diff --git a/bin/tests/system/logfileconfig/ns1/named.tsconf.in b/bin/tests/system/logfileconfig/ns1/named.tsconf.in
index e7513edb49..7e62a93782 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/logfileconfig/ns1/named.tsconf.in
+++ b/bin/tests/system/logfileconfig/ns1/named.tsconf.in
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ options {
 logging {
 	channel default_log {
 	  buffered no;
-	  file "named_ts" versions 10 size 1000 suffix timestamp; # small size
+	  file "named_ts" versions 3 size 1000 suffix timestamp; # small size
 	  severity debug 100;
 	  print-time yes;
 	};
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/logfileconfig/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/logfileconfig/tests.sh
index 5fce3f9813..ec3e265d32 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/logfileconfig/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/logfileconfig/tests.sh
@@ -187,10 +187,22 @@ ret=0
 copy_setports ns1/named.tsconf.in ns1/named.conf
 # a seconds since epoch version number
 touch ns1/named_ts.1480039317
+# a timestamp version number
+touch ns1/named_ts.20150101120000120
 rndc_reconfig ns1 10.53.0.1 > rndc.out.test$n
-$DIG version.bind txt ch @10.53.0.1 -p ${PORT} > dig.out.test$n
-grep "status: NOERROR" dig.out.test$n > /dev/null || ret=1
-test_with_retry -f ns1/named_ts.1480039317 && ret=1
+_found2() (
+        $DIG version.bind txt ch @10.53.0.1 -p ${PORT} > dig.out.test$n
+        grep "status: NOERROR" dig.out.test$n > /dev/null || ret=1
+
+        # we are configured to keep three versions, so the oldest
+        # timestamped versions should be gone, and there should
+        # be two new ones.
+        [ -f ns1/named_ts.1480039317 ] && return 1
+        [ -f ns1/named_ts.20150101120000120 ] && return 1
+        set -- ns1/named_ts.*
+        [ "$#" -eq 2 ] || return 1
+)
+retry_quiet 5 _found2 || ret=1
 if [ "$ret" -ne 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=$((status+ret))
 
diff --git a/lib/isc/log.c b/lib/isc/log.c
index 8f48f4718d..031393d430 100644
--- a/lib/isc/log.c
+++ b/lib/isc/log.c
@@ -1088,7 +1088,7 @@ greatest_version(isc_logfile_t *file, int versions, int *greatestp) {
 }
 
 static void
-insert_sort(int64_t to_keep[], int64_t versions, int version) {
+insert_sort(int64_t to_keep[], int64_t versions, int64_t version) {
 	int i = 0;
 	while (i < versions && version < to_keep[i]) {
 		i++;
@@ -1105,12 +1105,13 @@ insert_sort(int64_t to_keep[], int64_t versions, int version) {
 
 static int64_t
 last_to_keep(int64_t versions, isc_dir_t *dirp, char *bname, size_t bnamelen) {
-	if (versions <= 0) {
-		return INT64_MAX;
-	}
-
 	int64_t to_keep[ISC_LOG_MAX_VERSIONS] = { 0 };
 	int64_t version = 0;
+
+	if (versions <= 0) {
+		return (INT64_MAX);
+	}
+
 	if (versions > ISC_LOG_MAX_VERSIONS) {
 		versions = ISC_LOG_MAX_VERSIONS;
 	}
@@ -1119,6 +1120,9 @@ last_to_keep(int64_t versions, isc_dir_t *dirp, char *bname, size_t bnamelen) {
 	 */
 	memset(to_keep, 0, sizeof(to_keep));
 	while (isc_dir_read(dirp) == ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
+		char *digit_end = NULL;
+		char *ename = NULL;
+
 		if (dirp->entry.length <= bnamelen ||
 		    strncmp(dirp->entry.name, bname, bnamelen) != 0 ||
 		    dirp->entry.name[bnamelen] != '.')
@@ -1126,8 +1130,7 @@ last_to_keep(int64_t versions, isc_dir_t *dirp, char *bname, size_t bnamelen) {
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		char *digit_end;
-		char *ename = &dirp->entry.name[bnamelen + 1];
+		ename = &dirp->entry.name[bnamelen + 1];
 		version = strtoull(ename, &digit_end, 10);
 		if (*digit_end == '\0') {
 			insert_sort(to_keep, versions, version);
@@ -1145,12 +1148,13 @@ last_to_keep(int64_t versions, isc_dir_t *dirp, char *bname, size_t bnamelen) {
 static isc_result_t
 remove_old_tsversions(isc_logfile_t *file, int versions) {
 	isc_result_t result;
-	char *bname, *digit_end;
-	const char *dirname;
+	char *bname = NULL, *digit_end = NULL;
+	const char *dirname = NULL;
 	int64_t version, last = INT64_MAX;
 	size_t bnamelen;
 	isc_dir_t dir;
 	char sep = '/';
+
 	/*
 	 * It is safe to DE_CONST the file.name because it was copied
 	 * with isc_mem_strdup().