diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 83fdadf035..08828fd409 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ dist-hook:
 check: test examples check-docs
 
 if CROSSCOMPILING
+test-quiet: test
 test-full: test
 test-nonflaky: test
 test-torture: test
@@ -102,7 +103,9 @@ test:
 
 else
 
-test:
+test: test-quiet
+
+test-quiet:
 	@(cd tests; $(MAKE) all quiet-test)
 
 test-full:
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index a77c6259eb..c76c0c8023 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ TEST_COMMON += !documentation
 endif
 
 TEST = srcdir=$(srcdir) @PERL@ $(PERLFLAGS) $(srcdir)/runtests.pl $(TEST_COMMON)
+TEST_A = -a
 TEST_Q = -a -s
 TEST_AM = -a -am
 TEST_F = -a -p -r
@@ -142,7 +143,8 @@ build-certs: perlcheck
 	(cd certs && $(MAKE))
 
 # alias for 'test' to match CMake, where 'test' is a reserved target
-tests: test
+tests: perlcheck all
+	$(TEST) $(TEST_A) $(TFLAGS)
 
 test: perlcheck all
 	$(TEST) $(TFLAGS)
@@ -179,7 +181,7 @@ checksrc:
 	(cd tunit && $(MAKE) checksrc)
 	(cd server && $(MAKE) checksrc)
 
-all-local: $(MANFILES) build-certs
+all-local: build-certs
 
 distclean:
-	rm -f $(MANFILES)
+	rm -f $(CLEANFILES)
diff --git a/tests/certs/Makefile.am b/tests/certs/Makefile.am
index 078b4490b6..a88f474175 100644
--- a/tests/certs/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/certs/Makefile.am
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ include Makefile.inc
 EXTRA_DIST = $(CERTCONFIG_CA) $(CERTCONFIGS) $(SRPFILES) CMakeLists.txt \
   genserv.pl
 
-DISTCLEANFILES = $(GENERATEDCERTS)
+CLEANFILES = $(GENERATEDCERTS)
 
 all-am: test-ca.cacert
 
diff --git a/tests/http/Makefile.am b/tests/http/Makefile.am
index 7232c1e8aa..6b4b6054eb 100644
--- a/tests/http/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/http/Makefile.am
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ EXTRA_DIST =             \
   $(TESTENV)
 
 clean-local:
-	rm -rf *.pyc __pycache__
+	rm -rf ./*.pyc __pycache__
 	rm -rf gen
 
 check: libtests