diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/141 b/tests/qemu-iotests/141
index 2197a82d45..8c2ae79f2b 100755
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/141
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/141
@@ -58,16 +58,21 @@ test_blockjob()
               }}}" \
         'return'
 
+    # If "$2" is an event, we may or may not see it before the
+    # {"return": {}}.  Therefore, filter the {"return": {}} out both
+    # here and in the next command.  (Naturally, if we do not see it
+    # here, we will see it before the next command can be executed,
+    # so it will appear in the next _send_qemu_cmd's output.)
     _send_qemu_cmd $QEMU_HANDLE \
         "$1" \
         "$2" \
-        | _filter_img_create
+        | _filter_img_create | _filter_qmp_empty_return
 
     # We want this to return an error because the block job is still running
     _send_qemu_cmd $QEMU_HANDLE \
         "{'execute': 'blockdev-del',
           'arguments': {'node-name': 'drv0'}}" \
-        'error' | _filter_generated_node_ids
+        'error' | _filter_generated_node_ids | _filter_qmp_empty_return
 
     _send_qemu_cmd $QEMU_HANDLE \
         "{'execute': 'block-job-cancel',
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/141.out b/tests/qemu-iotests/141.out
index 4d71d9dcae..dbd3bdef6c 100644
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/141.out
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/141.out
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ Formatting 'TEST_DIR/t.IMGFMT', fmt=IMGFMT size=1048576 backing_file=TEST_DIR/m.
 Formatting 'TEST_DIR/o.IMGFMT', fmt=IMGFMT size=1048576 backing_file=TEST_DIR/t.IMGFMT backing_fmt=IMGFMT
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "JOB_STATUS_CHANGE", "data": {"status": "created", "id": "job0"}}
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "JOB_STATUS_CHANGE", "data": {"status": "running", "id": "job0"}}
-{"return": {}}
 {"error": {"class": "GenericError", "desc": "Node drv0 is in use"}}
 {"return": {}}
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "JOB_STATUS_CHANGE", "data": {"status": "aborting", "id": "job0"}}
@@ -27,7 +26,6 @@ Formatting 'TEST_DIR/o.IMGFMT', fmt=IMGFMT size=1048576 backing_file=TEST_DIR/t.
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "JOB_STATUS_CHANGE", "data": {"status": "running", "id": "job0"}}
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "JOB_STATUS_CHANGE", "data": {"status": "ready", "id": "job0"}}
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "BLOCK_JOB_READY", "data": {"device": "job0", "len": 0, "offset": 0, "speed": 0, "type": "mirror"}}
-{"return": {}}
 {"error": {"class": "GenericError", "desc": "Node 'drv0' is busy: block device is in use by block job: mirror"}}
 {"return": {}}
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "JOB_STATUS_CHANGE", "data": {"status": "waiting", "id": "job0"}}
@@ -42,7 +40,6 @@ Formatting 'TEST_DIR/o.IMGFMT', fmt=IMGFMT size=1048576 backing_file=TEST_DIR/t.
 {"return": {}}
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "JOB_STATUS_CHANGE", "data": {"status": "created", "id": "job0"}}
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "JOB_STATUS_CHANGE", "data": {"status": "running", "id": "job0"}}
-{"return": {}}
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "JOB_STATUS_CHANGE", "data": {"status": "ready", "id": "job0"}}
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "BLOCK_JOB_READY", "data": {"device": "job0", "len": 0, "offset": 0, "speed": 0, "type": "commit"}}
 {"error": {"class": "GenericError", "desc": "Node 'drv0' is busy: block device is in use by block job: commit"}}
@@ -61,7 +58,6 @@ wrote 1048576/1048576 bytes at offset 0
 {"return": {}}
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "JOB_STATUS_CHANGE", "data": {"status": "created", "id": "job0"}}
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "JOB_STATUS_CHANGE", "data": {"status": "running", "id": "job0"}}
-{"return": {}}
 {"error": {"class": "GenericError", "desc": "Node drv0 is in use"}}
 {"return": {}}
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "JOB_STATUS_CHANGE", "data": {"status": "aborting", "id": "job0"}}
@@ -77,7 +73,6 @@ wrote 1048576/1048576 bytes at offset 0
 {"return": {}}
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "JOB_STATUS_CHANGE", "data": {"status": "created", "id": "job0"}}
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "JOB_STATUS_CHANGE", "data": {"status": "running", "id": "job0"}}
-{"return": {}}
 {"error": {"class": "GenericError", "desc": "Node drv0 is in use"}}
 {"return": {}}
 {"timestamp": {"seconds":  TIMESTAMP, "microseconds":  TIMESTAMP}, "event": "JOB_STATUS_CHANGE", "data": {"status": "aborting", "id": "job0"}}
diff --git a/tests/qemu-iotests/common.filter b/tests/qemu-iotests/common.filter
index 35fddc746f..8e9235d6fe 100644
--- a/tests/qemu-iotests/common.filter
+++ b/tests/qemu-iotests/common.filter
@@ -219,5 +219,10 @@ _filter_nbd()
         -e 's#\(foo\|PORT/\?\|.sock\): Failed to .*$#\1#'
 }
 
+_filter_qmp_empty_return()
+{
+    grep -v '{"return": {}}'
+}
+
 # make sure this script returns success
 true