diff --git a/test/basetest/__init__.py b/test/basetest/__init__.py
index 612335ca9..5933ba5c8 100644
--- a/test/basetest/__init__.py
+++ b/test/basetest/__init__.py
@@ -2,5 +2,6 @@
 
 from .task import Task
 from .taskd import Taskd
+from .testing import TestCase
 
 # vim: ai sts=4 et sw=4
diff --git a/test/basetest/exceptions.py b/test/basetest/exceptions.py
index 3bb836711..abfcdb8ae 100644
--- a/test/basetest/exceptions.py
+++ b/test/basetest/exceptions.py
@@ -1,11 +1,17 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+import signal
 
 
 class CommandError(Exception):
     def __init__(self, cmd, code, out, err, msg=None):
         if msg is None:
-            self.msg = ("Command '{0}' finished with unexpected exit code "
-                        "'{1}':\nStdout: '{2}'\nStderr: '{3}'")
+            if code == signal.SIGABRT:
+                self.msg = ("Command '{0}' was aborted, likely due to not "
+                            "finishing in due time. The exit code was "
+                            "'{1}':\nStdout: '{2}'\nStderr: '{3}'")
+            else:
+                self.msg = ("Command '{0}' finished with unexpected exit code "
+                            "'{1}':\nStdout: '{2}'\nStderr: '{3}'")
         else:
             self.msg = msg
 
diff --git a/test/basetest/task.py b/test/basetest/task.py
index 6b77c9e7e..72286f22d 100644
--- a/test/basetest/task.py
+++ b/test/basetest/task.py
@@ -127,7 +127,6 @@ class Task(object):
                                      merge_streams=merge_streams, env=self.env)
 
         if output[0] != 0:
-            output = self.diag(merge_streams_with=output)
             raise CommandError(command, *output)
 
         return output
@@ -153,8 +152,7 @@ class Task(object):
                                      merge_streams=merge_streams, env=self.env)
 
         # output[0] is the exit code
-        if output[0] == 0:
-            output = self.diag(merge_streams_with=output)
+        if output[0] == 0 or output[0] is None:
             raise CommandError(command, *output)
 
         return output
diff --git a/test/basetest/taskd.py b/test/basetest/taskd.py
index 9b47b21fa..7616d7d39 100644
--- a/test/basetest/taskd.py
+++ b/test/basetest/taskd.py
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ import signal
 import atexit
 from time import sleep
 from subprocess import Popen
-from .utils import find_unused_port, release_port, port_used, run_cmd_wait
+from .utils import (find_unused_port, release_port, port_used, run_cmd_wait,
+                    which)
 from .exceptions import CommandError
 
 try:
@@ -33,7 +34,10 @@ class Taskd(object):
     A server can be stopped and started multiple times, but should not be
     started or stopped after being destroyed.
     """
-    def __init__(self, taskd="taskd", certpath=None, address="127.0.0.1"):
+    DEFAULT_TASKD = "taskd"
+
+    def __init__(self, taskd=DEFAULT_TASKD, certpath=None,
+                 address="127.0.0.1"):
         """Initialize a Task server that runs in the background and stores data
         in a temporary folder
 
@@ -260,4 +264,12 @@ class Taskd(object):
         raise AttributeError("Taskd instance has been destroyed. "
                              "Create a new instance if you need a new server.")
 
+    @classmethod
+    def not_available(cls):
+        """Check if the taskd binary is available in the path"""
+        if which(cls.DEFAULT_TASKD):
+            return False
+        else:
+            return True
+
 # vim: ai sts=4 et sw=4
diff --git a/test/basetest/testing.py b/test/basetest/testing.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e90f81b46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/basetest/testing.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+import unittest
+import sys
+
+
+class TestCase(unittest.TestCase):
+    def diag(self, out):
+        sys.stdout.write("# --- diag start ---\n")
+        for line in out.split("\n"):
+            sys.stdout.write("# " + line + "\n")
+        sys.stdout.write("# ---  diag end  ---\n")
+
+
+# vim: ai sts=4 et sw=4
diff --git a/test/basetest/utils.py b/test/basetest/utils.py
index a24e51a04..15ae52d08 100644
--- a/test/basetest/utils.py
+++ b/test/basetest/utils.py
@@ -1,10 +1,77 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+from __future__ import division
 import os
+import sys
 import socket
+import signal
 from subprocess import Popen, PIPE, STDOUT
+from threading import Thread
+from Queue import Queue, Empty
+from time import sleep
 from .exceptions import CommandError
 
