diff --git a/cfg.mk b/cfg.mk
index 56cb14bd94..f2a053f4b8 100644
--- a/cfg.mk
+++ b/cfg.mk
@@ -1111,7 +1111,7 @@ $(srcdir)/src/admin/admin_client.h: $(srcdir)/src/admin/admin_protocol.x
 exclude_file_name_regexp--sc_avoid_strcase = ^tools/vsh\.h$$
 
 _src1=libvirt-stream|qemu/qemu_monitor|util/vir(command|file|fdstream)|xen/xend_internal|rpc/virnetsocket|lxc/lxc_controller|locking/lock_daemon|logging/log_daemon
-_test1=shunloadtest|virnettlscontexttest|virnettlssessiontest|vircgroupmock
+_test1=shunloadtest|virnettlscontexttest|virnettlssessiontest|vircgroupmock|commandhelper
 exclude_file_name_regexp--sc_avoid_write = \
   ^(src/($(_src1))|daemon/libvirtd|tools/virsh-console|tests/($(_test1)))\.c$$
 
@@ -1146,10 +1146,10 @@ exclude_file_name_regexp--sc_prohibit_asprintf = \
   ^(cfg\.mk|bootstrap.conf$$|examples/|src/util/virstring\.[ch]$$|tests/vircgroupmock\.c$$)
 
 exclude_file_name_regexp--sc_prohibit_strdup = \
-  ^(docs/|examples/|src/util/virstring\.c|tests/vir(netserverclient|cgroup)mock.c$$)
+  ^(docs/|examples/|src/util/virstring\.c|tests/vir(netserverclient|cgroup)mock.c|tests/commandhelper\.c$$)
 
 exclude_file_name_regexp--sc_prohibit_close = \
-  (\.p[yl]$$|\.spec\.in$$|^docs/|^(src/util/virfile\.c|src/libvirt-stream\.c|tests/vir.+mock\.c)$$)
+  (\.p[yl]$$|\.spec\.in$$|^docs/|^(src/util/virfile\.c|src/libvirt-stream\.c|tests/vir.+mock\.c|tests/commandhelper\.c)$$)
 
 exclude_file_name_regexp--sc_prohibit_empty_lines_at_EOF = \
   (^tests/(qemuhelp|virhostcpu|virpcitest)data/|docs/js/.*\.js|docs/fonts/.*\.woff|\.diff|tests/virconfdata/no-newline\.conf$$)
@@ -1173,7 +1173,7 @@ exclude_file_name_regexp--sc_prohibit_select = \
 	^cfg\.mk$$
 
 exclude_file_name_regexp--sc_prohibit_raw_allocation = \
-  ^(docs/hacking\.html\.in|src/util/viralloc\.[ch]|examples/.*|tests/(securityselinuxhelper|(vircgroup|nss)mock)\.c|tools/wireshark/src/packet-libvirt\.c)$$
+  ^(docs/hacking\.html\.in|src/util/viralloc\.[ch]|examples/.*|tests/(securityselinuxhelper|(vircgroup|nss)mock|commandhelper)\.c|tools/wireshark/src/packet-libvirt\.c)$$
 
 exclude_file_name_regexp--sc_prohibit_readlink = \
   ^src/(util/virutil|lxc/lxc_container)\.c$$
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index 813888575c..0b2305d70b 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -946,12 +946,14 @@ commandtest_SOURCES = \
 	commandtest.c testutils.h testutils.c
 commandtest_LDADD = $(LDADDS)
 
+# Must not link to any libvirt modules - libc / gnulib only
+# otherwise external libraries might unexpectedly leak
+# file descriptors into commandhelper invalidating the
+# test logic assumptions
 commandhelper_SOURCES = \
 	commandhelper.c
 commandhelper_LDADD = \
 	$(NO_INDIRECT_LDFLAGS) \
-	$(PROBES_O) \
-	../src/libvirt_util.la \
 	$(GNULIB_LIBS)
 
 commandhelper_LDFLAGS = -static
diff --git a/tests/commandhelper.c b/tests/commandhelper.c
index 015efdaa66..e9e6353f3f 100644
--- a/tests/commandhelper.c
+++ b/tests/commandhelper.c
@@ -28,11 +28,6 @@
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 
 #include "internal.h"
-#include "virutil.h"
-#include "viralloc.h"
-#include "virfile.h"
-#include "testutils.h"
-#include "virstring.h"
 
 #ifndef WIN32
 
@@ -50,11 +45,13 @@ static int envsort(const void *a, const void *b)
     char *bkey;
     int ret;
 
-    ignore_value(VIR_STRNDUP_QUIET(akey, astr, aeq - astr));
-    ignore_value(VIR_STRNDUP_QUIET(bkey, bstr, beq - bstr));
+    if (!(akey = strndup(astr, aeq - astr)))
+        abort();
+    if (!(bkey = strndup(bstr, beq - bstr)))
+        abort();
     ret = strcmp(akey, bkey);
-    VIR_FREE(akey);
-    VIR_FREE(bkey);
+    free(akey);
+    free(bkey);
     return ret;
 }
 
@@ -80,8 +77,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         origenv++;
     }
 
-    if (VIR_ALLOC_N_QUIET(newenv, n) < 0)
-        goto cleanup;
+    if (!(newenv = malloc(sizeof(*newenv) * n)))
+        abort();
 
     origenv = environ;
     n = i = 0;
@@ -120,7 +117,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         STREQ(cwd + strlen(cwd) - strlen("/commanddata"), "/commanddata"))
         strcpy(cwd, ".../commanddata");
     fprintf(log, "CWD:%s\n", cwd);
-    VIR_FREE(cwd);
+    free(cwd);
 
     fprintf(log, "UMASK:%04o\n", umask(0));
 
@@ -144,9 +141,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
             goto cleanup;
         if (got == 0)
             break;
-        if (safewrite(STDOUT_FILENO, buf, got) != got)
+        if (write(STDOUT_FILENO, buf, got) != got)
             goto cleanup;
-        if (safewrite(STDERR_FILENO, buf, got) != got)
+        if (write(STDERR_FILENO, buf, got) != got)
             goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -158,8 +155,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     ret = EXIT_SUCCESS;
 
  cleanup:
-    VIR_FORCE_FCLOSE(log);
-    VIR_FREE(newenv);
+    fclose(log);
+    free(newenv);
     return ret;
 }