diff --git a/test/test-around-compile.script b/test/test-around-compile.script
index 0aa7bf31130612aa302dc41d3e6f1b6304d6b4ca..d3bcd8a335f7f38f7790ccb82e7b703c26582e5c 100644
--- a/test/test-around-compile.script
+++ b/test/test-around-compile.script
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
   ;; :depends-on ((:version :asdf "2.017.18")) ; no :around-compile before that.
   :components ((:file "test")))
 (load-system 'test-around-compile :force t)
-(assert (= 3 (funcall 'add10 1))) ;; add10 must have been compiled in base 2
+(assert-equal 3 (funcall 'add10 1)) ;; add10 must have been compiled in base 2
 
 (fmakunbound 'add10)
 
@@ -21,4 +21,4 @@
                       (funcall thunk)))
   :components ((:file "test")))
 (load-system 'test-around-compile-lambda :force t)
-(assert (= 10 (funcall 'add10 1))) ;; add10 must have been compiled in base 16
+(assert-equal 10 (funcall 'add10 1)) ;; add10 must have been compiled in base 16
diff --git a/test/test-bundle.script b/test/test-bundle.script
index 962012cc3f5b2b5093a4810deff671b405ca8aba..d51a9d25bac281019f2e8bebb01bc133c0551c7f 100644
--- a/test/test-bundle.script
+++ b/test/test-bundle.script
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@
   (operate 'dll-op :test-asdf/dll-test)
   (si:load-foreign-module (first (output-files 'dll-op :test-asdf/dll-test)))
   (operate 'load-op :test-asdf/dll-user)
-  (assert (= (test-package::sample-function) 42))
+  (assert-equal (test-package::sample-function) 42)
   (operate 'monolithic-dll-op :test-asdf/monodll)
   (si:load-foreign-module (first (output-files 'monolithic-dll-op :test-asdf/monodll)))
   (operate 'load-op :test-asdf/monodll-user)
-  (assert (= (test-package::always-42) 42)))
+  (assert-equal (test-package::always-42) 42))
diff --git a/test/test-force.script b/test/test-force.script
index 4a16f3d2bcd743756f6eb00267831f5d40765348..59a5b294b1a172333433ec778e2467014709b520 100644
--- a/test/test-force.script
+++ b/test/test-force.script
@@ -19,4 +19,4 @@
 
 ;; forced, it should be later
 (load-system 'test-force :force t)
-(assert (>= (get-file-stamp file1) file1-date))
+(assert-compare (>= (get-file-stamp file1) file1-date))
diff --git a/test/test-module-depend.script b/test/test-module-depend.script
index 73b0204e736cd18d6b43ccf77a5ee1ad29e229a3..1eaca67bd8bdc8fe0a45ec81af85ae9afabb9d79 100644
--- a/test/test-module-depend.script
+++ b/test/test-module-depend.script
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@
 (assert-pathname-equal file2.fasl (test-fasl "file2"))
 (assert-pathname-equal file3.fasl (test-fasl "file3"))
 
-(assert (and file1-date file3-date))
+(assert file1-date)
+(assert file3-date)
 
 ;; and loaded
 (assert (asymval '#:*file1* :test-package))
@@ -27,6 +28,6 @@
 (touch-file file2.fasl :timestamp (- file3-date 30))
 (touch-file file3.fasl :timestamp (- file3-date 15))
 (load-system 'test-module-depend)
-(assert (>= (get-file-stamp file2.fasl) file3-date))
+(assert-compare (>= (get-file-stamp file2.fasl) file3-date))
 ;; does this properly go to the second level?
-(assert (>= (get-file-stamp file3.fasl) file3-date))
+(assert-compare (>= (get-file-stamp file3.fasl) file3-date))
diff --git a/test/test-module-excessive-depend.script b/test/test-module-excessive-depend.script
index 5976ef749d3e174d826a7ef44da4c2a0ab986891..f3187f9a622959de7c3e86781860b4c3d7059238 100644
--- a/test/test-module-excessive-depend.script
+++ b/test/test-module-excessive-depend.script
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@
 (when (loop :for (o . c) :in plan :thereis (and (eq c file3c) (typep o 'asdf:compile-op)))
   (error "Excessive operations on file3-only system.  Bad propagation of dependencies."))
 (operate 'load-op 'test-module-excessive-depend)
-(assert (>= (file-write-date file1) before))
-(assert (>= (file-write-date file2) before))
+(assert-compare (>= (file-write-date file1) before))
+(assert-compare (>= (file-write-date file2) before))
 (unless (= (file-write-date file3)
            file3-date)
   (error "Excessive compilation of file3.lisp:  traverse bug."))
diff --git a/test/test-redundant-recompile.script b/test/test-redundant-recompile.script
index 81cd198338b04ab2e58f0af4128a3af5097b1123..e5e2219c454b67934893abb622300f82f17e1d19 100644
--- a/test/test-redundant-recompile.script
+++ b/test/test-redundant-recompile.script
@@ -33,6 +33,5 @@
 
