diff --git a/tests/regression_tests/filter_cellinstance/inputs_true.dat b/tests/regression_tests/filter_cellinstance/inputs_true.dat
index 5df9926270..f9d3ca58d4 100644
--- a/tests/regression_tests/filter_cellinstance/inputs_true.dat
+++ b/tests/regression_tests/filter_cellinstance/inputs_true.dat
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
 <geometry>
-  <cell id="1" material="1" region="-1" universe="1" />
+  <cell id="1" material="1" region="-1" universe="2" />
   <cell id="2" material="2" region="1" universe="1" />
   <cell fill="1" id="3" universe="2" />
   <cell id="4" material="1" region="-2" universe="3" />
diff --git a/tests/regression_tests/filter_cellinstance/results_true.dat b/tests/regression_tests/filter_cellinstance/results_true.dat
index 053ecf576e..c6832c6e1a 100644
--- a/tests/regression_tests/filter_cellinstance/results_true.dat
+++ b/tests/regression_tests/filter_cellinstance/results_true.dat
@@ -33,6 +33,14 @@ tally 1:
 2.015188E+02
 9.951936E+00
 2.345815E+01
+1.061333E+01
+2.508486E+01
+2.767786E+01
+1.781264E+02
+2.898957E+01
+2.015188E+02
+9.951936E+00
+2.345815E+01
 tally 2:
 9.951936E+00
 2.345815E+01
@@ -42,6 +50,14 @@ tally 2:
 1.781264E+02
 1.061333E+01
 2.508486E+01
+9.951936E+00
+2.345815E+01
+2.898957E+01
+2.015188E+02
+2.767786E+01
+1.781264E+02
+1.061333E+01
+2.508486E+01
 6.794395E-02
 1.135006E-03
 1.299309E-01
diff --git a/tests/regression_tests/filter_cellinstance/test.py b/tests/regression_tests/filter_cellinstance/test.py
index bd708788c5..ccd547f912 100644
--- a/tests/regression_tests/filter_cellinstance/test.py
+++ b/tests/regression_tests/filter_cellinstance/test.py
@@ -2,8 +2,27 @@ import openmc
 import openmc.model
 import pytest
 
+from numpy.testing import assert_array_almost_equal
+
 from tests.testing_harness import PyAPITestHarness
 
+class CellInstanceFilterTest(PyAPITestHarness):
+
+    def _compare_results(self):
+        with openmc.StatePoint(self.statepoint_name) as sp:
+            # we expect the tally results for the instances of
+            # cells 2 and 3 to be the same as 2 is nested
+            # in a universe directly under 3
+            t1 = sp.tallies[1]
+            f1 = sp.filters[1]
+            c2_bins = [tuple(tuple(i) for i in f1.bins if i[0] == 2)]
+            c2_mean = t1.get_values(filters=[openmc.CellInstanceFilter], filter_bins=c2_bins)
+            c3_bins = [tuple(tuple(i) for i in f1.bins if i[0] == 3)]
+            c3_mean = t1.get_values(filters=[openmc.CellInstanceFilter], filter_bins=c3_bins)
+            assert_array_almost_equal(c2_mean, c3_mean)
+
+        return super()._compare_results()
+
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def model():
@@ -23,23 +42,23 @@ def model():
     c1 = openmc.Cell(fill=m1, region=-cyl1)
     c2 = openmc.Cell(fill=m2, region=+cyl1)
     # intermediate universe
-    ui = openmc.Universe(cells=[c2])
-    ci = openmc.Cell(fill=ui)
-    u1 = openmc.Universe(cells=[c1, ci])
+    u1 = openmc.Universe(cells=[c2])
+    c3 = openmc.Cell(fill=u1)
+    u2 = openmc.Universe(cells=[c1, c3])
 
     cyl2 = openmc.ZCylinder(r=0.5)
-    c3 = openmc.Cell(fill=m1, region=-cyl2)
-    c4 = openmc.Cell(fill=m2, region=+cyl2)
-    u2 = openmc.Universe(cells=[c3, c4])
+    c4 = openmc.Cell(fill=m1, region=-cyl2)
+    c5 = openmc.Cell(fill=m2, region=+cyl2)
+    u3 = openmc.Universe(cells=[c4, c5])
 
     lat = openmc.RectLattice()
     lat.lower_left = (-4, -4)
     lat.pitch = (2, 2)
     lat.universes = [
-        [u1, u2, u2, u2],
-        [u2, u1, u2, u2],
-        [u2, u2, u1, u2],
-        [u2, u2, u2, u1]
+        [u2, u3, u3, u3],
+        [u3, u2, u3, u3],
+        [u3, u3, u2, u3],
+        [u3, u3, u3, u2]
     ]
     box = openmc.model.rectangular_prism(8.0, 8.0, boundary_type='reflective')
     main_cell = openmc.Cell(fill=lat, region=box)
@@ -52,9 +71,9 @@ def model():
     model.settings.particles = 1000
     model.settings.source = openmc.Source(space=openmc.stats.Point())
 
-    instances = ([(c3, i) for i in range(c3.num_instances)] +
+    instances = ([(c4, i) for i in range(c4.num_instances)] +
                  [(c2, i) for i in range(c2.num_instances)] +
-                 [(ci, i) for i in range(ci.num_instances)])
+                 [(c3, i) for i in range(c3.num_instances)])
     f1 = openmc.CellInstanceFilter(instances)
     f2 = openmc.CellInstanceFilter(instances[::-1])
     t1 = openmc.Tally()
@@ -69,5 +88,5 @@ def model():
 
 
 def test_cell_instance(model):
-    harness = PyAPITestHarness('statepoint.5.h5', model)
+    harness = CellInstanceFilterTest('statepoint.5.h5', model)
     harness.main()
diff --git a/tests/testing_harness.py b/tests/testing_harness.py
index 48f121d459..92d34ccdca 100644
--- a/tests/testing_harness.py
+++ b/tests/testing_harness.py
@@ -115,6 +115,10 @@ class TestHarness:
 
         return outstr
 
+    @property
+    def statepoint_name(self):
+        return self._sp_name
+
     def _write_results(self, results_string):
         """Write the results to an ASCII file."""
         with open('results_test.dat', 'w') as fh: