diff --git a/tests/hwsim/test_bgscan.py b/tests/hwsim/test_bgscan.py
index e3c1790ba..a3daa06ca 100644
--- a/tests/hwsim/test_bgscan.py
+++ b/tests/hwsim/test_bgscan.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ logger = logging.getLogger()
 import os
 
 import hostapd
-from utils import alloc_fail, fail_test
+from utils import alloc_fail, fail_test, wait_fail_trigger
 
 def test_bgscan_simple(dev, apdev):
     """bgscan_simple"""
@@ -99,9 +99,7 @@ def test_bgscan_simple_scan_failure(dev, apdev):
                    bgscan="simple:1:-20:2")
     with alloc_fail(dev[0], 1,
                     "wpa_supplicant_trigger_scan;bgscan_simple_timeout"):
-        ev = dev[0].wait_event(["CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-FAILED"], timeout=10)
-        if ev is None:
-            raise Exception("No scan failure reported")
+        wait_fail_trigger(dev[0], "GET_ALLOC_FAIL")
     ev = dev[0].wait_event(["CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS"], 10)
     if ev is None:
         raise Exception("Scanning not continued after failure")
@@ -274,9 +272,7 @@ def test_bgscan_learn_scan_failure(dev, apdev):
                    bgscan="learn:1:-20:2")
     with alloc_fail(dev[0], 1,
                     "wpa_supplicant_trigger_scan;bgscan_learn_timeout"):
-        ev = dev[0].wait_event(["CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-FAILED"], timeout=10)
-        if ev is None:
-            raise Exception("No scan failure reported")
+        wait_fail_trigger(dev[0], "GET_ALLOC_FAIL")
     ev = dev[0].wait_event(["CTRL-EVENT-SCAN-RESULTS"], 10)
     if ev is None:
         raise Exception("Scanning not continued after failure")