diff --git a/tests/lang.sh b/tests/lang.sh
index 6cb4b6e2b..61bb444ba 100644
--- a/tests/lang.sh
+++ b/tests/lang.sh
@@ -10,49 +10,32 @@ nix-instantiate --show-trace --eval -E 'builtins.addErrorContext "Hello" (throw
 set +x
 
 fail=0
-just_failed=0
-
-safe_expect () {
-    expected=$1 name=$2 msg=$3 cmd=$4
-    just_failed=0
-    res=0
-    eval "$cmd" || res=$?
-
-    if [ $res -ge 2 ]; then
-        [ $res -le 128 ] || { echo "FAIL: $name returned unexpected code '$res' (should be 0 or 1)"; just_failed=1; }
-        [ $res -gt 128 ] || { echo "FAIL: $name crashed with $res ($(kill -l $(($res - 128))))"; just_failed=1; }
-    elif [ $expected = "fail" ]; then
-        [ $res -ne 0 ] || { echo "FAIL: $name $msg"; just_failed=1; }
-    elif [ $expected = "pass" ]; then
-        [ $res -eq 0 ] || { echo "FAIL: $name $msg"; just_failed=1; }
-    else
-        echo "usage: safe_expect [pass|fail] name msg command"
-        exit 1
-    fi
-
-    [ $just_failed -eq 0 ] || fail=1
-}
-
 
 for i in lang/parse-fail-*.nix; do
     echo "parsing $i (should fail)";
     i=$(basename $i .nix)
-    safe_expect fail "$i" "shouldn't parse" \
-        "nix-instantiate --parse - < lang/$i.nix"
+    if nix-instantiate --parse - < lang/$i.nix; then
+        echo "FAIL: $i shouldn't parse"
+        fail=1
+    fi
 done
 
 for i in lang/parse-okay-*.nix; do
     echo "parsing $i (should succeed)";
     i=$(basename $i .nix)
-    safe_expect pass "$i" "should parse" \
-        "nix-instantiate --parse - < lang/$i.nix > lang/$i.out"
+    if ! nix-instantiate --parse - < lang/$i.nix > lang/$i.out; then
+        echo "FAIL: $i should parse"
+        fail=1
+    fi
 done
 
 for i in lang/eval-fail-*.nix; do
     echo "evaluating $i (should fail)";
     i=$(basename $i .nix)
-    safe_expect fail "$i" "shouldn't evaluate" \
-        "nix-instantiate --eval lang/$i.nix"
+    if nix-instantiate --eval lang/$i.nix; then
+        echo "FAIL: $i shouldn't evaluate"
+        fail=1
+    fi
 done
 
 for i in lang/eval-okay-*.nix; do
@@ -62,20 +45,23 @@ for i in lang/eval-okay-*.nix; do
     if test -e lang/$i.exp; then
         flags=
         if test -e lang/$i.flags; then
-            flags='$'"(cat lang/$i.flags)" # because vi does not highlight "\$(...)" properly ;-).
+            flags=$(cat lang/$i.flags)
         fi
-        safe_expect pass "$i" "should evaluate" \
-            "NIX_PATH=lang/dir3:lang/dir4 nix-instantiate $flags --eval --strict lang/$i.nix > lang/$i.out"
-        if [ $just_failed -eq 0 ] && ! diff lang/$i.out lang/$i.exp; then
+        if ! NIX_PATH=lang/dir3:lang/dir4 nix-instantiate $flags --eval --strict lang/$i.nix > lang/$i.out; then
+            echo "FAIL: $i should evaluate"
+            fail=1
+        elif ! diff lang/$i.out lang/$i.exp; then
             echo "FAIL: evaluation result of $i not as expected"
             fail=1
         fi
     fi
 
     if test -e lang/$i.exp.xml; then
-        safe_expect pass "$i" "should evaluate" \
-            "nix-instantiate --eval --xml --no-location --strict lang/$i.nix > lang/$i.out.xml"
-        if [ $just_failed -eq 0 ] && ! cmp -s lang/$i.out.xml lang/$i.exp.xml; then
+        if ! nix-instantiate --eval --xml --no-location --strict \
+                lang/$i.nix > lang/$i.out.xml; then
+            echo "FAIL: $i should evaluate"
+            fail=1
+        elif ! cmp -s lang/$i.out.xml lang/$i.exp.xml; then
             echo "FAIL: XML evaluation result of $i not as expected"
             fail=1
         fi