diff --git a/tests/integration.rs b/tests/integration.rs
index ef337a692..c98e9f7a0 100644
--- a/tests/integration.rs
+++ b/tests/integration.rs
@@ -952,34 +952,32 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     fn test_cpu_topology(threads_per_core: u8, cores_per_package: u8, packages: u8) {
-        test_block!(tb, "", {
-            let mut focal = UbuntuDiskConfig::new(FOCAL_IMAGE_NAME.to_string());
-            let guest = Guest::new(&mut focal);
-            let total_vcpus = threads_per_core * cores_per_package * packages;
-            let mut child = GuestCommand::new(&guest)
-                .args(&[
-                    "--cpus",
-                    &format!(
-                        "boot={},topology={}:{}:1:{}",
-                        total_vcpus, threads_per_core, cores_per_package, packages
-                    ),
-                ])
-                .args(&["--memory", "size=512M"])
-                .args(&["--kernel", guest.fw_path.as_str()])
-                .default_disks()
-                .default_net()
-                .spawn()
-                .unwrap();
+        let mut focal = UbuntuDiskConfig::new(FOCAL_IMAGE_NAME.to_string());
+        let guest = Guest::new(&mut focal);
+        let total_vcpus = threads_per_core * cores_per_package * packages;
+        let mut child = GuestCommand::new(&guest)
+            .args(&[
+                "--cpus",
+                &format!(
+                    "boot={},topology={}:{}:1:{}",
+                    total_vcpus, threads_per_core, cores_per_package, packages
+                ),
+            ])
+            .args(&["--memory", "size=512M"])
+            .args(&["--kernel", guest.fw_path.as_str()])
+            .default_disks()
+            .default_net()
+            .capture_output()
+            .spawn()
+            .unwrap();
 
-            thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::new(20, 0));
-
-            aver_eq!(
-                tb,
+        thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::new(20, 0));
+        let r = std::panic::catch_unwind(|| {
+            assert_eq!(
                 guest.get_cpu_count().unwrap_or_default(),
                 u32::from(total_vcpus)
             );
-            aver_eq!(
-                tb,
+            assert_eq!(
                 guest
                     .ssh_command("lscpu | grep \"per core\" | cut -f 2 -d \":\" | sed \"s# *##\"")
                     .unwrap_or_default()
@@ -989,8 +987,7 @@ mod tests {
                 threads_per_core
             );
 
-            aver_eq!(
-                tb,
+            assert_eq!(
                 guest
                     .ssh_command("lscpu | grep \"per socket\" | cut -f 2 -d \":\" | sed \"s# *##\"")
                     .unwrap_or_default()
@@ -1000,8 +997,7 @@ mod tests {
                 cores_per_package
             );
 
-            aver_eq!(
-                tb,
+            assert_eq!(
                 guest
                     .ssh_command("lscpu | grep \"Socket\" | cut -f 2 -d \":\" | sed \"s# *##\"")
                     .unwrap_or_default()
@@ -1010,11 +1006,12 @@ mod tests {
                     .unwrap_or(0),
                 packages
             );
-
-            let _ = child.kill();
-            let _ = child.wait();
-            Ok(())
         });
+
+        let _ = child.kill();
+        let output = child.wait_with_output().unwrap();
+
+        handle_child_output(r, &output);
     }
 
     type PrepareNetDaemon =