+	file "ixfr-too-many-diffs.db";
+};
+
 zone "xfer-stats" {
 	type primary;
 	file "xfer-stats.db";
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/xfer/ns6/named.conf.in b/bin/tests/system/xfer/ns6/named.conf.in
index e98fc3b588..ea14584985 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/xfer/ns6/named.conf.in
+++ b/bin/tests/system/xfer/ns6/named.conf.in
@@ -90,3 +90,10 @@ zone "ixfr-too-big" {
 	primaries { 10.53.0.1; };
 	file "ixfr-too-big.bk";
 };
+
+zone "ixfr-too-many-diffs" {
+	type secondary;
+	request-ixfr-max-diffs 3;
+	primaries { 10.53.0.1; };
+	file "ixfr-too-many-diffs.bk";
+};
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/xfer/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/xfer/tests.sh
index feeb3a679f..a379a6a705 100755
--- a/bin/tests/system/xfer/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/xfer/tests.sh
@@ -591,6 +591,27 @@ wait_for_log 10 "$msg" ns6/named.run || tmp=1
 if test $tmp != 0; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=$((status + tmp))
 
+n=$((n + 1))
+echo_i "test that a zone with too many diffs (IXFR) is retried with AXFR ($n)"
+tmp=0
+nextpart ns6/named.run >/dev/null
+$NSUPDATE <<EOF
+zone ixfr-too-many-diffs
+server 10.53.0.1 ${PORT}
+update add the-31st-record.ixfr-too-many-diffs 0 TXT too
+update add the-32nd-record.ixfr-too-many-diffs 0 TXT many
+update add the-33rd-record.ixfr-too-many-diffs 0 TXT diffs
+update add the-34th-record.ixfr-too-many-diffs 0 TXT for
+update add the-35th-record.ixfr-too-many-diffs 0 TXT ixfr
+send
+EOF
+msg="'ixfr-too-many-diffs/IN' from 10.53.0.1#${PORT}: Transfer status: success"
+wait_for_log 10 "$msg" ns6/named.run || tmp=1
+msg="'ixfr-too-many-diffs/IN' from 10.53.0.1#${PORT}: too many diffs, retrying with AXFR"
+grep -F "$msg" ns6/named.run >/dev/null || tmp=1
+if test $tmp != 0; then echo_i "failed"; fi
+status=$((status + tmp))
+
 n=$((n + 1))
 echo_i "checking whether dig calculates AXFR statistics correctly ($n)"
 tmp=0