diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 96e9a1b..6acf8cd 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 # binaries
-helpers/echo-signal
 helpers/echo-exit
+helpers/echo-rot13
+helpers/echo-signal
 helpers/exit-status-0
-helpers/list-fds
 helpers/fd-perms
+helpers/list-fds
 helpers/timeout
diff --git a/helpers/echo-rot13.c b/helpers/echo-rot13.c
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..365923e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helpers/echo-rot13.c
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#if 0
+set -x "$(dirname $0)/$(basename $0 .c)"
+exec ${CC:-cc} ${CFLAGS:--Wall -Wextra -g} $0 -o $1
+#endif
+
+/* Echo our arguments, rot13'd. */
+
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <spawn.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/wait.h>
+
+static void rot13(char *s)
+{
+    while (*s) {
+        char c = *s|32;
+        if (c >= 'a' && c <= 'm') *s += 13;
+        else if (c >= 'n' && c <= 'z') *s -= 13;
+        ++s;
+    }
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+    for (int i = 1; i < argc; ++i)
+        rot13(argv[i]);
+    if (argc > 1) printf("%s", argv[1]);
+    for (int i = 2; i < argc; ++i)
+        printf(" %s", argv[i]);
+    puts("");
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/helpers/echo-signal.c b/helpers/echo-signal.c
index fdbe9ff..f377c96 100755
--- a/helpers/echo-signal.c
+++ b/helpers/echo-signal.c
@@ -9,19 +9,33 @@ exec ${CC:-cc} ${CFLAGS:--Wall -Wextra -g} $0 -o $1
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
-static void echo(int n)
+static char *awaited;
+
+static int int_of_signal_name(char *name)
+{
+    if (!strcmp(name, "INT")) return SIGINT;
+    if (!strcmp(name, "TSTP")) return SIGTSTP;
+    if (!strcmp(name, "CONT")) return SIGCONT;
+    abort();
+}
+
+static void echo(int _)
 {
-    printf("%d\n", n);  /* safe-ish because we don't do anything else.  hah. */
+    (void)_;
+    puts(awaited);  /* never do stuff like this in signal handlers. */
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
     struct sigaction action = { .sa_handler = echo };
     if (2 != argc) abort();
-    int sig = atoi(argv[1]);
+    int sig = int_of_signal_name(argv[1]);
+    awaited = argv[1];
     sigaction(sig, &action, NULL);
+    puts("ready");
     pause();
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/helpers/harness.tcl b/helpers/harness.tcl
index 7e226c2..2624131 100755
--- a/helpers/harness.tcl
+++ b/helpers/harness.tcl
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ while {![eof $test_file]} {
 seek $test_file 0 start
 
 log_user 0
-set send_slow { 10 .001 }
+set send_slow { 1 .01 }
 setup_execution_environment
 if [catch {spawn $shell} err] {error $err}
 # waiting for first prompt can help
@@ -125,12 +125,13 @@ proc not_ok {} {
 proc is {x} { uplevel 1 [list if $x {ok} {not_ok}]}
 
 proc expect_line {line} {
-    # NB: the \r\n at the start of the line here breaks fish, and
-    # makes this somewhat unreliable, but it's tricky to find an
-    # alternative that is as simple and stops cat from passing the
-    # tests.
+    # NB: this is fairly unreliable, and we should have some lint
+    # where we reject tests whose expected output would match the tail
+    # of their input.  There doesn't seem to be a better way to deal
+    # with the output and timing differences between shells, short of
+    # going full ptrace as mentioned previously.
     set rv [expect {
-        "\r\n$line\r\n" {return 1}
+        "$line\r\n" {return 1}
         default {return 0}
     }]
     expect *
diff --git a/stage_1/01-fork-exec.t b/stage_1/01-fork-exec.t
index 8d1736d..0acce79 100644
--- a/stage_1/01-fork-exec.t
+++ b/stage_1/01-fork-exec.t
@@ -2,5 +2,7 @@
 ← foo bar
 → tr a-z n-za-m⏎foo bar baz⏎^D
 ← sbb one onm
+→ ./helpers/echo-rot13 foo bar⏎
+← sbb one
 → ./helpers/echo-exit ./helpers/successful-exit-status⏎
 ← 0
diff --git a/stage_1/03-cd-changes-directory.t b/stage_1/03-cd-changes-directory.t
index f91c2a0..295695f 100644
--- a/stage_1/03-cd-changes-directory.t
+++ b/stage_1/03-cd-changes-directory.t
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 → /bin/pwd⏎
 ≠ /tmp
 → cd /tmp⏎
+→ cd ..⏎
 → /bin/pwd⏎
-← /tmp
+← /
diff --git a/stage_1/04-semicolon-separates-commands.t b/stage_1/04-semicolon-separates-commands.t
index 2507453..f70dd74 100644
