diff --git a/test/validate/assign.st b/test/validate/assign.st
index 28e311610dc363feeb37a46bde39fe15bd91d840..bb2b3f5267f360bef288fc7cef3a01a6bd2dbc96 100644
--- a/test/validate/assign.st
+++ b/test/validate/assign.st
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ in the file LICENSE that is included with this distribution.
 \*************************************************************************/
 program assignTest
 
+option +r;
+
 %%#include "../testSupport.h"
 
 int x = 0;
diff --git a/test/validate/change.st b/test/validate/change.st
index 01246ae72d2225d0927c897de83816bf814b9fdd..76e9b07a6b0b50b5ad8e8bb4f400102a60316b68 100644
--- a/test/validate/change.st
+++ b/test/validate/change.st
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ in the file LICENSE that is included with this distribution.
 /* Test state change statement */
 program changeTest
 
+option +r;
+
 %%#include <time.h>
 %%#include <stdlib.h>
 %%#include "../testSupport.h"
diff --git a/test/validate/makeStCmd.pl b/test/validate/makeStCmd.pl
index 68461fe6f5c10cc7262ca74f9fd83e1203b879e4..d89a4fefa258d9f686ea17ccb618e46d89a1e40c 100644
--- a/test/validate/makeStCmd.pl
+++ b/test/validate/makeStCmd.pl
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 print "testHarness\n";
 foreach my $x (@ARGV) {
-  print "# ...with lowered priority\n";
+  print "\n# with lowered priority:\n";
   print "run_seq_test \&${x}Test, -1\n";
-  print "# ...with normal priority\n";
+  print "\n# with normal priority:\n";
   print "run_seq_test \&${x}Test\n";
-  print "# ...with raised priority\n";
+  print "\n# with raised priority:\n";
   print "run_seq_test \&${x}Test, 1\n";
 }
-print "epicsExit\n";
+print "\nepicsExit\n";
diff --git a/test/validate/monitorEvflag.st b/test/validate/monitorEvflag.st
index 4a98179e6facef77d8afe816a18c63e22efccb6f..63f0ba3d982e33af394a2b5f2f7e9ad470cf0f78 100644
--- a/test/validate/monitorEvflag.st
+++ b/test/validate/monitorEvflag.st
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ option +s;
 %%#include "../testSupport.h"
 %%#include <stdio.h>
 
-#define NDIAGS 100
-#define NCYCLESPERDIAG 1000
+#define NDIAGS 20
+#define NCYCLESPERDIAG 500
 #define NCYCLES (NDIAGS*NCYCLESPERDIAG)
 
 int requested;
diff --git a/test/validate/raceCommon.st b/test/validate/raceCommon.st
index f3d091521fb8f057dff838965e537a5eca276bee..bff5e3bbbeec40f785f8b4b4946acbf53390a010 100644
--- a/test/validate/raceCommon.st
+++ b/test/validate/raceCommon.st
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ sync x to efx;
 
 foreign MAX_STRING_SIZE;
 
-#define MAX_TESTS 5
+#define MAX_TESTS 10
 
 entry {
     seq_test_init(MAX_TESTS);
diff --git a/test/validate/testSupport.c b/test/validate/testSupport.c
index 79bd4267fafc6a0f5d443aeadfb9e4830842f040..d12279247d5c6a13be61a76fbdf25519ba28fc46 100644
--- a/test/validate/testSupport.c
+++ b/test/validate/testSupport.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ void run_seq_test(seqProgram *seqProg, int adapt_priority)
     prog = seqProg;
     runTestFunc(seqProg->progName, doit);
     epicsEventWait(this_test_done);
+    epicsThreadSleep(1.0);
 }
 
 void seq_test_init(int num_tests)
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ void seq_test_init(int num_tests)
 
 void seq_test_done(void)
 {
+    epicsThreadSetPriority(epicsThreadGetIdSelf(), epicsThreadPriorityMedium);
     testDone();
 #if defined(vxWorks)
     epicsEventSignal(this_test_done);