diff --git a/tests/ctrl/ctrl_test.c b/tests/ctrl/ctrl_test.c
index 39ec61a..a38591f 100644
--- a/tests/ctrl/ctrl_test.c
+++ b/tests/ctrl/ctrl_test.c
@@ -79,14 +79,19 @@
 	cmd = ctrl_cmd_parse2(ctx, msg);
 	OSMO_ASSERT(cmd);
 
-	OSMO_ASSERT(t->expect_parsed.type == cmd->type);
+	if (t->expect_parsed.type != cmd->type) {
+		printf("type mismatch: got %s\n", get_value_string(ctrl_type_vals, cmd->type));
+		OSMO_ASSERT(t->expect_parsed.type == cmd->type);
+	}
 
 #define ASSERT_SAME_STR(field) \
 	assert_same_str(#field, t->expect_parsed.field, cmd->field)
 
 	ASSERT_SAME_STR(id);
-	ASSERT_SAME_STR(variable);
-	ASSERT_SAME_STR(value);
+	if (t->expect_parsed.type != CTRL_TYPE_ERROR) {
+		ASSERT_SAME_STR(variable);
+		ASSERT_SAME_STR(value);
+	}
 	ASSERT_SAME_STR(reply);
 
 	talloc_free(cmd);
@@ -140,75 +145,66 @@
 		{
 			.type = CTRL_TYPE_GET,
 			.id = "1",
-			.variable = "variable\n", /* current bug */
+			.variable = "variable",
 		},
 		"ERROR 1 Command not found",
 
 	},
 	{ "GET 1 var\ni\nable",
 		{
-			.type = CTRL_TYPE_GET,
+			.type = CTRL_TYPE_ERROR,
 			.id = "1",
-			.variable = "var\ni\nable", /* current bug */
+			.reply = "GET with trailing characters",
 		},
-		"ERROR 1 Command not found",
-
+		"ERROR 1 GET with trailing characters",
 	},
 	{ "GET 1 var\ti\table",
 		{
-			.type = CTRL_TYPE_GET,
+			.type = CTRL_TYPE_ERROR,
 			.id = "1",
-			.variable = "var\ti\table", /* current bug */
+			.reply = "GET variable contains invalid characters",
 		},
-		"ERROR 1 Command not found",
+		"ERROR 1 GET variable contains invalid characters",
 	},
 	{ "GET 1 var\ri\rable",
 		{
-			.type = CTRL_TYPE_GET,
+			.type = CTRL_TYPE_ERROR,
 			.id = "1",
-			.variable = "var\ri\rable", /* current bug */
+			.reply = "GET variable contains invalid characters",
 		},
-		"ERROR 1 Command not found",
+		"ERROR 1 GET variable contains invalid characters",
 	},
 	{ "GET 1 variable value",
 		{
-			.type = CTRL_TYPE_GET,
+			.type = CTRL_TYPE_ERROR,
 			.id = "1",
-			.variable = "variable",
-			.value = NULL,
+			.reply = "GET with trailing characters",
 		},
-		"ERROR 1 Command not found",
-
+		"ERROR 1 GET with trailing characters",
 	},
 	{ "GET 1 variable value\n",
 		{
-			.type = CTRL_TYPE_GET,
+			.type = CTRL_TYPE_ERROR,
 			.id = "1",
-			.variable = "variable",
-			.value = NULL,
+			.reply = "GET with trailing characters",
 		},
-		"ERROR 1 Command not found",
-
+		"ERROR 1 GET with trailing characters",
 	},
 	{ "GET 1 variable multiple value tokens",
 		{
-			.type = CTRL_TYPE_GET,
+			.type = CTRL_TYPE_ERROR,
 			.id = "1",
-			.variable = "variable",
-			.value = NULL,
+			.reply = "GET with trailing characters",
 		},
-		"ERROR 1 Command not found",
-
+		"ERROR 1 GET with trailing characters",
 	},
 	{ "GET 1 variable multiple value tokens\n",
 		{
-			.type = CTRL_TYPE_GET,
+			.type = CTRL_TYPE_ERROR,
 			.id = "1",
-			.variable = "variable",
-			.value = NULL,
+			.reply = "GET with trailing characters",
 		},
-		"ERROR 1 Command not found",
-
+		"ERROR 1 GET with trailing characters",
 	},
 	{ "SET 1 variable value",
 		{
@@ -218,7 +214,6 @@
 			.value = "value",
 		},
 		"ERROR 1 Command not found",
-
 	},
 	{ "SET 1 variable value\n",
 		{
@@ -228,27 +223,22 @@
 			.value = "value",
 		},
 		"ERROR 1 Command not found",
-
 	},
 	{ "SET weird_id variable value",
 		{
-			.type = CTRL_TYPE_SET,
-			.id = "weird_id",
-			.variable = "variable",
-			.value = "value",
+			.type = CTRL_TYPE_ERROR,
+			.id = "err",
+			.reply = "Invalid message ID number",
 		},
-		"ERROR weird_id Command not found",
-
+		"ERROR err Invalid message ID number",
 	},
 	{ "SET weird_id variable value\n",
 		{
-			.type = CTRL_TYPE_SET,
-			.id = "weird_id",
-			.variable = "variable",
-			.value = "value",
+			.type = CTRL_TYPE_ERROR,
+			.id = "err",
+			.reply = "Invalid message ID number",
 		},
-		"ERROR weird_id Command not found",
-
+		"ERROR err Invalid message ID number",
 	},
 	{ "SET 1 variable multiple value tokens",
 		{
@@ -278,7 +268,6 @@
 			.value = "value_with_trailing_spaces  ",
 		},
 		"ERROR 1 Command not found",
-
 	},
 	{ "SET 1 variable value_with_trailing_spaces  \n",
 		{
@@ -288,27 +277,22 @@
 			.value = "value_with_trailing_spaces  ",
 		},
 		"ERROR 1 Command not found",
-
 	},
 	{ "SET \n special_char_id value",
 		{
-			.type = CTRL_TYPE_SET,
-			.id = "\n",
-			.variable = "special_char_id",
-			.value = "value",
+			.type = CTRL_TYPE_ERROR,
+			.id = "err",
+			.reply = "Invalid message ID number",
 		},
-		"ERROR \n Command not found",
-
+		"ERROR err Invalid message ID number",
 	},
 	{ "SET \t special_char_id value",
 		{
-			.type = CTRL_TYPE_SET,
-			.id = "\t",
-			.variable = "special_char_id",
-			.value = "value",
+			.type = CTRL_TYPE_ERROR,
+			.id = "err",
+			.reply = "Invalid message ID number",
 		},
-		"ERROR \t Command not found",
-
+		"ERROR err Invalid message ID number",
 	},
 	{ "GET_REPLY 1 variable OK",
 		{
@@ -317,7 +301,6 @@
 			.variable = "variable",
 			.reply = "OK",
 		},
-		.reply_str = NULL,
 	},
 	{ "SET_REPLY 1 variable OK",
 		{
@@ -326,7 +309,6 @@
 			.variable = "variable",
 			.reply = "OK",
 		},
-		.reply_str = NULL,
 	},
 
