diff --git a/templates b/templates
index 4ff18383..646b3bcd 100755
--- a/templates
+++ b/templates
@@ -2743,7 +2743,10 @@
                         { key => "POSTINSTALL", value => "server_cockpit_basic" },
                         { key => "USER_LOGIN", value => "false" },
                         { key => "ROOT_PASSWORD", value => "weakpassword" },
-                        { key => "START_AFTER_TEST", value => "server_cockpit_default" },
+                        # to understand the '+' values in this test and the next,
+                        # see the `jobs_from_update` docstring in fedora_openqa
+                        # schedule.py
+                        { key => "+START_AFTER_TEST", value => "server_cockpit_default" },
                         { key => "BOOTFROM", value => "c" },
                         { key => "+HDD_1", value => "disk_%MACHINE%_cockpit.qcow2" },
                       ],
@@ -2754,7 +2757,7 @@
                         { key => "POSTINSTALL", value => "realmd_join_cockpit freeipa_webui freeipa_password_change freeipa_client" },
                         { key => "USER_LOGIN", value => "false" },
                         { key => "ROOT_PASSWORD", value => "weakpassword" },
-                        { key => "START_AFTER_TEST", value => "server_cockpit_default" },
+                        { key => "+START_AFTER_TEST", value => "server_cockpit_default" },
                         { key => "PARALLEL_WITH", value => "server_role_deploy_domain_controller" },
                         { key => "BOOTFROM", value => "c" },
                         { key => "+HDD_1", value => "disk_%MACHINE%_cockpit.qcow2" },