diff --git a/simulation/setup_swarm.cpp b/simulation/setup_swarm.cpp
index a4dc06bfe..c88713495 100644
--- a/simulation/setup_swarm.cpp
+++ b/simulation/setup_swarm.cpp
@@ -368,9 +368,9 @@ void setup_swarm(int num_nodes
 		{
 			shut_down |= std::all_of(nodes.begin() + 1, nodes.end()
 				, [](boost::shared_ptr<lt::session> const& s)
-				{ return is_seed(*s); });
+				{ return is_seed(*s); }) && num_nodes > 1;
 
-			if (tick > 70 * (num_nodes - 1) && !shut_down)
+			if (tick > 70 * (num_nodes - 1) && !shut_down && num_nodes > 1)
 			{
 				TEST_ERROR("seeding failed!");
 			}
diff --git a/simulation/test_torrent_status.cpp b/simulation/test_torrent_status.cpp
index 7b6959015..c5e979d51 100644
--- a/simulation/test_torrent_status.cpp
+++ b/simulation/test_torrent_status.cpp
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ TORRENT_TEST(status_timers)
 {
 	lt::time_point start_time;
 	lt::torrent_handle handle;
+	bool ran_to_completion = false;
 
 	setup_swarm(1, swarm_test::upload
 		// add session
@@ -69,13 +70,16 @@ TORRENT_TEST(status_timers)
 			// represent about 18 hours. The clock steps forward in 4 hour increments
 			// to stay within that range
 			if (ticks > 20 * 60 * 60)
+			{
+				ran_to_completion = true;
 				return true;
+			}
 
 			// once an hour, verify that the timers seem correct
 			if ((ticks % 3600) == 0)
 			{
-				lt::time_point now = lt::clock_type::now();
-				int since_start = total_seconds(now - start_time) - 1;
+				lt::time_point const now = lt::clock_type::now();
+				int const since_start = total_seconds(now - start_time) - 1;
 				torrent_status st = handle.status();
 				TEST_EQUAL(st.active_time, since_start);
 				TEST_EQUAL(st.seeding_time, since_start);
@@ -94,9 +98,9 @@ TORRENT_TEST(status_timers)
 					TEST_EQUAL(st.time_since_download, since_start);
 				}
 			}
-
 			return false;
 		});
+	TEST_CHECK(ran_to_completion);
 }
 
 // This test makes sure that adding a torrent causes no torrent related alert to
diff --git a/simulation/test_tracker.cpp b/simulation/test_tracker.cpp
index 064937a59..e3466c4be 100644
--- a/simulation/test_tracker.cpp
+++ b/simulation/test_tracker.cpp
@@ -59,28 +59,30 @@ void test_interval(int interval)
 	sim::simulation sim{network_cfg};
 
 	lt::time_point start = lt::clock_type::now();
+	bool ran_to_completion = false;
 
 	sim::asio::io_service web_server(sim, address_v4::from_string("2.2.2.2"));
 	// listen on port 8080
 	sim::http_server http(web_server, 8080);
 
-	// the timestamps (in seconds) of all announces
-	std::vector<int> announces;
+	// the timestamps of all announces
+	std::vector<lt::time_point> announces;
 
 	http.register_handler("/announce"
-		, [&announces,interval,start](std::string method, std::string req
+		, [&announces,interval,start,&ran_to_completion](std::string method, std::string req
 		, std::map<std::string, std::string>&)
 	{
-		boost::uint32_t seconds = chrono::duration_cast<lt::seconds>(
-			lt::clock_type::now() - start).count();
-		announces.push_back(seconds);
+		// don't collect events once we're done. We're not interested in the
+		// tracker stopped announce for instance
+		if (!ran_to_completion)
+			announces.push_back(lt::clock_type::now());
 
 		char response[500];
 		int size = snprintf(response, sizeof(response), "d8:intervali%de5:peers0:e", interval);
 		return sim::send_response(200, "OK", size) + response;
 	});
 
-	std::vector<int> announce_alerts;
+	std::vector<lt::time_point> announce_alerts;
 
 	lt::settings_pack default_settings = settings();
 	lt::add_torrent_params default_add_torrent;
@@ -95,26 +97,36 @@ void test_interval(int interval)
 		// on alert
 		, [&](lt::alert const* a, lt::session& ses) {
 
+			if (ran_to_completion) return;
 			if (lt::alert_cast<lt::tracker_announce_alert>(a))
-			{
-				boost::uint32_t seconds = chrono::duration_cast<lt::seconds>(
-					a->timestamp() - start).count();
-
-				announce_alerts.push_back(seconds);
-			}
+				announce_alerts.push_back(a->timestamp());
 		}
 		// terminate
-		, [](int ticks, lt::session& ses) -> bool { return ticks > duration; });
+		, [&](int ticks, lt::session& ses) -> bool {
+			if (ticks > duration + 1)
+			{
+				ran_to_completion = true;
+				return true;
+			}
+			return false;
+		});
 
+	TEST_CHECK(ran_to_completion);
 	TEST_EQUAL(announce_alerts.size(), announces.size());
 
-	int counter = 0;
-	for (int i = 0; i < int(announces.size()); ++i)
+	lt::time_point last_announce = announces[0];
+	lt::time_point last_alert = announce_alerts[0];
+	for (int i = 1; i < int(announces.size()); ++i)
 	{
-		TEST_EQUAL(announces[i], counter);
-		TEST_EQUAL(announce_alerts[i], counter);
-		counter += interval;
-		if (counter > duration + 1) counter = duration + 1;
+		// make sure the interval is within 500 ms of what it's supposed to be
+		// (this accounts for network latencies)
+		int const actual_interval_ms = duration_cast<lt::milliseconds>(announces[i] - last_announce).count();
+		TEST_CHECK(abs(actual_interval_ms - interval * 1000) < 500);
+		last_announce = announces[i];
+
+		int const alert_interval_ms = duration_cast<lt::milliseconds>(announce_alerts[i] - last_alert).count();
+		TEST_CHECK(abs(alert_interval_ms - interval * 1000) < 500);
+		last_alert = announce_alerts[i];
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/test/test.cpp b/test/test.cpp
index 93cacd099..9e5e290b7 100644
--- a/test/test.cpp
+++ b/test/test.cpp
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ void report_failure(char const* err, char const* file, int line)
 {
 	char buf[500];
 	snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "\x1b[41m***** %s:%d \"%s\" *****\x1b[0m\n", file, line, err);
-	fprintf(stderr, "\n%s\n", buf);
+	printf("\n%s\n", buf);
 	failure_strings.push_back(buf);
 	++_g_test_failures;
 }