diff --git a/test/script-support.lisp b/test/script-support.lisp
index fbee214e867aa7d74e9f9650355b0bee2762ca75..bc97bf6a434a6a722ab29c5139a98c6f5b986649 100644
--- a/test/script-support.lisp
+++ b/test/script-support.lisp
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ Some constraints:
 (defun assert-pathname-equal-helper (qx x qy y)
   (cond
     ((equal x y)
-     (format t "~S and ~S both evaluate to same path:~%  ~S~%" qx qy x))
+     (format t "~S and~% ~S both evaluate to same path:~%  ~S~%" qx qy x))
     ((ucall :pathname-equal x y)
      (warn "These two expressions yield pathname-equal yet not equal path~%~
         the first expression ~S yields this:~%  ~S~%  ~S~%
@@ -532,7 +532,9 @@ is bound, write a message and exit on an error.  If
              (asym :pathname-equal))
     (format t "Comparing directories~%")
     (let ((x (acall :pathname-directory-pathname (nth-value 2 (acall :locate-system :test-asdf)))))
-      (assert-pathname-equal *test-directory* x) ;; not always EQUAL (!)
+      (assert-pathname-equal-helper ;; not always EQUAL (!)
+       '*test-directory* *test-directory*
+       '(:pathname-directory-pathname (nth-value 2 (:locate-system :test-asdf))) x)
       (unless (equal *test-directory* x)
         (format t "Interestingly, while *test-directory* has components~% ~S~%~
                  ASDF finds the ASDs in~% ~S~%Using the latter.~%"
diff --git a/test/test-program.script b/test/test-program.script
index a02be952613636c4facc87893379dfcf37cd619a..90be6d127d44e11a7f23ef8e933e5ce5e6a1256c 100644
--- a/test/test-program.script
+++ b/test/test-program.script
@@ -30,11 +30,12 @@
 
 (delete-file-if-exists exe)
 (assert-equal
- (multiple-value-list
+ (nth-value 2
   (run-program
    (symbol-call :lisp-invocation :lisp-invocation-arglist
-                :load (native-namestring (subpathname *test-directory* "make-hello-world.lisp")))))
- '(nil nil 0))
+                :load (native-namestring (subpathname *test-directory* "make-hello-world.lisp")))
+   :output t :error-output :output :input nil))
+ 0)
 (assert (probe-file* exe))
 
 (assert-equal (run-program `(,(native-namestring exe)) :output :lines)