 USED_PORTS = set()
+ON_POSIX = 'posix' in sys.builtin_module_names
+
+
+def wait_process(proc, timeout=1):
+    """Wait for process to finish
+    """
+    sleeptime = .1
+    # Max number of attempts until giving up
+    tries = int(timeout / sleeptime)
+
+    # Wait for up to a second for the process to finish and avoid zombies
+    for i in range(tries):
+        exit = proc.poll()
+
+        if exit is not None:
+            break
+
+        sleep(sleeptime)
+
+    return exit
+
+
+def _get_output(proc, input):
+    """Collect output from the subprocess without blocking the main process if
+    subprocess hangs.
+    """
+    def queue_output(proc, input, outq, errq):
+        """Read/Write output/input of given process.
+        This function is meant to be executed in a thread as it may block
+        """
+        # Send input and wait for finish
+        out, err = proc.communicate(input)
+        # Give the output back to the caller
+        outq.put(out)
+        errq.put(err)
+
+    outq = Queue()
+    errq = Queue()
+
+    t = Thread(target=queue_output, args=(proc, input, outq, errq))
+    t.daemon = True
+    t.start()
+
+    # A task process shouldn't take longer than 1 second to finish
+    exit = wait_process(proc)
+
+    # If it does take longer than 1 second, abort it
+    if exit is None:
+        proc.send_signal(signal.SIGABRT)
+        exit = wait_process(proc)
+
+    try:
+        out = outq.get_nowait()
+    except Empty:
+        out = None
+    try:
+        err = errq.get_nowait()
+    except Empty:
+        err = None
+
+    return out, err
 
 
 def run_cmd_wait(cmd, input=None, stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE,
@@ -21,16 +88,9 @@ def run_cmd_wait(cmd, input=None, stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE,
     else:
         stderr = PIPE
 
-    p = Popen(cmd, stdin=stdin, stdout=stdout, stderr=stderr, env=env)
-    out, err = p.communicate(input)
-
-    # In python3 we will be able use the following instead of the previous
-    # line to avoid locking if task is unexpectedly waiting for input
-    # try:
-    #     out, err = p.communicate(input, timeout=15)
-    # except TimeoutExpired:
-    #     p.kill()
-    #     out, err = proc.communicate()
+    p = Popen(cmd, stdin=stdin, stdout=stdout, stderr=stderr, bufsize=1,
+              close_fds=ON_POSIX, env=env)
+    out, err = _get_output(p, input)
 
     if p.returncode != 0:
         raise CommandError(cmd, p.returncode, out, err)
@@ -95,4 +155,71 @@ def release_port(port):
     except KeyError:
         pass
 
+
+try:
+    from shutil import which
+except ImportError:
+    # NOTE: This is shutil.which backported from python-3.3.3
+    def which(cmd, mode=os.F_OK | os.X_OK, path=None):
+        """Given a command, mode, and a PATH string, return the path which
+        conforms to the given mode on the PATH, or None if there is no such
+        file.
+
+        `mode` defaults to os.F_OK | os.X_OK. `path` defaults to the result
+        of os.environ.get("PATH"), or can be overridden with a custom search
+        path.
+
+        """
+        # Check that a given file can be accessed with the correct mode.
+        # Additionally check that `file` is not a directory, as on Windows
+        # directories pass the os.access check.
+        def _access_check(fn, mode):
+            return (os.path.exists(fn) and os.access(fn, mode)
+                    and not os.path.isdir(fn))
+
+        # If we're given a path with a directory part, look it up directly
+        # rather than referring to PATH directories. This includes checking
+        # relative to the current directory, e.g. ./script
+        if os.path.dirname(cmd):
+            if _access_check(cmd, mode):
+                return cmd
+            return None
+
+        if path is None:
+            path = os.environ.get("PATH", os.defpath)
+        if not path:
+            return None
+        path = path.split(os.pathsep)
+
+        if sys.platform == "win32":
+            # The current directory takes precedence on Windows.
+            if os.curdir not in path:
+                path.insert(0, os.curdir)
+
+            # PATHEXT is necessary to check on Windows.
+            pathext = os.environ.get("PATHEXT", "").split(os.pathsep)
+            # See if the given file matches any of the expected path
+            # extensions. This will allow us to short circuit when given
+            # "python.exe". If it does match, only test that one, otherwise we
+            # have to try others.
+            if any(cmd.lower().endswith(ext.lower()) for ext in pathext):
+                files = [cmd]
+            else:
+                files = [cmd + ext for ext in pathext]
+        else:
+            # On other platforms you don't have things like PATHEXT to tell you
+            # what file suffixes are executable, so just pass on cmd as-is.
+            files = [cmd]
+
+        seen = set()
+        for dir in path:
+            normdir = os.path.normcase(dir)
+            if normdir not in seen:
+                seen.add(normdir)
+                for thefile in files:
+                    name = os.path.join(dir, thefile)
+                    if _access_check(name, mode):
+                        return name
+        return None
+
 # vim: ai sts=4 et sw=4
diff --git a/test/bug.1254.t b/test/bug.1254.t
index 4ece13ff6..4ca59a8ab 100755
--- a/test/bug.1254.t
+++ b/test/bug.1254.t
@@ -33,10 +33,10 @@ import unittest
 # Ensure python finds the local simpletap and basetest modules
 sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 
-from basetest import Task
+from basetest import Task, TestCase
 
