diff --git a/test/test-run-program.script b/test/test-run-program.script
index 1f68caab4cc2bb59e60239fbf2306ddc0edb37e3..97bd2610593808aae7627c50d8ba739a83ae1f48 100644
--- a/test/test-run-program.script
+++ b/test/test-run-program.script
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@
 
 #-(and sbcl os-windows)
 (let ((ok1 (format nil "; $ echo ok 1~%ok 1")))
+  (untrace)
   (DBG "Testing awkward legacy output capture via run-shell-command")
   (assert-equal
    (dewindowize
@@ -166,29 +167,27 @@ Testing run-program
   t)
 
 (defun common-test/run-program ()
-  ;; Can we echo a simple string?
+  (DBG "Can we echo a simple string?")
   (assert-equal '("abcde") (run-program '("echo" "abcde") :output :lines))
   (assert-equal (nl "fghij") (run-program '("echo" "fghij") :output :string))
 
-  ;; Are spaces handled properly?
+  (DBG "Are spaces handled properly?")
   (assert-equal '("Hello World") (run-program '("echo" "Hello World") :output :lines))
   (assert-equal (nl "Hello World") (run-program '("echo" "Hello World") :output :string))
   (assert-equal (nl "Hello World") (run-program "echo Hello World" :output :string))
 
-  ;; Test that run-program fails properly with an empty program string
+  (DBG "Test that run-program fails properly with an empty program string")
   #+(or clozure (and allegro os-unix) cmu (and lispworks os-unix) sbcl scl)
   (signals error (run-program '("") :output :lines))
 
-  ;; An empty string itself is ok since it is passed to the shell.
+  (DBG "An empty string itself is ok since it is passed to the shell.")
   (assert-equal "" (run-program "" :output :string))
 
-  ;; Test that run-program fails properly with a
-  ;; nil program list
+  (DBG "Test that run-program fails properly with a nil program list")
   #+(or clozure (and allegro os-unix) cmu sbcl scl)
   (signals error (run-program nil :output :lines))
 
-  ;; Test that run-program fails properly when the
-  ;; executable doesn't exist.
+  (DBG "Test that run-program fails properly when the executable doesn't exist.")
   (signals error (run-program '("does-not-exist") :output :lines))
   (signals error (run-program "does-not-exist" :output :lines))
 
@@ -199,14 +198,17 @@ Testing run-program
 
 (defun unix-only-test/run-program ()
 
+  (DBG "Checking that spaces between arguments are collapsed by shell when and only when unquoted")
   (assert-equal '("ok 1") (run-program "echo ok  1" :output :lines))
   (assert-equal '("ok  1") (run-program '("echo" "ok  1") :output :lines))
   (assert-equal "ok  1" (run-program '("echo" "ok  1") :output '(:string :stripped t)))
 
+  (DBG "Checking behavior on program success or failure")
   (assert-equal '(nil nil 0) (multiple-value-list (run-program "true")))
   (signals subprocess-error (run-program "false"))
   (assert-equal '(nil nil 1) (multiple-value-list (run-program "false" :ignore-error-status t)))
 
+  (DBG "Tests with test-file")
   (let ((tf (native-namestring (test-source "test-file"))))
 
     ;; a basic smoke test
@@ -254,5 +256,4 @@ Testing run-program
   (terpri)
   t)
 
-
 (test/run-program)