diff --git a/mu/tests/test-mu-cmd-cfind.c b/mu/tests/test-mu-cmd-cfind.c
index 66e6cbae..90b50e2b 100644
--- a/mu/tests/test-mu-cmd-cfind.c
+++ b/mu/tests/test-mu-cmd-cfind.c
@@ -34,26 +34,33 @@
 #include "test-mu-common.h"
 #include "mu-store.h"
 
+
+
 static gchar*
 fill_contacts_cache (void)
 {
 	gchar *cmdline, *tmpdir;
+	GError *err;
 
 	tmpdir = test_mu_common_get_random_tmpdir();
 	cmdline = g_strdup_printf ("%s index --muhome=%s --maildir=%s"
 				   " --quiet",
-				   MU_PROGRAM, tmpdir, MU_TESTMAILDIR);
+				   MU_PROGRAM,
+				   tmpdir, MU_TESTMAILDIR);
 	if (g_test_verbose())
 		g_print ("%s\n", cmdline);
 
-	g_assert (g_spawn_command_line_sync (cmdline, NULL, NULL,
-					     NULL, NULL));
-	g_free (cmdline);
+	err  = NULL;
+	if (!g_spawn_command_line_sync (cmdline, NULL, NULL,
+					NULL, &err)) {
+		g_printerr ("Error: %s\n", err ? err->message : "?");
+		g_assert (0);
+	}
 
+	g_free (cmdline);
 	return tmpdir;
 }
 
-
 static void
 test_mu_cfind_plain (void)
 {
diff --git a/mu/tests/test-mu-cmd.c b/mu/tests/test-mu-cmd.c
index 1b0afa85..4b748429 100644
--- a/mu/tests/test-mu-cmd.c
+++ b/mu/tests/test-mu-cmd.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ static gchar*
 fill_database (void)
 {
 	gchar *cmdline, *tmpdir;
+	GError *err;
 
 	tmpdir = test_mu_common_get_random_tmpdir();
 	cmdline = g_strdup_printf ("%s index --muhome=%s --maildir=%s"
@@ -50,13 +51,18 @@ fill_database (void)
 	if (g_test_verbose())
 		g_print ("%s\n", cmdline);
 
-	g_assert (g_spawn_command_line_sync (cmdline, NULL, NULL,
-					     NULL, NULL));
-	g_free (cmdline);
+	err  = NULL;
+	if (!g_spawn_command_line_sync (cmdline, NULL, NULL,
+					NULL, &err)) {
+		g_printerr ("Error: %s\n", err ? err->message : "?");
+		g_assert (0);
+	}
 
+	g_free (cmdline);
 	return tmpdir;
 }
 
+
 static unsigned
 newlines_in_output (const char* str)
 {
diff --git a/mu/tests/test-mu-contacts.c b/mu/tests/test-mu-contacts.c
index 428acf42..30f29ae8 100644
--- a/mu/tests/test-mu-contacts.c
+++ b/mu/tests/test-mu-contacts.c
@@ -35,14 +35,22 @@ static gchar*
 fill_database (void)
 {
 	gchar *cmdline, *tmpdir;
+	GError *err;
 
 	tmpdir = test_mu_common_get_random_tmpdir();
 	cmdline = g_strdup_printf ("%s index --muhome=%s --maildir=%s"
 				   " --quiet",
 				   MU_PROGRAM, tmpdir, MU_TESTMAILDIR);
 
-	g_assert (g_spawn_command_line_sync (cmdline, NULL, NULL,
-					     NULL, NULL));
+	err = NULL;
+	if (!g_spawn_command_line_sync (cmdline, NULL, NULL,
+					NULL, &err)) {
+		g_printerr ("Error: %s\n", err ? err->message : "?");
+		g_clear_error (&err);
+		g_assert (0);
+	}
+
+	g_clear_error (&err);
 	g_free (cmdline);
 
 	return tmpdir;
diff --git a/mu/tests/test-mu-query.c b/mu/tests/test-mu-query.c
index 94cc00f4..fcab12e5 100644
--- a/mu/tests/test-mu-query.c
+++ b/mu/tests/test-mu-query.c
@@ -523,11 +523,15 @@ test_mu_query_attach (void)
 	xpath = fill_database (MU_TESTMAILDIR2);
 	g_assert (xpath != NULL);
 
-	/* g_print ("(%s)\n", xpath); */
+	if (g_test_verbose())
+		g_print ("(%s)\n", xpath);
 
- 	for (i = 0; i != G_N_ELEMENTS(queries); ++i)
+ 	for (i = 0; i != G_N_ELEMENTS(queries); ++i) {
+		if (g_test_verbose())
+			g_print ("query: %s\n", queries[i].query);
 		g_assert_cmpuint (run_and_count_matches (xpath, queries[i].query),
 				  ==, queries[i].count);
+	}
 
 	g_free (xpath);
 }