 
-class TestBug1254(unittest.TestCase):
+class TestBug1254(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self.t = Task()
 
diff --git a/test/bug.1267.t b/test/bug.1267.t
index b582337fc..d6f300ad8 100755
--- a/test/bug.1267.t
+++ b/test/bug.1267.t
@@ -32,10 +32,10 @@ import unittest
 # Ensure python finds the local simpletap and basetest modules
 sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 
-from basetest import Task
+from basetest import Task, TestCase
 
 
-class TestBug1267(unittest.TestCase):
+class TestBug1267(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self.t = Task()
 
diff --git a/test/bug.360.t b/test/bug.360.t
index cc9185241..1faa5d620 100755
--- a/test/bug.360.t
+++ b/test/bug.360.t
@@ -33,10 +33,10 @@ import unittest
 # Ensure python finds the local simpletap and basetest modules
 sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 
-from basetest import Task
+from basetest import Task, TestCase
 
 
-class BaseTestBug360(unittest.TestCase):
+class BaseTestBug360(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         """Executed before each test in the class"""
         self.t = Task()
diff --git a/test/simpletap/__init__.py b/test/simpletap/__init__.py
index 26ff3b108..df52f5a20 100644
--- a/test/simpletap/__init__.py
+++ b/test/simpletap/__init__.py
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ class TAPTestResult(unittest.result.TestResult):
             self.stream.writeln("# {0}: {1}".format(status, exception))
             padding = " " * (len(status) + 3)
             for line in msg.splitlines():
+                # Force displaying new-line characters as literal new lines
+                line = line.replace("\\n", "\n")
                 self.stream.writeln("#{0}{1}".format(padding, line))
         else:
             self.stream.writeln("ok {0} - {1}".format(self.testsRun, desc))
diff --git a/test/template.t b/test/template.t
index b050ef5d9..cb081eaf9 100755
--- a/test/template.t
+++ b/test/template.t
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@ from datetime import datetime
 # Ensure python finds the local simpletap module
 sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 
-from basetest import Task, Taskd
+from basetest import Task, Taskd, TestCase
 
 
-class TestCase(unittest.TestCase):
+class TestBugNumber(TestCase):
     @classmethod
     def setUpClass(cls):
         """Executed once before any test in the class"""
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ class TestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         expected = "Copyright \(C\) \d{4} - %d" % (datetime.now().year,)
         self.assertRegexpMatches(out.decode("utf8"), expected)
 
+        # TAP diagnostics on the bas
+        self.diag("Yay TAP diagnostics")
+
     def test_fail_other(self):
         """Nothing to do with Copyright"""
         self.assertEqual("I like to code", "I like\nto code\n")
@@ -50,7 +53,8 @@ class TestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         """Executed once after all tests in the class"""
 
 
-class ServerTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
+@unittest.skipIf(Taskd.not_available(), "Taskd binary not available")
+class ServerTestCase(TestCase):
     @classmethod
     def setUpClass(cls):
         cls.taskd = Taskd()
diff --git a/test/tw-1300.t b/test/tw-1300.t
index 100645d7c..36ff52b2e 100755
--- a/test/tw-1300.t
+++ b/test/tw-1300.t
@@ -32,10 +32,10 @@ import unittest
 # Ensure python finds the local simpletap and basetest modules
 sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 
-from basetest import Task
+from basetest import Task, TestCase
 
 
-class TestBug1300(unittest.TestCase):
+class TestBug1300(TestCase):
     @classmethod
     def setUp(cls):
         cls.t = Task()
diff --git a/test/tw-1306.t b/test/tw-1306.t
index 4574a1925..ad8b23873 100755
--- a/test/tw-1306.t
+++ b/test/tw-1306.t
@@ -31,10 +31,10 @@ import os
 import unittest
 sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 
-from basetest import Task
+from basetest import Task, TestCase
 
 
-class TestBug1306(unittest.TestCase):
+class TestBug1306(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self.t = Task()
 
diff --git a/test/tw-285.t b/test/tw-285.t
index 67ddc9251..f667dd68c 100755
--- a/test/tw-285.t
+++ b/test/tw-285.t
@@ -32,10 +32,10 @@ import unittest
 # Ensure python finds the local simpletap and basetest modules
 sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 
-from basetest import Task
+from basetest import Task, TestCase
 
 
-class Test285(unittest.TestCase):
+class Test285(TestCase):
     @classmethod
     def setUpClass(cls):
         cls.t = Task()
diff --git a/test/version.t b/test/version.t
index e392e9eb9..5aa486f67 100755
--- a/test/version.t
+++ b/test/version.t
@@ -33,10 +33,10 @@ from datetime import datetime
 # Ensure python finds the local simpletap module
 sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 
-from basetest import Task
+from basetest import Task, TestCase
 
 
-class TestVersion(unittest.TestCase):
+class TestVersion(TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self.t = Task()