diff --git a/tests/test_resource_copy.c b/tests/test_resource_copy.c
index e4c8494130702db6c5e7d1d21fce72e57cc1fb3b..ce789c30dabe9dfd5fbf8f62c897b1481afd9b83 100644
--- a/tests/test_resource_copy.c
+++ b/tests/test_resource_copy.c
@@ -163,9 +163,7 @@ defineVlist(int gridID, int zaxisID, int taxisID)
   vlistDefVarName(vlistID, varID2, "varname2");
   cdiDefAttTxt(vlistID, varID2, "txt demo", 6, "banana");
   vlistDefTaxis(vlistID, taxisID);
-  int vlistID2 = vlistCreate();
-  vlistDefVar(vlistID2, gridID, zaxisID, TIME_VARIABLE);
-  vlistCopy(vlistID2, vlistID);
+  int vlistID2 = vlistDuplicate(vlistID);
   return (struct idPair){ vlistID, vlistID2 };
 }