diff --git a/zeroize/CHANGELOG.md b/zeroize/CHANGELOG.md
index 0272a4c9..51e3b421 100644
--- a/zeroize/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/zeroize/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
+## 1.9.1 (UNRELEASED)
+### Fixed
+- False positive failures in proxy allocator test ([#1538])
+
+[#1538]: https://github.com/RustCrypto/utils/pull/1538
+
 ## 1.9.0 (2026-06-12)
 ### Added
 - `Zeroizing` is now `repr(transparent)` ([#1253])
diff --git a/zeroize/tests/alloc.rs b/zeroize/tests/alloc.rs
index 5dbdd715..9a575d7d 100644
--- a/zeroize/tests/alloc.rs
+++ b/zeroize/tests/alloc.rs
@@ -1,24 +1,32 @@
 //! Tests for `Zeroize` impls on heap-allocated data structures
 
-#![allow(clippy::std_instead_of_core, clippy::undocumented_unsafe_blocks)]
-
-use std::alloc::{GlobalAlloc, Layout, System};
+use core::{
+    alloc::{GlobalAlloc, Layout},
+    ptr,
+    sync::atomic::{AtomicPtr, Ordering::Relaxed},
+};
 use zeroize::Zeroize;
 
-// Allocator that ensures that deallocated data is zeroized.
+use std::alloc::System;
+
+static REG_PTR: AtomicPtr<u8> = AtomicPtr::new(ptr::null_mut());
+
+// Allocator that ensures that allocation registered in `REG_PTR` is zeroized.
 struct ProxyAllocator;
 
+#[allow(clippy::undocumented_unsafe_blocks)]
 unsafe impl GlobalAlloc for ProxyAllocator {
     unsafe fn alloc(&self, layout: Layout) -> *mut u8 {
         unsafe { System.alloc(layout) }
     }
 
     unsafe fn dealloc(&self, ptr: *mut u8, layout: Layout) {
-        if layout.size() == 160 {
+        if ptr == REG_PTR.load(Relaxed) {
             for i in 0..layout.size() {
-                let b = unsafe { core::ptr::read(ptr.add(i)) };
+                let b = unsafe { ptr::read(ptr.add(i)) };
                 assert_eq!(b, 0);
             }
+            REG_PTR.store(ptr::null_mut(), Relaxed);
         }
 
         unsafe { System.dealloc(ptr, layout) }
@@ -32,7 +40,11 @@ struct SecretBox<S: Zeroize>(Box<S>);
 
 impl<S: Zeroize> SecretBox<S> {
     fn new(val: S) -> Self {
-        Self(Box::new(val))
+        let mut b = Box::new(val);
+        // TODO(MSRV-1.98): use `Box::as_mut_ptr`
+        let p: *mut S = &raw mut *b;
+        REG_PTR.store(p.cast(), Relaxed);
+        Self(b)
     }
 }
 
@@ -42,19 +54,15 @@ impl<S: Zeroize> Drop for SecretBox<S> {
     }
 }
 
-#[test]
-fn secret_box_alloc_test() {
-    let b1 = SecretBox::new([u128::MAX; 10]);
-    core::hint::black_box(&b1);
-    let b2 = SecretBox::new([u8::MAX; 160]);
-    core::hint::black_box(&b2);
-}
-
 struct ObserveSecretBox<S: Default>(Box<S>);
 
 impl<S: Default> ObserveSecretBox<S> {
     fn new(val: S) -> Self {
-        Self(Box::new(val))
+        let mut b = Box::new(val);
+        // TODO(MSRV-1.98): use `Box::as_mut_ptr`
+        let p: *mut S = &raw mut *b;
+        REG_PTR.store(p.cast(), Relaxed);
+        Self(b)
     }
 }
 
@@ -66,9 +74,20 @@ impl<S: Default> Drop for ObserveSecretBox<S> {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn observe_secret_box_alloc_test() {
-    let b1 = ObserveSecretBox::new([u128::MAX; 10]);
+fn proxy_alloc_test() {
+    let b1 = SecretBox::new([u128::MAX; 10]);
     core::hint::black_box(&b1);
+    drop(b1);
+
     let b2 = SecretBox::new([u8::MAX; 160]);
     core::hint::black_box(&b2);
+    drop(b2);
+
+    let b3 = ObserveSecretBox::new([u128::MAX; 10]);
+    core::hint::black_box(&b3);
+    drop(b3);
+
+    let b4 = SecretBox::new([u8::MAX; 160]);
+    core::hint::black_box(&b4);
+    drop(b4);
 }