diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 1aeaaf0..b336137 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
-2011-01-07  Bruce Korb  <address@hidden>
+2011-01-10  Bruce Korb  <address@hidden>
 
-	tests: exercise malloc a tiny bit before setting the rlimit.
-	* tests/test-dprintf-posix2.c: the test occasionally fails on Linux
-	if setrlimit is called before any malloc call.
-	* tests/test-fprintf-posix3.c: likewise
+	tests: try one test before deciding that the testing works
+	* tests/test-dprintf-posix2.c: make sure one dprintf() will work
+	* tests/test-fprintf-posix3.c: make sure one fprintf() will work
+	* tests/test-dprintf-posix2.sh: redirect usability test stdout
+	* tests/test-fprintf-posix3.sh: likewise
 
 2011-01-07  Pádraig Brady <address@hidden>
 
diff --git a/tests/test-dprintf-posix2.c b/tests/test-dprintf-posix2.c
index 60e898d..a3b1c02 100644
--- a/tests/test-dprintf-posix2.c
+++ b/tests/test-dprintf-posix2.c
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 #endif
   /* On Linux systems, malloc() is limited by RLIMIT_AS.  */
 #ifdef RLIMIT_AS
-  free (malloc (0x88));
   if (getrlimit (RLIMIT_AS, &limit) < 0)
     return 77;
   if (limit.rlim_max == RLIM_INFINITY || limit.rlim_max > MAX_ALLOC_TOTAL)
@@ -77,7 +76,19 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
   arg = atoi (argv[1]);
   if (arg == 0)
     {
-      void *memory = malloc (MAX_ALLOC_TOTAL);
+      void *memory;
+
+      /* This "dprintf" can draw in a number of libraries triggering many
+         changes in the address space. There is no trivial way to fiddle
+         with getrlimit/setrlimit or even to examine /proc/$PID/maps and
+         figure out how much of the RLIMIT_AS space we are using *or are
+         about to use*.  So, make the assumption that this dprintf call
+         must work on the first call or we cannot do this test. */
+      if (dprintf (STDOUT_FILENO, "%011000d\n", 17) == -1
+          && errno == ENOMEM)
+        return 78;
+
+      memory = malloc (MAX_ALLOC_TOTAL);
       if (memory == NULL)
         return 1;
       memset (memory, 17, MAX_ALLOC_TOTAL);
diff --git a/tests/test-dprintf-posix2.sh b/tests/test-dprintf-posix2.sh
index f1aeacc..45174d4 100755
--- a/tests/test-dprintf-posix2.sh
+++ b/tests/test-dprintf-posix2.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 # Test against a memory leak.
 
-(./test-dprintf-posix2${EXEEXT} 0
+(./test-dprintf-posix2${EXEEXT} 0 > /dev/null
  result=$?
  if test $result != 77 && test $result != 78; then result=1; fi
  exit $result
diff --git a/tests/test-fprintf-posix3.c b/tests/test-fprintf-posix3.c
index 646df1b..c73bd5e 100644
--- a/tests/test-fprintf-posix3.c
+++ b/tests/test-fprintf-posix3.c
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 #endif
   /* On Linux systems, malloc() is limited by RLIMIT_AS.  */
 #ifdef RLIMIT_AS
-  free (malloc (0x88));
   if (getrlimit (RLIMIT_AS, &limit) < 0)
     return 77;
   if (limit.rlim_max == RLIM_INFINITY || limit.rlim_max > MAX_ALLOC_TOTAL)
@@ -76,7 +75,19 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
   arg = atoi (argv[1]);
   if (arg == 0)
     {
-      void *memory = malloc (MAX_ALLOC_TOTAL);
+      void *memory;
+
+      /* This "fprintf" can draw in a number of libraries triggering many
+         changes in the address space. There is no trivial way to fiddle
+         with getrlimit/setrlimit or even to examine /proc/$PID/maps and
+         figure out how much of the RLIMIT_AS space we are using *or are
+         about to use*.  So, make the assumption that this dprintf call
+         must work on the first call or we cannot do this test. */
+      if (fprintf (stdout, "%011000d\n", 17) == -1
+          && errno == ENOMEM)
+        return 78;
+
+      memory = malloc (MAX_ALLOC_TOTAL);
       if (memory == NULL)
         return 1;
       memset (memory, 17, MAX_ALLOC_TOTAL);
diff --git a/tests/test-fprintf-posix3.sh b/tests/test-fprintf-posix3.sh
index 6a6976d..56a9c22 100755
--- a/tests/test-fprintf-posix3.sh
+++ b/tests/test-fprintf-posix3.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 # Test against a memory leak.
 
-(./test-fprintf-posix3${EXEEXT} 0
+(./test-fprintf-posix3${EXEEXT} 0 > /dev/null
  result=$?
  if test $result != 77 && test $result != 78; then result=1; fi
  exit $result