diff --git a/src/lake/tests/badImport/clean.sh b/src/lake/tests/badImport/clean.sh
index 9075fbd55d..6daefb0011 100755
--- a/src/lake/tests/badImport/clean.sh
+++ b/src/lake/tests/badImport/clean.sh
@@ -1 +1 @@
-rm -rf .lake lake-manifest.json Lib/Bogus.lean
+rm -rf .lake lake-manifest.json Lib/Bogus.lean produced.out
diff --git a/src/lake/tests/badImport/test.sh b/src/lake/tests/badImport/test.sh
index 1ce603e023..363d04f678 100755
--- a/src/lake/tests/badImport/test.sh
+++ b/src/lake/tests/badImport/test.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-set -euxo pipefail
+set -euo pipefail
 
 LAKE=${LAKE:-../../.lake/build/bin/lake}
 
@@ -12,29 +12,65 @@ LAKE=${LAKE:-../../.lake/build/bin/lake}
 # https://github.com/leanprover/lean4/issues/3351
 # https://github.com/leanprover/lean4/issues/3809
 
+test_run() {
+  echo "[Command]"
+  echo "$> lake" "$@"
+  if $LAKE "$@" >produced.out 2>&1; then
+    rc=$?
+  else
+    rc=$?
+  fi
+  echo "Lake exited with code $rc"
+  echo "[Output]"
+  cat produced.out
+  return $rc
+}
+
+test_err() {
+  expected=$1; shift
+  if test_run "$@"; then rc=$?; else rc=$?; fi
+  echo "[Match \"$expected\"]"
+  if grep --color -F "$expected" produced.out; then
+    if [ $rc != 1 ]; then
+      echo "[Outcome]"
+      echo "Lake unexpectedly succeeded."
+      return 1
+    fi
+  else
+    echo "No match found."
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
+
 # Test a module with a bad import does not kill the whole build
-($LAKE build Lib.U Etc 2>&1 && exit 1 || true) | grep --color -F "Building Etc"
-# Test importing a nmissing module from outside the workspace
-($LAKE build +Lib.U 2>&1 && exit 1 || true) | grep --color -F "U.lean:2:0: unknown module prefix 'Bogus'"
-$LAKE setup-file . Bogus # Lake ignores the file (the server will error)
+test_err "Building Etc" build Lib.U Etc
+# Test importing a missing module from outside the workspace
+test_err "U.lean:2:0: unknown module prefix 'Bogus'" build +Lib.U
+test_run setup-file . Bogus # Lake ignores the file (the server will error)
 # Test importing onself
-($LAKE build +Lib.S 2>&1 && exit 1 || true) | grep --color -F "S.lean: module imports itself"
-($LAKE setup-file ./Lib/S.lean Lib.S 2>&1 && exit 1 || true) | grep --color -F "S.lean: module imports itself"
+test_err "S.lean: module imports itself" build +Lib.S
+test_err "S.lean: module imports itself" setup-file ./Lib/S.lean Lib.S
 # Test importing a missing module from within the workspace
-($LAKE build +Lib.B 2>&1 && exit 1 || true) | grep --color -F "B.lean: bad import 'Lib.Bogus'"
-($LAKE setup-file ./Lib/B.lean Lib.Bogus 2>&1 && exit 1 || true) | grep --color "B.lean: bad import 'Lib.Bogus'"
+test_err "B.lean: bad import 'Lib.Bogus'" build +Lib.B
+test_err "B.lean: bad import 'Lib.Bogus'" setup-file ./Lib/B.lean Lib.Bogus
 # Test a vanishing import within the workspace (lean4#3551)
+echo "[Test: Vanishing Import]"
+set -x
 touch Lib/Bogus.lean
 $LAKE build +Lib.B
 rm Lib/Bogus.lean
-($LAKE build +Lib.B 2>&1 && exit 1 || true) | grep --color -F "B.lean: bad import 'Lib.Bogus'"
-($LAKE setup-file . Lib.B 2>&1 && exit 1 || true) | grep --color "B.lean: bad import 'Lib.Bogus'"
+set +x
+test_err "B.lean: bad import 'Lib.Bogus'" build +Lib.B
+test_err "B.lean: bad import 'Lib.Bogus'" setup-file . Lib.B
 # Test a module which imports a module containing a bad import
-($LAKE build +Lib.B1 2>&1 && exit 1 || true) | grep --color -F "B1.lean: bad import 'Lib.B'"
-($LAKE setup-file ./Lib/B1.lean Lib.B 2>&1 && exit 1 || true) | grep --color -F "B1.lean: bad import 'Lib.B'"
+test_err "B1.lean: bad import 'Lib.B'" build +Lib.B1
+test_err "B1.lean: bad import 'Lib.B'" setup-file ./Lib/B1.lean Lib.B
 # Test an executable with a bad import does not kill the whole build
-($LAKE build X Etc 2>&1 && exit 1 || true) | grep --color -F "Building Etc"
+test_err "Building Etc" build X Etc
 # Test an executable which imports a missing module from within the workspace
-($LAKE build X 2>&1 && exit 1 || true) | grep --color -F "X.lean: bad import 'Lib.Bogus'"
-# Test a executable which imports a module containing a bad import
-($LAKE build X1 2>&1 && exit 1 || true) | grep --color -F "B.lean: bad import 'Lib.Bogus'"
+test_err "X.lean: bad import 'Lib.Bogus'" build X
+# Test an executable which imports a module containing a bad import
+test_err "B.lean: bad import 'Lib.Bogus'" build X1
+
+# cleanup
+rm -f produced.out
diff --git a/src/lake/tests/buildArgs/test.sh b/src/lake/tests/buildArgs/test.sh
index 53776ee767..4a6799c946 100755
--- a/src/lake/tests/buildArgs/test.sh
+++ b/src/lake/tests/buildArgs/test.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-set -exo pipefail
+set -euo pipefail
 