--- a/stage_1/04-semicolon-separates-commands.t
+++ b/stage_1/04-semicolon-separates-commands.t
@@ -3,5 +3,5 @@
 ← foobarbaz
 → cd /tmp; pwd⏎
 ← /tmp
-→ false; echo foo⏎
-← foo
+→ false; echo-rot13 foo⏎
+← sbb
diff --git a/stage_1/05-and-or-chaining.t b/stage_1/05-and-or-chaining.t
index d181b88..9342429 100644
--- a/stage_1/05-and-or-chaining.t
+++ b/stage_1/05-and-or-chaining.t
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 # POSIX calls these AND Lists and OR Lists
-→ true && echo foo⏎
-← foo
-→ false && echo foo⏎
-≠ foo
-→ true && false && echo foo⏎
-≠ foo
-→ false || echo foo⏎
-← foo
-→ true || false || echo foo⏎
-≠ foo
-→ false || true && echo foo⏎
-← foo
+→ true && echo-rot13 foo⏎
+← sbb
+→ false && echo-rot13 foo⏎
+≠ sbb
+→ true && false && echo-rot13 foo⏎
+≠ sbb
+→ false || echo-rot13 foo⏎
+← sbb
+→ true || false || echo-rot13 foo⏎
+≠ sbb
+→ false || true && echo-rot13 foo⏎
+← sbb
+→ nonexistent-command || echo-rot13 zim⏎
+← mvz
diff --git a/stage_1/07-subshell.t b/stage_1/07-subshell.t
index e03020e..838650d 100644
--- a/stage_1/07-subshell.t
+++ b/stage_1/07-subshell.t
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 ← /tmp
 → pwd⏎
 ≠ /tmp
-→ (exit 1) && echo foo⏎
-≠ foo
-→ (exit 0 && exit 1) && echo foo⏎
-← foo
+→ (exit 1) && echo-rot13 foo⏎
+≠ sbb
+→ (exit 0 && exit 1) && echo-rot13 foo⏎
+← sbb
diff --git a/stage_1/08-bang-negates-exit-code.t b/stage_1/08-bang-negates-exit-code.t
index 1ae6748..4018a52 100644
--- a/stage_1/08-bang-negates-exit-code.t
+++ b/stage_1/08-bang-negates-exit-code.t
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-→ ! false && echo foo⏎
-← foo
-→ ! true && echo foo⏎
-≠ foo
-→ ! true || echo foo⏎
-← foo
+→ ! false && echo-rot13 foo⏎
+← sbb
+→ ! true && echo-rot13 foo⏎
+≠ sbb
+→ ! true || echo-rot13 foo⏎
+← sbb
diff --git a/stage_1/10-multiline-list.t b/stage_1/10-multiline-list.t
index c78e190..3f67029 100644
--- a/stage_1/10-multiline-list.t
+++ b/stage_1/10-multiline-list.t
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-→ true &&⏎false ||⏎echo foo ||⏎echo bar⏎
-← foo
+→ true &&⏎false ||⏎echo-rot13 foo ||⏎echo-rot13 bar⏎
+← sbb
diff --git a/stage_2/02-redirections.t b/stage_2/02-redirections.t
index 38c05ae..04b76a0 100644
--- a/stage_2/02-redirections.t
+++ b/stage_2/02-redirections.t
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@
 # NB echo -n isn't portable...
 → echo -n a > foo ; echo b >> foo ; cat foo⏎
 ← ab
-→ cat < /non-existent-file || echo foo⏎
-← foo
+→ cat < /non-existent-file || echo-rot13 foo⏎
+← sbb
 → cat /non-existent-file 2>foo || grep -c . <foo⏎
 ← 1
 → echo quux > foo && cat < foo⏎
diff --git a/stage_2/04-ensure-pipes-are-closed.t b/stage_2/04-ensure-pipes-are-closed.t
index 00def44..4004254 100644
--- a/stage_2/04-ensure-pipes-are-closed.t
+++ b/stage_2/04-ensure-pipes-are-closed.t
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 # This will hang in the case of a very common bug: you forget to close
 # the other ends of the pipe.
-→ cat </etc/passwd | cat | cat | cat >/dev/null | echo foo⏎
-← foo
+→ cat </etc/passwd | cat | cat | cat >/dev/null | echo-rot13 foo⏎
+← sbb
diff --git a/stage_2/07-bang-only-at-start-of-pipelines.t b/stage_2/07-bang-only-at-start-of-pipelines.t
index 56f87e7..7906a50 100644
--- a/stage_2/07-bang-only-at-start-of-pipelines.t
+++ b/stage_2/07-bang-only-at-start-of-pipelines.t
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Would prefer to test this but mksh doesn't agree
 #→ echo zim | ! tr z b | grep -qc bim || echo foo⏎
 #≠ foo
-→ ! echo zim | tr z b | grep -qc bim || echo foo⏎
-← foo
+→ ! echo zim | tr z b | grep -qc bim || echo-rot13 foo⏎
+← sbb
diff --git a/stage_2/08-builtin-in-pipeline.t b/stage_2/08-builtin-in-pipeline.t
index 84ce145..4deef2d 100644
--- a/stage_2/08-builtin-in-pipeline.t
+++ b/stage_2/08-builtin-in-pipeline.t
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 → echo foo | cd /tmp | pwd⏎
 ≠ /tmp
-→ echo foo | cd /tmp | echo bar⏎
-← bar
+→ echo foo | cd /tmp | echo-rot13 bar⏎
+← one
diff --git a/stage_3/01-executed-command-receives-signals.t b/stage_3/01-executed-command-receives-signals.t
index a7e64c5..61db2a6 100644
--- a/stage_3/01-executed-command-receives-signals.t
+++ b/stage_3/01-executed-command-receives-signals.t
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 # this would be nicer if we already had $@...
