diff --git a/tests/test-lib.sh b/tests/test-lib.sh
index e69f484..2368bd3 100644
--- a/tests/test-lib.sh
+++ b/tests/test-lib.sh
@@ -284,6 +284,33 @@ $cmp_output"
 	echo >&3 ""
 }
 
+test_expect_code_and_output () {
+	test "$#" = 3 ||
+	error "bug in the test script: not 3 parameters to test-expect-code-and-output"
+	if ! test_skip "$@"
+	then
+		say >&3 "expecting exit code $1 and output: $3"
+		test_run_ "$3"
+		if [ "$?" = 0 -a "$eval_ret" = "$1" ]
+		then
+			cmp_output=$(test_cmp expect output)
+			if [ "$?" = 0 ]
+			then
+				test_ok_ "$2"
+			else
+				test_failure_ "$2" "$3" "
+$cmp_output"
+			fi
+		else
+			cmp_output=$(test_cmp expect output)
+			test_failure_ "$2" "$3" "
+* expected exit code $1, actual ${eval_ret}${cmp_output:+
+}${cmp_output}"
+		fi
+	fi
+	echo >&3 ""
+}
+
 test_expect_code () {
 	test "$#" = 3 ||
 	error "bug in the test script: not 3 parameters to test-expect-code"
@@ -295,7 +322,8 @@ test_expect_code () {
 		then
 			test_ok_ "$2"
 		else
-			test_failure_ "$@"
+			test_failure_ "$2" "$3" "
+* expected exit code $1, actual ${eval_ret}"
 		fi
 	fi
 	echo >&3 ""
@@ -568,7 +596,7 @@ test_todo_session () {
 		if [ $status = 0 ]; then
 		    test_expect_output "$1 $subnum" "$cmd > output"
 		else
-		    test_expect_output "$1 $subnum" "$cmd > output ; test \$? = $status"
+		    test_expect_code_and_output "$status" "$1 $subnum" "$cmd > output"
 		fi
 
 		subnum=$(($subnum + 1))
@@ -586,7 +614,7 @@ test_todo_session () {
 	if [ $status = 0 ]; then
 	    test_expect_output "$1 $subnum" "$cmd > output"
 	else
-	    test_expect_output "$1 $subnum" "$cmd > output ; test \$? = $status"
+	    test_expect_code_and_output "$status" "$1 $subnum" "$cmd > output"
 	fi
     fi
 }