diff --git a/tests/test-lib.sh b/tests/test-lib.sh
index 527dfda383..918bf73431 100644
--- a/tests/test-lib.sh
+++ b/tests/test-lib.sh
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ test_final()
   status=$2
 
   if test "$verbose" = "0" ; then
-    len=`expr 40 - \( $counter % 40 \)`
+    len=`expr 39 - \( \( $counter - 1 \) % 40 \)`
     printf "%${len}s" ""
     if test "$status" = "0" ; then
       printf " %-3d OK\n" $counter
diff --git a/tests/testutils.c b/tests/testutils.c
index c89f70f417..ac5d298978 100644
--- a/tests/testutils.c
+++ b/tests/testutils.c
@@ -693,9 +693,8 @@ cleanup:
         VIR_FREE(abs_srcdir);
     virResetLastError();
     if (!virTestGetVerbose() && ret != EXIT_AM_SKIP) {
-        int i;
-        for (i = (testCounter % 40) ; i > 0 && i < 40 ; i++)
-            fprintf(stderr, " ");
+        if (testCounter == 0 || testCounter % 40)
+            fprintf(stderr, "%*s", 40 - (testCounter % 40), "");
         fprintf(stderr, " %-3d %s\n", testCounter, ret == 0 ? "OK" : "FAIL");
     }
     return ret;