diff --git a/test/small/xy.dict b/test/small/xy.dict
index 290dd016ef3..5e3bc542c35 100644
--- a/test/small/xy.dict
+++ b/test/small/xy.dict
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
+@HD	VN:1.5	SO:unknown
 @SQ	SN:x	LN:1001
 @SQ	SN:y	LN:1001
diff --git a/test/small/yx.dict b/test/small/yx.dict
index 0ce4baac457..529e4ac19e4 100644
--- a/test/small/yx.dict
+++ b/test/small/yx.dict
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
+@HD	VN:1.5	SO:unknown
 @SQ	SN:y	LN:1001
 @SQ	SN:x	LN:1001
diff --git a/test/t/50_vg_giraffe.t b/test/t/50_vg_giraffe.t
index 480a810d9e7..adbb4afb04c 100644
--- a/test/t/50_vg_giraffe.t
+++ b/test/t/50_vg_giraffe.t
@@ -70,8 +70,8 @@ rm -f x.vg x.gbwt x.gg x.snarls x.min x.dist x.gg x.fa x.fa.fai x.vcf.gz x.vcf.g
 cp small/xy.fa .
 cp small/xy.vcf.gz .
 cp small/xy.vcf.gz.tbi .
-vg giraffe xy.fa xy.vcf.gz -f small/x.fa_1.fastq -o SAM --ref-paths small/yx.dict | grep "@SQ" > surjected-yx.dict
-vg giraffe xy.fa xy.vcf.gz -f small/x.fa_1.fastq -o SAM --ref-paths small/xy.dict | grep "@SQ" > surjected-xy.dict
+vg giraffe xy.fa xy.vcf.gz -f small/x.fa_1.fastq -o SAM --ref-paths small/yx.dict | grep -E "^@(SQ|HD)" > surjected-yx.dict
+vg giraffe xy.fa xy.vcf.gz -f small/x.fa_1.fastq -o SAM --ref-paths small/xy.dict | grep -E "^@(SQ|HD)" > surjected-xy.dict
 
 diff surjected-yx.dict small/yx.dict
 is "${?}" "0" "surjecting with a sequence dictionary in non-sorted order produces headers in non-sorted order"