diff --git a/tests/test_cmdsub.err b/tests/test_cmdsub.err
index c77650283..1648a2365 100644
--- a/tests/test_cmdsub.err
+++ b/tests/test_cmdsub.err
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
-# Command sub at the limit should fail.
+# Command sub just under the limit should succeed
+# Command sub at the limit should fail
 fish: Too much data emitted by command substitution so it was discarded
 
 set b (string repeat -n 512 x)
       ^
-# Command sub over the limit should fail.
+# Command sub over the limit should fail
 fish: Too much data emitted by command substitution so it was discarded
 
 set -l x (string repeat -n $argv x)
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ in function 'subme'
 in command substitution
 	called on standard input
 
+# Make sure output from builtins outside of command substitution is not affected
 # Same builtin in a command substitution is affected
 fish: Too much data emitted by command substitution so it was discarded
 
diff --git a/tests/test_cmdsub.in b/tests/test_cmdsub.in
index 7ec83e305..29507a7f0 100644
--- a/tests/test_cmdsub.in
+++ b/tests/test_cmdsub.in
@@ -8,27 +8,25 @@ function subme
     echo $x
 end
 
-echo '# Command sub just under the limit should succeed.'
+logmsg Command sub just under the limit should succeed
 set a (subme 511)
-show a
+set --show a
 
-echo '# Command sub at the limit should fail.'
-echo '# Command sub at the limit should fail.' >&2
+logmsg Command sub at the limit should fail
 set b (string repeat -n 512 x)
 set saved_status $status
 test $saved_status -eq 122
 or echo expected status 122, saw $saved_status >&2
-show b
+set --show b
 
-echo '# Command sub over the limit should fail.'
-echo '# Command sub over the limit should fail.' >&2
+logmsg Command sub over the limit should fail
 set c (subme 513)
-show c
+set --show c
 
-echo '# Make sure output from builtins outside of command substitution is not affected'
+logmsg Make sure output from builtins outside of command substitution is not affected
 string repeat --max 513 a
 
-echo '# Same builtin in a command substitution is affected' >&2
+logmsg Same builtin in a command substitution is affected
 echo this will fail (string repeat --max 513 b) to output anything
 set saved_status $status
 test $saved_status -eq 122
diff --git a/tests/test_cmdsub.out b/tests/test_cmdsub.out
index 442f922f0..e795beea0 100644
--- a/tests/test_cmdsub.out
+++ b/tests/test_cmdsub.out
@@ -1,10 +1,19 @@
-# Command sub just under the limit should succeed.
-$a count=1
-$a[1]=|xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|
-# Command sub at the limit should fail.
-$b is not set
-# Command sub over the limit should fail.
-$c count=1
-$c[1]=||
+# Command sub just under the limit should succeed
+$a: not set in local scope
+$a: set in global scope, unexported, with 1 elements
+$a[0]: length=511 value=|xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx|
+$a: not set in universal scope
+
+# Command sub at the limit should fail
+$b: not set in local scope
+$b: not set in global scope
+$b: not set in universal scope
+
+# Command sub over the limit should fail
+$c: not set in local scope
+$c: set in global scope, unexported, with 0 elements
+$c: not set in universal scope
+
 # Make sure output from builtins outside of command substitution is not affected
 aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
+# Same builtin in a command substitution is affected