diff --git a/test/basetest/testing.py b/test/basetest/testing.py
index b8e03e9c7..e90f81b46 100644
--- a/test/basetest/testing.py
+++ b/test/basetest/testing.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ 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("# " + line + "\n")
         sys.stdout.write("# ---  diag end  ---\n")
 
 
diff --git a/test/template.t b/test/template.t
index 6bfb83a43..0851dafa8 100755
--- a/test/template.t
+++ b/test/template.t
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ class TestBugNumber(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")