diff --git a/tests/kdc/check-canon.in b/tests/kdc/check-canon.in
index 04b89d56f..85006d233 100644
--- a/tests/kdc/check-canon.in
+++ b/tests/kdc/check-canon.in
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ ${kadmin} check ${R3} || exit 1
 
 echo foo > ${objdir}/foopassword
 
-echo "Starting kdc"
+echo "Starting kdc" ; > messages.log
 ${kdc} &
 kdcpid=$!
 
diff --git a/tests/kdc/check-cc.in b/tests/kdc/check-cc.in
index aef5e1607..4ad84571a 100644
--- a/tests/kdc/check-cc.in
+++ b/tests/kdc/check-cc.in
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ ${kadmin} check ${R} || exit 1
 
 echo foo > ${objdir}/foopassword
 
-echo Starting kdc
+echo Starting kdc ; > messages.log
 ${kdc} &
 kdcpid=$!
 
diff --git a/tests/kdc/check-delegation.in b/tests/kdc/check-delegation.in
index b5acb1ee8..706ca6bd5 100644
--- a/tests/kdc/check-delegation.in
+++ b/tests/kdc/check-delegation.in
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ ${kadmin} check ${R4} || exit 1
 
 echo foo > ${objdir}/foopassword
 
-echo Starting kdc
+echo Starting kdc; > messages.log
 ${kdc} &
 kdcpid=$!
 
diff --git a/tests/kdc/check-des.in b/tests/kdc/check-des.in
index 77a39b19a..d1fcfa700 100644
--- a/tests/kdc/check-des.in
+++ b/tests/kdc/check-des.in
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ ${kadmin} check ${R} || exit 1
 
 echo foo > ${objdir}/foopassword
 
-echo Starting kdc
+echo Starting kdc; > messages.log
 ${kdc} &
 kdcpid=$!
 
diff --git a/tests/kdc/check-digest.in b/tests/kdc/check-digest.in
index 4ce5a7e17..070facedd 100644
--- a/tests/kdc/check-digest.in
+++ b/tests/kdc/check-digest.in
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ ${kadmin} check ${R} || exit 1
 
 echo $password > ${objdir}/foopassword
 
-echo "Starting kdc"
+echo "Starting kdc" ; > messages.log
 env ${HEIM_MALLOC_DEBUG} ${kdc} &
 kdcpid=$!
 
diff --git a/tests/kdc/check-fast.in b/tests/kdc/check-fast.in
index 7f5354fc1..129c0896f 100644
--- a/tests/kdc/check-fast.in
+++ b/tests/kdc/check-fast.in
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ ${kadmin} check ${R} || exit 1
 
 echo foo > ${objdir}/foopassword
 
-echo Starting kdc
+echo Starting kdc ; > messages.log
 env MallocStackLogging=1 MallocStackLoggingNoCompact=1 MallocErrorAbort=1 MallocLogFile=${objdir}/malloc-log \
 ${kdc} &
 kdcpid=$!
diff --git a/tests/kdc/check-hdb-mitdb.in b/tests/kdc/check-hdb-mitdb.in
index 57c987be9..1dc814841 100644
--- a/tests/kdc/check-hdb-mitdb.in
+++ b/tests/kdc/check-hdb-mitdb.in
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ ${kadmin} ext -k ${keytab} ${server}@${R} || exit 1
 
 echo foo > ${objdir}/foopassword
 
-echo Starting kdc
+echo Starting kdc ; > messages.log
 env MallocStackLogging=1 MallocStackLoggingNoCompact=1 MallocErrorAbort=1 MallocLogFile=${objdir}/malloc-log \
 ${kdc} &
 kdcpid=$!
diff --git a/tests/kdc/check-iprop.in b/tests/kdc/check-iprop.in
index 10bdce5dd..45c88a81a 100644
--- a/tests/kdc/check-iprop.in
+++ b/tests/kdc/check-iprop.in
@@ -96,20 +96,20 @@ ipropd_slave="${ipropd_slave} --status-file=iprop-slave-status"
 
 trap "echo 'killing ipropd s + m + kdc'; kill -9 \${ipdm} \${ipds} \${kdcpid} >/dev/null 2>/dev/null; tail messages.log ; tail iprop-stats; exit 1;" EXIT
 
-echo Starting kdc
+echo Starting kdc ; > messages.log
 ${kdc} &
 kdcpid=$!
 
 sh ${wait_kdc} || exit 1
 
-echo "starting master"
+echo "starting master" ; > messages.log
 env ${HEIM_MALLOC_DEBUG} \
 ${ipropd_master} --hostname=localhost -k ${keytab} \
     --database=${objdir}/current-db &
 ipdm=$!
 sh ${wait_kdc} ipropd-master || exit 1
 
-echo "starting slave"
+echo "starting slave" ; > messages.log
 env ${HEIM_MALLOC_DEBUG} \
 KRB5_CONFIG="${objdir}/krb5-slave.conf" \
 ${ipropd_slave} --hostname=slave.test.h5l.se -k ${keytab} localhost &
@@ -184,9 +184,8 @@ cp ${objdir}/current.log ${objdir}/current.log.tmp
 
