diff --git a/harness-ractor/harness.rb b/harness-ractor/harness.rb
index cf24076a..eb96291c 100644
--- a/harness-ractor/harness.rb
+++ b/harness-ractor/harness.rb
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ def run_benchmark_gc(warmup_itrs, bench_itrs, block, ractor_args, gc_config:)
     end
     gc_by_ractors[rs] = group
   end
+  print_gc_legend
 
   return_results(warmups.values.flatten, stats.values.flatten, warmup_by_ractors: warmups, bench_by_ractors: stats, **ractor_gc_results(gc_by_ractors, gc_config))
 end
@@ -138,6 +139,9 @@ def print_gc_header(prefix)
   header = prefix + "   gc_total   marking  sweeping  gc_count     major     minor    global"
   CONTROLLER_GC_SERIES.each_value { |(_stat_key, label)| header << " %9s" % label }
   puts header
+end
+
+def print_gc_legend
   puts "(* controller-observed compacting cycles; may overlap global counts and is not additive.)" if CONTROLLER_GC_SERIES.any?
 end
 
@@ -277,6 +281,8 @@ def run_scenario_benchmark(bench_itrs, gc_config:, &scenario)
     gc_by_ractors[count] = group.merge(series)
   end
 
+  print_gc_legend if RACTOR_GC_ENABLED
+
   medians = counts.to_h { |count| [count, memory_summary(memory[count])] }
   print_memory_metrics(medians)
 
diff --git a/test/ractor_gc_harness_test.rb b/test/ractor_gc_harness_test.rb
index 85e6017b..8c76c51d 100644
--- a/test/ractor_gc_harness_test.rb
+++ b/test/ractor_gc_harness_test.rb
@@ -222,8 +222,12 @@ def run_workload(body, env: {})
       assert_equal %w[0 1 2], data['gc_by_ractors'].keys.sort
 
       if data['gc_by_ractors'].values.any? { |group| group.key?('gc_controller_compact_count_bench') }
-        assert_includes stdout, '(* controller-observed compacting cycles; may overlap global counts and is not additive.)',
-          'a starred stdout column must always come with the exact legend line'
+        legend = '(* controller-observed compacting cycles; may overlap global counts and is not additive.)'
+        lines = stdout.lines(chomp: true)
+        legend_index = lines.index(legend)
+        refute_nil legend_index, 'a starred stdout column must always come with the exact legend line'
+        last_row_index = lines.rindex { |line| line.match?(/\A2\s+#2:/) }
+        assert_operator legend_index, :>, last_row_index, 'the legend must follow the last table row'
       end
 
       expected_worker_keys = %w[