 ;; now rerun the load-op and check that no files are recompiled
 (load-system 'test-redundant-recompile)
-(assert (= file1-date (file-write-date file1)))
-(assert (= file2-date (file-write-date file2)))
-
+(assert-equal file1-date (file-write-date file1))
+(assert-equal file2-date (file-write-date file2))
diff --git a/test/test-sysdef-asdf.script b/test/test-sysdef-asdf.script
index ca64760d6353442b9c9ca9fa696543bfc7c27204..8af5ae09e5658e9993da16d64e85252a0fc0ba53 100644
--- a/test/test-sysdef-asdf.script
+++ b/test/test-sysdef-asdf.script
@@ -51,17 +51,19 @@
 (DBG "Checking that Makefile and asdf.asd are in synch")
 (defun system-lisp-files (system)
   (loop :for f :in (required-components system :keep-component 'cl-source-file)
-        :collect (namestring (enough-pathname (component-pathname f) *asdf-directory*))))
+        :collect (enough-pathname (component-pathname f) *asdf-directory*)))
 
 (defun makefile-lisp-files (target)
-  (remove-if 'emptyp
-             (split-string ;; NB: assumes GNU make
-              (run-program `("make" "--quiet" "--no-print-directory" ,target)
-                           :output :string :error-output t :directory *asdf-directory*)
-              :separator #(#\space #\newline #\return #\tab))))
+  (mapcar
+   'parse-unix-namestring
+   (remove-if 'emptyp
+              (split-string ;; NB: assumes GNU make
+               (run-program `("make" "--quiet" "--no-print-directory" ,target)
+                            :output :string :error-output t :directory *asdf-directory*)
+               :separator #(#\space #\newline #\return #\tab)))))
 
 (defmacro compare-files (system target)
-  `(assert-equal (system-lisp-files ,system) (makefile-lisp-files ,target)))
+  `(assert-pathnames-equal (system-lisp-files ,system) (makefile-lisp-files ,target)))
 
 (DBG "Testing that the Makefile and ASDF agree on the order of UIOP files")
 (compare-files :uiop "driver-files")
diff --git a/test/test-touch-system-1.script b/test/test-touch-system-1.script
index b95eadb70e785da6a5621deca92fed23bbd8882f..f648080ad75f8a87eb92ea6bdf4d4e856683c3ca 100644
--- a/test/test-touch-system-1.script
+++ b/test/test-touch-system-1.script
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@
 ;;; system that can be found using *system-definition-search-functions*
 
 (defun system-registered-time (name)
-  (if-let (data (asdf::system-registered-p name))
-    (car data)))
+  (car (asdf::system-registered-p name)))
 (defparameter test1.asd (nth-value 2 (locate-system :test1)))
 (assert-pathname-equal test1.asd (test-source "test1.asd"))
 (defparameter file1.lisp (test-source "file1.lisp"))
@@ -25,9 +24,9 @@
 (DBG :blah date1 date2 date3 date4 date5)
 (assert-equal date2 date5)
 (assert-equal date2 date5)
-(assert (>= date4 date3))
+(assert-compare (>= date4 date3))
 (sleep 1)
 (touch-file test1.asd)
 (find-system :test1)
 (defparameter date6 (system-registered-time :test1))
-(assert (> date6 date4))
+(assert-compare (> date6 date4))
diff --git a/test/test-touch-system-2.script b/test/test-touch-system-2.script
index 9328f3728a9ab6f5a301da67e41b973b5365b90a..b13593973304cae2889f714443202e7d4491e78a 100644
--- a/test/test-touch-system-2.script
+++ b/test/test-touch-system-2.script
@@ -4,9 +4,7 @@
 ;;; system that canNOT be found using *system-definition-search-functions*
 
 (defun system-registered-time (name)
-  (let ((data (asdf::system-registered-p name)))
-    (when data
-      (car data))))
+  (car (asdf::system-registered-p name)))
 
 (defparameter test1.asd (nth-value 2 (locate-system :test1)))
 (assert-pathname-equal test1.asd (test-source "test1.asd"))
@@ -21,4 +19,4 @@
 (find-system :test1)
 (defparameter date2 (system-registered-time :test1))
 (assert date2)
-(assert (> date2 date1))
+(assert-compare (> date2 date1))