diff --git a/src/testdir/test_clientserver.vim b/src/testdir/test_clientserver.vim
index d97f5ea20..d76a7be5a 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_clientserver.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_clientserver.vim
@@ -52,7 +52,12 @@ func Test_client_server()
     " the GUI and check that the remote command still works.
     " Need to wait for the GUI to start up, otherwise the send hangs in trying
     " to send to the terminal window.
-    call remote_send(name, ":gui -f\<CR>")
+    if has('gui_athena') || has('gui_motif')
+      " For those GUIs, ignore the 'failed to create input context' error.
+      call remote_send(name, ":call test_ignore_error('E285') | gui -f\<CR>")
+    else
+      call remote_send(name, ":gui -f\<CR>")
+    endif
     let s:where = 8
     sleep 500m
     call remote_send(name, ":let testvar = 'maybe'\<CR>")