diff --git a/tests/scripts/thread-cert/find_border_agents.py b/tests/scripts/thread-cert/find_border_agents.py
index 7a7306d52..4351307e8 100644
--- a/tests/scripts/thread-cert/find_border_agents.py
+++ b/tests/scripts/thread-cert/find_border_agents.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ def on_service_state_change(zeroconf, service_type, name, state_change):
 class BorderAgent(object):
     alias = None
     server_name = None
-    link_local_addr = None
+    addr = None
     port = None
     thread_status = None
 
@@ -48,19 +48,30 @@ class BorderAgent(object):
         self.alias = alias
 
     def __repr__(self):
-        return str([self.alias, self.link_local_addr, self.port, self.thread_status])
+        return str([self.alias, self.addr, self.port, self.thread_status])
+
+
+def get_ipaddr_priority(addr: ipaddress.IPv6Address):
+    # calculate the priority of IPv6 addresses in order: Global > non Global > Link local
+    if addr.is_link_local:
+        return 0
+
+    if not addr.is_global:
+        return 1
+
+    return 2
 
 
 def parse_cache(cache):
     border_agents = []
 
     # Find all border routers
-    for ptr in cache['_meshcop._udp.local.']:
+    for ptr in cache.get('_meshcop._udp.local.', []):
         border_agents.append(BorderAgent(ptr.alias))
 
     # Find server name, port and Thread Interface status for each border router
     for ba in border_agents:
-        for record in cache[ba.alias.lower()]:
+        for record in cache.get(ba.alias.lower(), []):
             if isinstance(record, DNSService):
                 ba.server_name = record.server
                 ba.port = record.port
@@ -69,14 +80,16 @@ def parse_cache(cache):
                 sb = text.split(b'sb=')[1][0:4]
                 ba.thread_status = (sb[3] & 0x18) >> 3
 
-    # Find link local address for each border router
+    # Find IPv6 address for each border router
     for ba in border_agents:
-        for record in cache[ba.server_name.lower()]:
+        for record in cache.get(ba.server_name.lower(), []):
             if isinstance(record, DNSAddress):
                 addr = ipaddress.ip_address(record.address)
-                if isinstance(addr, ipaddress.IPv6Address) and addr.is_link_local:
-                    ba.link_local_addr = str(addr)
-                    break
+                if not isinstance(addr, ipaddress.IPv6Address) or addr.is_multicast or addr.is_loopback:
+                    continue
+
+                if not ba.addr or get_ipaddr_priority(addr) > get_ipaddr_priority(ipaddress.IPv6Address(ba.addr)):
+                    ba.addr = str(addr)
 
     return border_agents
 
diff --git a/tools/harness-thci/OpenThread_BR.py b/tools/harness-thci/OpenThread_BR.py
index a867f7d18..160d57616 100644
--- a/tools/harness-thci/OpenThread_BR.py
+++ b/tools/harness-thci/OpenThread_BR.py
@@ -643,10 +643,12 @@ class OpenThread_BR(OpenThreadTHCI, IThci):
         output = self.bash(cmd)
         for line in output:
             print(line)
-            alias, link_local_addr, port, thread_status = eval(line)
-            if thread_status == 2 and link_local_addr:
-                if (dst and link_local_addr in dst) or (link_local_addr not in addrs_blacklist):
-                    return '%s%%%s' % (link_local_addr, self.backboneNetif), port
+            alias, addr, port, thread_status = eval(line)
+            if thread_status == 2 and addr:
+                if (dst and addr in dst) or (addr not in addrs_blacklist):
+                    if ipaddress.IPv6Address(addr.decode()).is_link_local:
+                        addr = '%s%%%s' % (addr, self.backboneNetif)
+                    return addr, port
 
         raise Exception('No active Border Agents found')