diff --git a/tests/test.sh b/tests/test.sh
index 31c92da5b..7c2ca1427 100755
--- a/tests/test.sh
+++ b/tests/test.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/bin/bash 
+#!/bin/bash
 #  Copyright (C)         Lumiera.org
 #    2007 - 2008,        Christian Thaeter <ct@pipapo.org>
 #
@@ -26,18 +26,34 @@
 #   stop testing on the first failure
 
 export LC_ALL=C
+NOBUG_LOGREGEX='^\(\*\*[0-9]*\*\* \)\?[0-9]\{10,\}: \(TRACE\|INFO\|NOTICE\|WARNING\|ERR\):'
 
 arg0="$0"
 srcdir="$(dirname "$arg0")"
 
-ulimit -S -t 2 -v 524288
+ulimit -S -t 5 -v 524288
 valgrind=""
 if [ "$VALGRINDFLAGS" = 'DISABLE' ]; then
     echo "valgrind explicit disabled"
 else
     if [ "$(which valgrind)" ]; then
-        valgrind="$(which valgrind) --leak-check=yes --show-reachable=yes -q $VALGRINDFLAGS"
-	ulimit -S -t 10
+	ulimit -S -t 20
+        if [[ -x 'vgsuppression' ]]; then
+            if [[ 'vgsuppression' -nt 'vgsuppression.supp' ]]; then
+                echo 'generating valgrind supression file'
+
+                if [[ -x ".libs/vgsuppression" ]]; then
+                    ./libtool --mode=execute valgrind --leak-check=yes --show-reachable=yes -q --gen-suppressions=all vgsuppression 2>&1 \
+                        | sed '/^\(==\)\|\(\*\*\)[0-9]*\(==\)\|\(\*\*\)/d;' >vgsuppression.supp
+                else
+                    valgrind --leak-check=yes --show-reachable=yes -q --gen-suppressions=all ./vgsuppression 2>&1 \
+                        | sed '/^\(==\)\|\(\*\*\)[0-9]*\(==\)\|\(\*\*\)/d;' >vgsuppression.supp
+                fi
+            fi
+            valgrind="$(which valgrind) --leak-check=yes --show-reachable=no --suppressions=vgsuppression.supp -q $VALGRINDFLAGS"
+        else
+            valgrind="$(which valgrind) --leak-check=yes --show-reachable=no -q $VALGRINDFLAGS"
+        fi
     else
         echo "no valgrind found, go without it"
     fi
@@ -50,6 +66,7 @@ TESTCNT=0
 SKIPCNT=0
 FAILCNT=0
 
+
 # the old testlog if existing will be used to check for previous test states
 if test -f ,testlog; then
     mv ,testlog ,testlog.pre
@@ -59,6 +76,40 @@ fi
 
 date >,testlog
 
+function compare_regex() # rxfile plainfile
+{
+    local regex
+    local line
+    local miss
+    local lineno=1
+    local regexno=1
+    {
+        IFS='' read -u 3 -r regex || return 0
+        IFS='' read -u 4 -r line || { echo "no output"; return 1; }
+        while true; do
+            if [[ $line =~ $regex ]]; then
+                IFS='' read -u 4 -r line ||
+                if IFS='' read -u 3 -r regex; then
+                    echo "premature end in output, expecting: '$regex':$regexno"
+                    return 1
+                else
+                    return 0
+                fi
+                : $((++lineno))
+                miss=0
+            else
+                if [[ $((++miss)) -gt 1 ]]; then
+                    echo -e "'$line':$lineno\ndoes not match\n'$regex':$regexno"
+                    return 1
+                fi
+                IFS='' read -u 3 -r regex || { echo "more output than expected: '$line':$lineno"; return 1; }
+                : $((++regexno))
+            fi
+        done
+    } 3<"$1" 4<"$2"
+}
+
+
 function TEST()
 {
         name="$1"
@@ -69,7 +120,11 @@ function TEST()
 
 	while read -r line; do
             cmd="${line%%:*}"
-            arg="${line#*: }"
+            arg="${line#*:}"
+            arg="${arg:1}"
+            if [[ ! "$arg" ]]; then
+                arg='^$'
+            fi
             expect_return=0
 
             case $cmd in
@@ -85,6 +140,9 @@ function TEST()
             'return')
                 expect_return="$arg"
                 ;;
+            '#'*|'')
+                :
+                ;;
             *)
                 echo "UNKOWN TEST COMMAND '$cmd'" 1>&2
                 exit
@@ -128,36 +186,45 @@ function TEST()
             ((fails+=1))
 
         else
+
             if test -f ,send_stdin; then
-                cat ,send_stdin | $valgrind $TESTBIN "$@" 2>,stderr >,stdout
+                env $TESTBIN_PREFIX $TESTBIN "$@" <,send_stdin 2>,stderr >,stdout
             else
-                $valgrind $TESTBIN "$@" 2>,stderr >,stdout
+                env $TESTBIN_PREFIX $TESTBIN "$@" 2>,stderr >,stdout
             fi &>/dev/null
             return=$?
 
             if test -f ,expect_stdout; then
-                if ! cmp ,expect_stdout ,stdout &>/dev/null; then
+                grep -v "$NOBUG_LOGREGEX" <,stdout >,tmp
+                if ! compare_regex ,expect_stdout ,tmp >>,cmptmp; then
                     echo "unexpected data on stdout" >>,testtmp
-                    grep -v ': \(TRACE\|INFO\|NOTICE\|WARNING\|ERR\):' <,stdout >,tmp
-                    diff -ua ,expect_stdout ,tmp >>,testtmp
-                    rm ,tmp
+                    cat ,cmptmp >>,testtmp
                     ((fails+=1))
                 fi
+                rm ,tmp ,cmptmp
             fi
 
             if test -f ,expect_stderr; then
-                if ! cmp ,expect_stderr ,stderr &>/dev/null; then
+                grep -v "$NOBUG_LOGREGEX" <,stderr >,tmp
+                    cat ,tmp >>,testtmp
+                if ! compare_regex ,expect_stderr ,tmp >>,cmptmp; then
                     echo "unexpected data on stderr" >>,testtmp
-                    grep -v ': \(TRACE\|INFO\|NOTICE\|WARNING\|ERR\):' <,stderr >,tmp
-                    diff -ua ,expect_stderr ,tmp >>,testtmp
-                    rm ,tmp
+                    cat ,cmptmp >>,testtmp
                     ((fails+=1))
                 fi
+                rm ,tmp ,cmptmp
             fi
 
-            if test "$expect_return" != "$return"; then
-                echo "unexpected return value $return" >>,testtmp
-                ((fails+=1))
+            if [[ "${expect_return:0:1}" = '!' ]]; then
+                if [[ "${expect_return#\!}" = "$return" ]]; then
+                    echo "unexpected return value $return, expected $expect_return" >>,testtmp
+                    ((fails+=1))
+                fi
+            else
+                if [[ "${expect_return}" != "$return" ]]; then
+                    echo "unexpected return value $return, expected $expect_return" >>,testtmp
+                    ((fails+=1))
+                fi
             fi
         fi
 
@@ -224,7 +291,14 @@ function TESTING()
 {
     echo
     echo "$1"
-    TESTBIN=$2
+    echo -e "\n#### $1" >>,testlog
+
+    if [[ -x ".libs/$2" ]]; then
+        TESTBIN_PREFIX="./libtool --mode=execute $valgrind"
+    else
+        TESTBIN_PREFIX="$valgrind"
+    fi
+    TESTBIN="$2"
 }
 
 TESTSUITES="${TESTSUITES}${1:+${TESTSUITES:+,}$1}"