diff --git a/rust-bindings/tests/sign/mod.rs b/rust-bindings/tests/sign/mod.rs
index 745076cbaa..0dc48ae701 100644
--- a/rust-bindings/tests/sign/mod.rs
+++ b/rust-bindings/tests/sign/mod.rs
@@ -43,14 +43,19 @@ echo $ED25519SECRET > ed25519.secret
     );
     let s = Command::new("bash")
         .env("G_TEST_SRCDIR", pwd)
+        .env("OSTREE_HTTPD", "")
         .current_dir(path)
         .args(["-euo", "pipefail"])
         .args(["-c", cmd.as_str()])
         .stdout(std::process::Stdio::null())
-        .stderr(std::process::Stdio::null())
-        .status()
+        .stderr(std::process::Stdio::piped())
+        .output()
         .unwrap();
-    assert!(s.success());
+    if !s.status.success() {
+        let mut stderr = std::io::stderr().lock();
+        let _ = std::io::copy(&mut std::io::Cursor::new(&s.stderr), &mut stderr);
+        panic!("failed to source libtest: {:?}", s.status);
+    }
 
     let seckey = std::fs::read_to_string(path.join("ed25519.secret")).unwrap();
     let seckey = seckey.to_variant();
@@ -74,9 +79,7 @@ echo $ED25519SECRET > ed25519.secret
     let badsigs = [b"".as_slice()].to_variant();
 
     let e = signer.data_verify(payload, &badsigs).err().unwrap();
-    assert!(e
-        .to_string()
-        .contains("Invalid signature length of 0 bytes"))
+    assert!(e.to_string().contains("Ill-formed input"), "{}", e)
 }
 
 #[test]
diff --git a/tests/libtest.sh b/tests/libtest.sh
index 9d871aa430..fa93782703 100755
--- a/tests/libtest.sh
+++ b/tests/libtest.sh
@@ -25,11 +25,12 @@ else
   test_srcdir=$(dirname $0)
 fi
 
-if [ -n "${G_TEST_BUILDDIR:-}" ]; then
-  test_builddir="${G_TEST_BUILDDIR}/tests"
-else
-  test_builddir=$(dirname $0)
+top_builddir="${G_TEST_BUILDDIR:-}"
+if test -z "${top_builddir}"; then
+    top_builddir=$(cd $(dirname $0)/.. && pwd)
 fi
+
+test_builddir="${top_builddir}/tests"
 . ${test_srcdir}/libtest-core.sh
 
 # Make sure /sbin/capsh etc. are in our PATH even if non-root
@@ -180,9 +181,11 @@ if test -n "${OT_TESTS_VALGRIND:-}"; then
     CMD_PREFIX="env G_SLICE=always-malloc OSTREE_SUPPRESS_SYNCFS=1 valgrind -q --error-exitcode=1 --leak-check=full --num-callers=30 --suppressions=${test_srcdir}/glib.supp --suppressions=${test_srcdir}/ostree.supp"
 fi
 
-OSTREE_HTTPD="${G_TEST_BUILDDIR}/ostree-trivial-httpd"
-if ! [ -x "${OSTREE_HTTPD}" ]; then
-    fatal "Failed to find ${OSTREE_HTTPD}"
+if test -z "${OSTREE_HTTPD:-}"; then
+    OSTREE_HTTPD="${top_builddir}/ostree-trivial-httpd"
+    if ! [ -x "${OSTREE_HTTPD}" ]; then
+        OSTREE_HTTPD=
+    fi
 fi
 
 files_are_hardlinked() {
diff --git a/tests/test-admin-gpg.sh b/tests/test-admin-gpg.sh
index dcf075c1e1..f71c306b93 100755
--- a/tests/test-admin-gpg.sh
+++ b/tests/test-admin-gpg.sh
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ set -euo pipefail
 
 . $(dirname $0)/libtest.sh
 
+if test -z "${OSTREE_HTTPD}"; then
+    echo "1..0 #SKIP no ostree-trivial-httpd"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
 setup_os_repository_signed () {
     mode=$1
     shift
diff --git a/tests/test-commit-sign.sh b/tests/test-commit-sign.sh
index 2aad1cff55..e0cea0b588 100755
--- a/tests/test-commit-sign.sh
+++ b/tests/test-commit-sign.sh
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ if ! has_gpgme; then
     exit 0
 fi
 
+if test -z "${OSTREE_HTTPD}"; then
+    echo "1..0 #SKIP no ostree-trivial-httpd"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
 echo "1..7"
 
 keyid="472CDAFA"
diff --git a/tests/test-pull-contenturl.sh b/tests/test-pull-contenturl.sh
index ba6a2a5f67..d47fdfe110 100755
--- a/tests/test-pull-contenturl.sh
+++ b/tests/test-pull-contenturl.sh
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ set -euo pipefail
 
 . $(dirname $0)/libtest.sh
 
+if test -z "${OSTREE_HTTPD}"; then
+    echo "1..0 #SKIP no ostree-trivial-httpd"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
 echo "1..2"
 
 COMMIT_SIGN=""
diff --git a/tests/test-pull-metalink.sh b/tests/test-pull-metalink.sh
index f73992b447..22e5d59c91 100755
--- a/tests/test-pull-metalink.sh
+++ b/tests/test-pull-metalink.sh
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ set -euo pipefail
 
 . $(dirname $0)/libtest.sh
 
+if test -z "${OSTREE_HTTPD}"; then
+    echo "1..0 #SKIP no ostree-trivial-httpd"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
 setup_fake_remote_repo1 "archive"
 
 echo '1..9'
diff --git a/tests/test-pull-mirrorlist.sh b/tests/test-pull-mirrorlist.sh
index 1d0d2c58ed..d04d1e48d9 100755
--- a/tests/test-pull-mirrorlist.sh
+++ b/tests/test-pull-mirrorlist.sh
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ set -euo pipefail
 
 . $(dirname $0)/libtest.sh
 
+if test -z "${OSTREE_HTTPD}"; then
+    echo "1..0 #SKIP no ostree-trivial-httpd"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
 echo "1..3"
 
 setup_fake_remote_repo1 "archive"
diff --git a/tests/test-pull-override-url.sh b/tests/test-pull-override-url.sh
index 71a32714a7..4e8ed03538 100755
--- a/tests/test-pull-override-url.sh
+++ b/tests/test-pull-override-url.sh
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ set -euo pipefail
 
 . $(dirname $0)/libtest.sh
 
+if test -z "${OSTREE_HTTPD}"; then
+    echo "1..0 #SKIP no ostree-trivial-httpd"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
 setup_fake_remote_repo1 "archive"
 
 echo '1..1'