-→ echo-signal 2⏎
+→ echo-signal INT⏎
+← ready
 → ^C⏎
-← 2
-→ cat⏎
-→ ^\⏎echo foo⏎
-← foo
-→ echo-signal 20⏎
+← INT
+→ echo-signal TSTP⏎
+← ready
 → ^Z⏎
-← 20
+← TSTP
diff --git a/stage_3/02-job-control-with-fg-bg.t b/stage_3/02-job-control-with-fg-bg.t
index 5f73fe6..4923564 100644
--- a/stage_3/02-job-control-with-fg-bg.t
+++ b/stage_3/02-job-control-with-fg-bg.t
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
-→ echo-signal 18⏎
+→ echo-signal CONT⏎
+← ready
 → ^Z
-→ echo foo⏎
-← foo
+→ echo-rot13 foo⏎
+← sbb
 → fg⏎
-← 18
-→ echo-signal 2 &⏎
-→ echo foo⏎
-← foo
+← CONT
+→ echo-signal INT &⏎
+← ready
+→ echo-rot13 foo⏎
+← sbb
 → fg⏎
 → ^C⏎
-← 2
+← INT
diff --git a/stage_3/03-sequencing-with-suspend.t b/stage_3/03-sequencing-with-suspend.t
index 5674a7a..3f7a2de 100644
--- a/stage_3/03-sequencing-with-suspend.t
+++ b/stage_3/03-sequencing-with-suspend.t
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-→ echo-signal 2 & echo foo⏎
-← foo
+→ echo-signal INT & sleep 1; echo-rot13 foo⏎
+← ready
+← sbb
 → fg⏎
 → ^C⏎
-← 2
+← INT
diff --git a/stage_3/05-sigquit.t b/stage_3/05-sigquit.t
index 0416c13..d97880a 100644
--- a/stage_3/05-sigquit.t
+++ b/stage_3/05-sigquit.t
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
-→ cat⏎^\⏎echo foo⏎
-← foo
+→ cat⏎^\⏎echo-rot13 foo⏎
+← sbb
+→ ^\^\echo-rot13 blah⏎
+← oynu
diff --git a/stage_4/05-commands-can-be-quoted.t b/stage_4/05-commands-can-be-quoted.t
index cad30f4..c261300 100644
--- a/stage_4/05-commands-can-be-quoted.t
+++ b/stage_4/05-commands-can-be-quoted.t
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 → e'ch'o foo⏎
 ← foo
-→ ''''""/"b"i'n/e'"c"ho''"" yup⏎
+→ ''''""/"b"i'n/e'"c"ho''"" yup; true⏎
 ← yup
+→ ""'echo'"-"rot1'3' yup⏎
+← lhc
diff --git a/stage_4/10-tilde-expansion.t b/stage_4/10-tilde-expansion.t
index 543b41f..b721a94 100644
--- a/stage_4/10-tilde-expansion.t
+++ b/stage_4/10-tilde-expansion.t
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-→ echo ~⏎
+→ echo ~; true⏎
 ≠ ~
 # XXX this will vary by system; use magic.
 → echo ~root⏎
diff --git a/stage_5/01-tab-completion.t b/stage_5/01-tab-completion.t
index a4c1ae6..ebc7194 100644
--- a/stage_5/01-tab-completion.t
+++ b/stage_5/01-tab-completion.t
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 # not POSIX
 → touch foo bar⏎
-→ ech^I f^I b^I⏎
-← foo bar
+→ ech^I-rot^I f^I b^I⏎
+← sbb one
diff --git a/stage_5/02-basic-history.t b/stage_5/02-basic-history.t
index bde7318..f3409c1 100644
--- a/stage_5/02-basic-history.t
+++ b/stage_5/02-basic-history.t
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-→ echo foo⏎
-← foo
-→ echo bar⏎
+→ echo-rot13 foo⏎
+← sbb
+→ echo-rot13 bar⏎
+← one
 → ⇑⇑⏎
-← foo
+← sbb
diff --git a/stage_5/03-search-with-control-r.t b/stage_5/03-search-with-control-r.t
index d271b59..f92d742 100644
--- a/stage_5/03-search-with-control-r.t
+++ b/stage_5/03-search-with-control-r.t
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 → true⏎
-→ echo foo⏎
-← foo
-→ echo bar⏎
-← bar
+→ echo-rot13 foo⏎
+← sbb
+→ echo-rot13 bar⏎
+← one
 → ^Rf⏎
-← foo
+← sbb