diff --git a/tests/commandtest.c b/tests/commandtest.c
index 7d2161c77e..ba823f793f 100644
--- a/tests/commandtest.c
+++ b/tests/commandtest.c
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ main(void)
 
 #else
 
-static int checkoutput(const char *testname)
+static int checkoutput(const char *testname,
+                       char *prefix)
 {
     int ret = -1;
     char *expectname = NULL;
@@ -86,6 +87,16 @@ static int checkoutput(const char *testname)
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
+    if (prefix) {
+        char *tmp = NULL;
+
+        if (virAsprintf(&tmp, "%s%s", prefix, expectlog) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
+
+        VIR_FREE(expectlog);
+        expectlog = tmp;
+    }
+
     if (STRNEQ(expectlog, actuallog)) {
         virtTestDifference(stderr, expectlog, actuallog);
         goto cleanup;
@@ -173,7 +184,7 @@ static int test2(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if ((ret = checkoutput("test2")) != 0) {
+    if ((ret = checkoutput("test2", NULL)) != 0) {
         virCommandFree(cmd);
         return ret;
     }
@@ -187,7 +198,7 @@ static int test2(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 
     virCommandFree(cmd);
 
-    return checkoutput("test2");
+    return checkoutput("test2", NULL);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -219,7 +230,7 @@ static int test3(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    ret = checkoutput("test3");
+    ret = checkoutput("test3", NULL);
 
  cleanup:
     virCommandFree(cmd);
@@ -261,7 +272,7 @@ static int test4(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     while (kill(pid, 0) != -1)
         usleep(100*1000);
 
-    ret = checkoutput("test4");
+    ret = checkoutput("test4", NULL);
 
  cleanup:
     virCommandFree(cmd);
@@ -291,7 +302,7 @@ static int test5(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 
     virCommandFree(cmd);
 
-    return checkoutput("test5");
+    return checkoutput("test5", NULL);
 }
 
 
@@ -315,7 +326,7 @@ static int test6(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 
     virCommandFree(cmd);
 
-    return checkoutput("test6");
+    return checkoutput("test6", NULL);
 }
 
 
@@ -340,7 +351,7 @@ static int test7(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 
     virCommandFree(cmd);
 
-    return checkoutput("test7");
+    return checkoutput("test7", NULL);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -365,7 +376,7 @@ static int test8(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 
     virCommandFree(cmd);
 
-    return checkoutput("test8");
+    return checkoutput("test8", NULL);
 }
 
 
@@ -403,7 +414,7 @@ static int test9(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 
     virCommandFree(cmd);
 
-    return checkoutput("test9");
+    return checkoutput("test9", NULL);
 }
 
 
@@ -429,7 +440,7 @@ static int test10(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 
     virCommandFree(cmd);
 
-    return checkoutput("test10");
+    return checkoutput("test10", NULL);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -453,7 +464,7 @@ static int test11(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 
     virCommandFree(cmd);
 
-    return checkoutput("test11");
+    return checkoutput("test11", NULL);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -475,7 +486,7 @@ static int test12(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 
     virCommandFree(cmd);
 
-    return checkoutput("test12");
+    return checkoutput("test12", NULL);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -510,7 +521,7 @@ static int test13(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    ret = checkoutput("test13");
+    ret = checkoutput("test13", NULL);
 
  cleanup:
     virCommandFree(cmd);
@@ -582,7 +593,7 @@ static int test14(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    ret = checkoutput("test14");
+    ret = checkoutput("test14", NULL);
 
  cleanup:
     virCommandFree(cmd);
@@ -613,7 +624,7 @@ static int test15(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    ret = checkoutput("test15");
+    ret = checkoutput("test15", NULL);
 
  cleanup:
     VIR_FREE(cwd);
@@ -659,7 +670,7 @@ static int test16(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    ret = checkoutput("test16");
+    ret = checkoutput("test16", NULL);
 
  cleanup:
     virCommandFree(cmd);
@@ -841,7 +852,7 @@ static int test20(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    ret = checkoutput("test20");
+    ret = checkoutput("test20", NULL);
  cleanup:
     virCommandFree(cmd);
     VIR_FREE(buf);
@@ -900,7 +911,7 @@ static int test21(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    ret = checkoutput("test21");
+    ret = checkoutput("test21", NULL);
  cleanup:
     VIR_FREE(outbuf);
     VIR_FREE(errbuf);