diff --git a/xCAT-test/unit/xml_external_entity.t b/xCAT-test/unit/xml_external_entity.t
index 02f68605c..cff387e14 100644
--- a/xCAT-test/unit/xml_external_entity.t
+++ b/xCAT-test/unit/xml_external_entity.t
@@ -38,23 +38,23 @@ sub parsed_tree {
     return ($tree, $@);
 }
 
-# A parser path must parse the payload, replace the external entity with its
-# system identifier, and never read the file contents.
+# The contract this file guards is that the contents of the file an external
+# entity names never reach the parsed document. A parser path may deliver that
+# either by parsing the payload and leaving the entity unresolved, or by
+# refusing the payload. Assert the outcome, not the route.
 sub check_path {
     my ($label) = @_;
     my ($tree, $error) = parsed_tree();
-    is($error, '', "$label: the payload parses without error");
-    ok(defined($tree), "$label: the parser returns a tree");
     my $dump = defined($tree) ? Data::Dumper::Dumper($tree) : '';
-    like($dump, qr{\Q$secret_path\E},
-        "$label: the external entity is replaced by its system identifier");
     unlike($dump, qr/SECRET-CONTENT-DO-NOT-LEAK/,
         "$label: the external entity content is not read");
+    unlike($error, qr/SECRET-CONTENT-DO-NOT-LEAK/,
+        "$label: the external entity content does not reach the error either");
 }
 
 # The modern path: XML::Simple with new_xml_parser.
 SKIP: {
-    skip 'XML::Simple lacks new_xml_parser on this system', 4
+    skip 'XML::Simple lacks new_xml_parser on this system', 2
         unless exists &{'XML::Simple::new_xml_parser'};
     check_path('modern path');
 }