diff --git a/test/system/505-networking-pasta.bats b/test/system/505-networking-pasta.bats
index f32e3e427d..aa1691a4e7 100644
--- a/test/system/505-networking-pasta.bats
+++ b/test/system/505-networking-pasta.bats
@@ -434,43 +434,52 @@ function pasta_test_do() {
 
 ### DNS ########################################################################
 
-@test "External resolver, IPv4" {
-    skip_if_no_ipv4 "IPv4 not routable on the host"
-
-    run_podman '?' run --rm --net=pasta $IMAGE nslookup 127.0.0.1
-
-    assert "$output" =~ "1.0.0.127.in-addr.arpa" \
-           "127.0.0.1 not resolved"
-}
-
-@test "External resolver, IPv6" {
-    skip_if_no_ipv6 "IPv6 not routable on the host"
-
-    run_podman '?' run --rm --net=pasta $IMAGE nslookup ::1
-
-    assert "$output" =~ "1.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.ip6.arpa" \
-           "::1 not resolved"
+@test "Basic nameserver lookup" {
+    run_podman run --rm --net=pasta $IMAGE nslookup l.root-servers.net
 }
 
-@test "Local forwarder, IPv4" {
+@test "Default nameserver forwarding" {
     skip_if_no_ipv4 "IPv4 not routable on the host"
 
     # pasta is the default now so no need to set it
     run_podman run --rm $IMAGE grep nameserver /etc/resolv.conf
     assert "${lines[0]}" == "nameserver 169.254.1.1" "default dns forward server"
+}
+
+@test "Custom DNS forward address, IPv4" {
+    skip_if_no_ipv4 "IPv4 not routable on the host"
+
+    local addr=198.51.100.1
 
-    run_podman run --rm --net=pasta:--dns-forward,198.51.100.1 \
-        $IMAGE nslookup 127.0.0.1 || :
-    assert "$output" =~ "1.0.0.127.in-addr.arpa" "No answer from resolver"
+    run_podman run --rm --net=pasta:--dns-forward,$addr \
+        $IMAGE grep nameserver /etc/resolv.conf
+    assert "${lines[0]}" == "nameserver $addr" "custom dns forward server"
+
+    run_podman run --rm --net=pasta:--dns-forward,$addr \
+        $IMAGE nslookup l.root-servers.net $addr
 }
 
-@test "Local forwarder, IPv6" {
+@test "Custom DNS forward address, IPv6" {
     skip_if_no_ipv6 "IPv6 not routable on the host"
 
-    # TODO: Two issues here:
+    # TODO: In fact, this requires not just IPv6 connectivity on the
+    #       host, but an IPv6 reachable nameserver which is harder to
+    #       test for.  We could remove that requirement if pasta could
+    #       forward between IPv4 and IPv6 addresses but as of
+    #       2024_09_06.6b38f07 that's unsupported.  Skip the test for
+    #       now.
     skip "Currently unsupported"
-    # run_podman run --dns 2001:db8::1 \
-    #   --net=pasta:--dns-forward,2001:db8::1 $IMAGE nslookup ::1
+    # local addr=2001:db8::1
+    #
+    # run_podman run --rm --net=pasta:--dns-forward,$addr \
+    #     $IMAGE grep nameserver /etc/resolv.conf
+    # assert "${lines[0]}" == "nameserver $addr" "custom dns forward server"
+    # run_podman run --rm --net=pasta:--dns-forward,$addr \
+    #     $IMAGE nslookup l.root-servers.net $addr
+    #
+    # TODO: In addition to the IPv6 nameserver requirement above,
+    #       there seem to be two problems running this test.  It's
+    #       unclear if those are in busybox, musl or pasta.
     #
     # 1. With this, Podman writes "nameserver 2001:db8::1" to
     #    /etc/resolv.conf, without zone, and the query originates from ::1.