diff --git a/autopkgtest.py b/autopkgtest.py
index d503ba2..f0b50d7 100644
--- a/autopkgtest.py
+++ b/autopkgtest.py
@@ -657,7 +657,13 @@ class AutoPackageTest(object):
                         result = 'PASS'
                     else:
                         # test failed, check ever_passed flag for that src/arch
-                        if ever_passed:
+                        # unless we got triggered from linux-meta*: we trigger
+                        # separate per-kernel tests for reverse test
+                        # dependencies, and we don't want to track per-trigger
+                        # ever_passed. This would be wrong for everything
+                        # except the kernel, and the kernel team tracks
+                        # per-kernel regressions already
+                        if ever_passed and not trigsrc.startswith('linux-meta') and trigsrc != 'linux':
                             result = 'REGRESSION'
                         else:
                             result = 'ALWAYSFAIL'
diff --git a/tests/test_autopkgtest.py b/tests/test_autopkgtest.py
index 2e4591b..ab80c29 100755
--- a/tests/test_autopkgtest.py
+++ b/tests/test_autopkgtest.py
@@ -1310,7 +1310,7 @@ fancy 1 i386 linux-meta-lts-grumpy 1
              ('linux-image-64only', {'Source': 'linux-meta-64only', 'Architecture': 'amd64'}, None),
             ],
             {'linux-meta': (True, {'fancy 1': {'amd64': 'PASS', 'i386': 'PASS'}}),
-             'linux-meta-lts-grumpy': (False, {'fancy 1': {'amd64': 'RUNNING', 'i386': 'REGRESSION'}}),
+             'linux-meta-lts-grumpy': (False, {'fancy 1': {'amd64': 'RUNNING', 'i386': 'ALWAYSFAIL'}}),
              'linux-meta-64only': (True, {'fancy 1': {'amd64': 'PASS'}}),
             })
 
@@ -1342,7 +1342,7 @@ fancy 1 i386 linux-meta-lts-grumpy 1
             ],
             {'linux-meta': (True, {'fancy 1': {'amd64': 'PASS', 'i386': 'PASS'}}),
              # we don't have an explicit result for amd64, so the old one counts
-             'linux-meta-lts-grumpy': (False, {'fancy 1': {'amd64': 'REGRESSION', 'i386': 'REGRESSION'}}),
+             'linux-meta-lts-grumpy': (True, {'fancy 1': {'amd64': 'ALWAYSFAIL', 'i386': 'ALWAYSFAIL'}}),
              'linux-meta-64only': (True, {'fancy 1': {'amd64': 'PASS'}}),
             })