 LAKE=${LAKE:-../../.lake/build/bin/lake}
 
@@ -8,32 +8,61 @@ LAKE=${LAKE:-../../.lake/build/bin/lake}
 # Test that changing `moreLean/Leanc/LinkArgs` triggers a rebuild
 # Test that changing `weakLean/Leanc/LinkArgs` does not
 
+test_run() {
+  echo "[Command]"
+  echo "$> lake" "$@"
+  if $LAKE "$@" >produced.out 2>&1; then
+    rc=$?
+  else
+    rc=$?
+  fi
+  echo "Lake exited with code $rc"
+  echo "[Output]"
+  cat produced.out
+  return $rc
+}
+
+test_out() {
+  expected=$1; shift
+  if test_run "$@"; then rc=$?; else rc=$?; fi
+  echo "[Match \"$expected\"]"
+  if grep --color -F "$expected" produced.out; then
+    return $rc
+  else
+    echo "No match found."
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
+
 # Test `leanArgs`
-${LAKE} build +Hello -R
+test_run build +Hello -R
 # see https://github.com/leanprover/lake/issues/50
-${LAKE} build +Hello -R -KleanArgs=-DwarningAsError=true -v | grep --color warningAsError
+test_out "warningAsError" build +Hello -R -KleanArgs=-DwarningAsError=true -v
 
 # Test `weakLeanArgs`
-${LAKE} build +Hello -R
+test_run build +Hello -R
 # see https://github.com/leanprover/lake/issues/172
-${LAKE} build +Hello -R -KweakLeanArgs=-DwarningAsError=true --no-build
+test_run build +Hello -R -KweakLeanArgs=-DwarningAsError=true --no-build
 
 # Test `leancArgs`
-${LAKE} build +Hello:o -R
-${LAKE} build +Hello:o -R -KleancArgs=-DBAR -v | grep --color "Built Hello:c.o"
+test_run build +Hello:o -R
+test_out "Built Hello:c.o" build +Hello:o -R -KleancArgs=-DBAR -v
 
 # Test `weakLeancArgs`
-${LAKE} build +Hello:o -R
-${LAKE} build +Hello:o -R -KweakLeancArgs=-DBAR --no-build
+test_run build +Hello:o -R
+test_run build +Hello:o -R -KweakLeancArgs=-DBAR --no-build
 
 # Test `linkArgs`
-${LAKE} build +Hello:dynlib Hello:shared hello -R
-${LAKE} build +Hello:dynlib -R -KlinkArgs=-L.lake/build/lib -v | grep --color "Built Hello:dynlib"
-${LAKE} build Hello:shared -R -KlinkArgs=-L.lake/build/lib -v | grep --color "Built Hello:shared"
-${LAKE} build hello -R -KlinkArgs=-L.lake/build/lib -v | grep --color "Built hello"
+test_run build +Hello:dynlib Hello:shared hello -R
+test_out "Built Hello:dynlib" build +Hello:dynlib -R -KlinkArgs=-L.lake/build/lib -v
+test_out "Built Hello:shared" build Hello:shared -R -KlinkArgs=-L.lake/build/lib -v
+test_out "Built hello" build hello -R -KlinkArgs=-L.lake/build/lib -v
 
 # Test `weakLinkArgs`
-${LAKE} build +Hello:dynlib Hello:shared hello  -R
-${LAKE} build +Hello:dynlib -R -KweakLinkArgs=-L.lake/build/lib  --no-build
-${LAKE} build Hello:shared -R -KweakLinkArgs=-L.lake/build/lib  --no-build
-${LAKE} build hello -R -KweakLinkArgs=-L.lake/build/lib  --no-build
+test_run build +Hello:dynlib Hello:shared hello  -R
+test_run build +Hello:dynlib -R -KweakLinkArgs=-L.lake/build/lib  --no-build
+test_run build Hello:shared -R -KweakLinkArgs=-L.lake/build/lib  --no-build
+test_run build hello -R -KweakLinkArgs=-L.lake/build/lib  --no-build
+
+# cleanup
+rm -f produced.out