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The four-point bend test is widely used for testing the edge strength of glass specimens. Vertical four-point bend (V4PB) setup involves orienting the specimen in a vertical fashion. However, thin specimens tend to buckle when using V4PB setup. In this study, a finite element model was built to simulate the buckling that occurs during V4PB testing. To validate this model, experiments were conducted on the existing setup. Upon validation, the finite element model was used to propose an improved setup. Then, experiments were carried out on the improved setup to verify that it worked as intended. The primary advantage of the proposed setup is that the standard ASTM [ASTM (2007), C158–02] four-point bending formula can continue to be used to calculate the stress from the applied force.