diff --git a/tools/testh5dump.sh b/tools/testh5dump.sh
index c8026cd3fb..a59b10f44a 100755
--- a/tools/testh5dump.sh
+++ b/tools/testh5dump.sh
@@ -123,7 +123,8 @@ DUMP tloop-1.ddl tloop.h5
 # test for string 
 DUMP tstr-1.ddl tstr.h5
 
-if test "0" = "$nerrors"; then
+if test $nerrors -eq 0 ; then
 	echo "All h5dump tests passed."
 fi
 
+exit $nerrors
diff --git a/tools/testh5toh4 b/tools/testh5toh4
index 6db3b7828f..ba8a3a3025 100644
--- a/tools/testh5toh4
+++ b/tools/testh5toh4
@@ -340,7 +340,8 @@ CONVERT -m tcompound.h5 tall.h5 tloop.h5
 CONVERT -m tdset2.h5 tcompound2.h5 tmany.h5
 CONVERT -m tstr.h5 tstr2.h5
 
-if test "0" = "$nerrors"; then
+if test $nerrors -eq 0 ; then
 	echo "All h5toh4 tests passed."
 fi
 
+exit $nerrors