diff --git a/test/browser/test_idbstore_sync.c b/test/browser/test_idbstore_sync.c
index e44c4dea71870..5b8a051cedc99 100644
--- a/test/browser/test_idbstore_sync.c
+++ b/test/browser/test_idbstore_sync.c
@@ -25,7 +25,10 @@ void test() {
   sum++;
 
   printf("checking\n");
+  exists = 5555;
   emscripten_idb_exists(DB, "the_secret", &exists, &error);
+  // exists is still 5555 here!!!
+  assert(exists != 5555);
   assert(!error);
   assert(exists);
   sum++;
diff --git a/test/test_browser.py b/test/test_browser.py
index b737edd7785c2..8210f2ecc73ab 100644
--- a/test/test_browser.py
+++ b/test/test_browser.py
@@ -1510,7 +1510,7 @@ def test_idbstore(self):
   @also_with_wasm64
   def test_idbstore_sync(self):
     secret = str(time.time())
-    self.btest(test_file('browser/test_idbstore_sync.c'), '6', args=['-lidbstore.js', f'-DSECRET="{secret}"', '-O3', '-g2', '-sASYNCIFY'])
+    self.btest(test_file('browser/test_idbstore_sync.c'), '6', args=['-lidbstore.js', f'-DSECRET="{secret}"', '-O3', '-g2', '-sASYNCIFY=2', '-Wno-experimental'])
 
   def test_idbstore_sync_worker(self):
     secret = str(time.time())