diff --git a/tests/actofgod-test b/tests/actofgod-test
index 01abc3ff..66925084 100755
--- a/tests/actofgod-test
+++ b/tests/actofgod-test
@@ -31,9 +31,8 @@ EOF
 
 begin_test "$srcdir"/tests/actofgod/init_script
 
-perl "$srcdir"/tests/actofgod/geninput.pl | src/client/empire POGO peter >/dev/null
+perl "$srcdir"/tests/actofgod/geninput.pl | feed_input POGO peter
 
 end_test
 
-# Test completed; compare results
 cmp_out var/empire/server.log var/empire/journal.log actofgod.xdump
diff --git a/tests/smoke-test b/tests/smoke-test
index f4717827..e75fb390 100755
--- a/tests/smoke-test
+++ b/tests/smoke-test
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ create_sandbox
 
 begin_test "$srcdir"/tests/smoke/fairland.xdump
 
-src/client/empire POGO peter <"$srcdir"/tests/smoke/newcap_script >/dev/null
+feed_input POGO peter "$srcdir"/tests/smoke/newcap_script
 
 t=
 for i in `git ls-files "$srcdir"/tests/smoke | grep 'tests/smoke/../..$'`
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ do
     t="${i%/??}"
     if [ "$p" != "$t" ] && [ "$p" ]
     then
-	src/client/empire POGO peter <<EOF >/dev/null
+	feed_input POGO peter <<EOF
 power new
 report *
 cen * ?own#0
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ EOF
     then c=POGO r=peter
     else c="${b#0}"; r="$c"
     fi
-    src/client/empire "$c" "$r" <"$i" >/dev/null
+    feed_input "$c" "$r" "$i"
 done
 
 end_test
diff --git a/tests/test-common.sh b/tests/test-common.sh
index bc0d1a0f..9ddd7f84 100644
--- a/tests/test-common.sh
+++ b/tests/test-common.sh
@@ -70,6 +70,14 @@ stop_server()
     done
 }
 
+feed_input()
+{
+    c=$1
+    r=$2
+    shift 2
+    sed '/^|/d' "$@" | src/client/empire "$c" "$r" >/dev/null
+}
+
 begin_test()
 {
     src/util/files -e sandbox/etc/empire/econfig -f >/dev/null