 # ----------------- checking: checking that master and slaves resyncs
 
-echo "starting slave again"
+echo "starting slave again" ; > messages.log
 > iprop-stats
-> messages.log
 env ${HEIM_MALLOC_DEBUG} \
 KRB5_CONFIG="${objdir}/krb5-slave.conf" \
 ${ipropd_slave} --hostname=slave.test.h5l.se -k ${keytab} localhost &
@@ -207,7 +206,7 @@ sleep 2
 rm current.slave.log current-db.slave* || exit 1
 > iprop-stats
 rm -f iprop-slave-status
-> messages.log
+echo "starting slave" ; > messages.log
 env ${HEIM_MALLOC_DEBUG} \
 KRB5_CONFIG="${objdir}/krb5-slave.conf" \
 ${ipropd_slave} --hostname=slave.test.h5l.se -k ${keytab} localhost &
@@ -252,14 +251,14 @@ cmp master-last.tmp slave-last.tmp || exit 1
 echo "Going back to old version of the master log file"
 cp ${objdir}/current.log.tmp ${objdir}/current.log
 
-echo "starting master"
+echo "starting master"  ; > messages.log
 env ${HEIM_MALLOC_DEBUG} \
 ${ipropd_master} --hostname=localhost -k ${keytab} \
     --database=${objdir}/current-db &
 ipdm=$!
 sh ${wait_kdc} ipropd-master || exit 1
 
-echo "starting slave"
+echo "starting slave" ; > messages.log
 env ${HEIM_MALLOC_DEBUG} \
 KRB5_CONFIG="${objdir}/krb5-slave.conf" \
 ${ipropd_slave} --hostname=slave.test.h5l.se -k ${keytab} localhost &
@@ -294,7 +293,7 @@ kill -0 ${ipds}  || { echo "slave no longer there"; exit 1; }
 
 > messages.log
 
-echo "Staring master again"
+echo "Staring master again" ; > messages.log
 env ${HEIM_MALLOC_DEBUG} \
 ${ipropd_master} --hostname=localhost -k ${keytab} \
     --database=${objdir}/current-db &
diff --git a/tests/kdc/check-kadmin.in b/tests/kdc/check-kadmin.in
index fdd225cc8..bb3b235c4 100644
--- a/tests/kdc/check-kadmin.in
+++ b/tests/kdc/check-kadmin.in
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ ${kadmin} -l modify --pkinit-acl="CN=baz,DC=test,DC=h5l,DC=se" pkinit@${R} || ex
 
 echo foo > ${objdir}/foopassword
 
-echo Starting kdc
+echo Starting kdc ; > messages.log
 ${kdc} &
 kdcpid=$!
 
diff --git a/tests/kdc/check-kdc.in b/tests/kdc/check-kdc.in
index a2b245d84..4624e9bbd 100644
--- a/tests/kdc/check-kdc.in
+++ b/tests/kdc/check-kdc.in
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ done
 
 echo foo > ${objdir}/foopassword
 
-echo Starting kdc
+echo Starting kdc ; > messages.log
 env MallocStackLogging=1 MallocStackLoggingNoCompact=1 MallocErrorAbort=1 MallocLogFile=${objdir}/malloc-log \
 ${kdc} &
 kdcpid=$!
diff --git a/tests/kdc/check-kpasswdd.in b/tests/kdc/check-kpasswdd.in
index 355930fc7..ae145d30d 100644
--- a/tests/kdc/check-kpasswdd.in
+++ b/tests/kdc/check-kpasswdd.in
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ ${kadmin} check ${R2} || exit 1
 
 echo foo > ${objdir}/foopassword
 
-echo Starting kdc
+echo Starting kdc ; > messages.log
 env ${HEIM_MALLOC_DEBUG} ${kdc} &
 kdcpid=$!
 
diff --git a/tests/kdc/check-pkinit.in b/tests/kdc/check-pkinit.in
index 723cc142b..46cfa7e5b 100644
--- a/tests/kdc/check-pkinit.in
+++ b/tests/kdc/check-pkinit.in
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ ${hxtool} issue-certificate \
 
 echo foo > ${objdir}/foopassword
 
-echo Starting kdc
+echo Starting kdc ; > messages.log
 ${kdc} &
 kdcpid=$!
 
diff --git a/tests/kdc/check-referral.in b/tests/kdc/check-referral.in
index 75790780c..367d2b4a2 100644
--- a/tests/kdc/check-referral.in
+++ b/tests/kdc/check-referral.in
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ ${kadmin} check ${R2} || exit 1
 
 echo foo > ${objdir}/foopassword
 
-echo Starting kdc
+echo Starting kdc ; > messages.log
 ${kdc} &
 kdcpid=$!
 
diff --git a/tests/kdc/check-uu.in b/tests/kdc/check-uu.in
index 267095620..92bed0a86 100644
--- a/tests/kdc/check-uu.in
+++ b/tests/kdc/check-uu.in
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ ${kadmin} check ${R} || exit 1
 
 echo foo > ${objdir}/foopassword
 
-echo Starting kdc
+echo Starting kdc ; > messages.log
 ${kdc} &
 kdcpid=$!
 
diff --git a/tests/kdc/wait-kdc.sh b/tests/kdc/wait-kdc.sh
index c01f4a294..488d38198 100644
--- a/tests/kdc/wait-kdc.sh
+++ b/tests/kdc/wait-kdc.sh
@@ -40,8 +40,6 @@ waitsec=35
 
 echo "Waiting for ${name} to start, looking logfile ${log}"
 
-#echo "wait string: $waitfor"
-
 while true ; do
     if grep "${waitfor}" ${log} > /dev/null; then
 	break