diff --git a/xa/tests/Makefile b/xa/tests/Makefile
index 4f86821..3b90213 100644
--- a/xa/tests/Makefile
+++ b/xa/tests/Makefile
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 
+TESTS=adrm binclude chardelimiter charset comcom fordef
+
 tests:
-	(cd adrm; make tests)
-	(cd binclude; make tests)
-	(cd chardelimiter; make tests)
-	(cd charset; make tests)
-	(cd comcom; make tests)
+	for i in $(TESTS); do (cd $$i; make tests); done
+
 
diff --git a/xa/tests/chardelimiter/runtest.sh b/xa/tests/chardelimiter/runtest.sh
index 68e2b9f..3f00192 100755
--- a/xa/tests/chardelimiter/runtest.sh
+++ b/xa/tests/chardelimiter/runtest.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ THISDIR=`pwd`
 #echo "0=$0"
 #echo "THISDIR=$THISDIR"
 
-declare -A opts
+#declare -A opts
 #opts=([816.asm]="-w")
 #opts[02.asm]="-C"
 
diff --git a/xa/tests/fordef/runtest.sh b/xa/tests/fordef/runtest.sh
index 80f3aed..4165e1e 100755
--- a/xa/tests/fordef/runtest.sh
+++ b/xa/tests/fordef/runtest.sh
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ THISDIR=`pwd`
 declare -A opts
 #opts=([816.asm]="-w")
 #opts[02.asm]="-C"
+declare -A errs
+errs[test4.asm]=1
 
 #ASMFLAGS=-v
 ASMFLAGS=
diff --git a/xa/tests/fordef/test4.asm.err-test4 b/xa/tests/fordef/test4.asm.err
similarity index 100%
rename from xa/tests/fordef/test4.asm.err-test4
rename to xa/tests/fordef/test4.asm.err
diff --git a/xa/tests/func.sh b/xa/tests/func.sh
index 45650d5..0a66a2d 100755
--- a/xa/tests/func.sh
+++ b/xa/tests/func.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+declare -A errs
+declare -A opts
+
 
 function usage() {
         echo "Assemble *.asm or *.a65 test files"
@@ -172,10 +175,12 @@ DEBUGFILE="$TMPDIR"/gdb.ex
 
 # remember stdout for summary output
 exec 5>&1
+exec 6>&2
 
 # redirect log when quiet
 if test $QUIET -ge 1 ; then
        exec 1>$TMPDIR/stdout.log
+       exec 2>$TMPDIR/stderr.log
 fi
 
 ########################
@@ -221,6 +226,15 @@ for script in $TESTSCRIPTS; do
 		(cd $TMPDIR; $XA -o a.out $ALOG $AFLAGS $script)
                 RESULT=$?
 
+		# check if we actually expected an error
+		#echo "errs=${errs[$script]}"
+		if [ "x${errs[$script]}" != "x" ]; then
+			if [ "$RESULT" = ${errs[$script]} ]; then
+				echo "override error because was expected"
+				RESULT=0
+			fi
+		fi
+
                 if test $RESULT -eq 0; then
                         echo "$script: Ok" >&5
                 else
@@ -238,6 +252,11 @@ for script in $TESTSCRIPTS; do
         #echo "Killing server (pid $SERVERPID)"
         #kill -TERM $SERVERPID
 
+	if [ -f "${THISDIR}/$script.err" ]; then
+	        echo "Comparing file ${script}.err"
+        	hexdiff ${THISDIR}/$script.err ${TMPDIR}/$script.err
+	fi
+
         if test "x$COMPAREFILES" != "x"; then
                 testname=`basename $script .asm`
 		if [ "$script" = "$testname" ]; then
@@ -285,6 +304,7 @@ if test $CLEAN -ge 2; then
         done;
 
         rm -f $TMPDIR/stdout.log
+        rm -f $TMPDIR/stderr.log
 
         # only remove work dir if we own it (see option -R)
         if test $OWNDIR -ge 1; then