diff --git a/pdns/dnsdistdist/dnsdist-lua-bindings.cc b/pdns/dnsdistdist/dnsdist-lua-bindings.cc
index caae6606fafe..bf7323f03a55 100644
--- a/pdns/dnsdistdist/dnsdist-lua-bindings.cc
+++ b/pdns/dnsdistdist/dnsdist-lua-bindings.cc
@@ -293,20 +293,16 @@ void setupLuaBindings(LuaContext& luaCtx, bool client, bool configCheck)
       return;
     }
     size_t value = 0;
-    getOptionalValue<size_t>(vars, "maxCheckFailures", value);
-    if (value > 0) {
+    if (getOptionalValue<size_t>(vars, "maxCheckFailures", value) > 0 && value > 0) {
       state->d_config.maxCheckFailures.store(value);
     }
-    getOptionalValue<size_t>(vars, "rise", value);
-    if (value > 0) {
+    if (getOptionalValue<size_t>(vars, "rise", value) > 0 && value > 0) {
       state->d_config.minRiseSuccesses.store(value);
     }
-    getOptionalValue<size_t>(vars, "checkTimeout", value);
-    if (value > 0) {
+    if (getOptionalValue<size_t>(vars, "checkTimeout", value) > 0 && value > 0) {
       state->d_config.checkTimeout.store(value);
     }
-    getOptionalValue<size_t>(vars, "checkInterval", value);
-    if (value > 0) {
+    if (getOptionalValue<size_t>(vars, "checkInterval", value) > 0 && value > 0) {
       state->d_config.checkInterval.store(value);
     }
   });
diff --git a/regression-tests.dnsdist/test_HealthChecks.py b/regression-tests.dnsdist/test_HealthChecks.py
index 9f536b199ff6..95df8b199862 100644
--- a/regression-tests.dnsdist/test_HealthChecks.py
+++ b/regression-tests.dnsdist/test_HealthChecks.py
@@ -669,6 +669,13 @@ def testLatency(self):
         # introduce 500 ms of latency
         self.setDelay(0.5)
 
+        # consume any value received in the meantime (it does happen on GH actions runners)
+        try:
+            while self.wait1(False):
+                pass
+        except queue.Empty:
+            pass
+
         self.wait1(True)
 
         # should have no failures, still up