 };
diff --git a/tests/ctrl/ctrl_test.ok b/tests/ctrl/ctrl_test.ok
index 4a3a169..087ebbc 100644
--- a/tests/ctrl/ctrl_test.ok
+++ b/tests/ctrl/ctrl_test.ok
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 test: 'GET 1 variable\n'
 parsing:
 id = '1'
-variable = 'variable\n'
+variable = 'variable'
 value = '(null)'
 reply = '(null)'
 handling:
@@ -28,65 +28,51 @@
 test: 'GET 1 var\ni\nable'
 parsing:
 id = '1'
-variable = 'var\ni\nable'
-value = '(null)'
-reply = '(null)'
+reply = 'GET with trailing characters'
 handling:
-replied: 'ERROR 1 Command not found'
+replied: 'ERROR 1 GET with trailing characters'
 ok
 test: 'GET 1 var\ti\table'
 parsing:
 id = '1'
-variable = 'var\ti\table'
-value = '(null)'
-reply = '(null)'
+reply = 'GET variable contains invalid characters'
 handling:
-replied: 'ERROR 1 Command not found'
+replied: 'ERROR 1 GET variable contains invalid characters'
 ok
 test: 'GET 1 var\ri\rable'
 parsing:
 id = '1'
-variable = 'var\ri\rable'
-value = '(null)'
-reply = '(null)'
+reply = 'GET variable contains invalid characters'
 handling:
-replied: 'ERROR 1 Command not found'
+replied: 'ERROR 1 GET variable contains invalid characters'
 ok
 test: 'GET 1 variable value'
 parsing:
 id = '1'
-variable = 'variable'
-value = '(null)'
-reply = '(null)'
+reply = 'GET with trailing characters'
 handling:
-replied: 'ERROR 1 Command not found'
+replied: 'ERROR 1 GET with trailing characters'
 ok
 test: 'GET 1 variable value\n'
 parsing:
 id = '1'
-variable = 'variable'
-value = '(null)'
-reply = '(null)'
+reply = 'GET with trailing characters'
 handling:
-replied: 'ERROR 1 Command not found'
+replied: 'ERROR 1 GET with trailing characters'
 ok
 test: 'GET 1 variable multiple value tokens'
 parsing:
 id = '1'
-variable = 'variable'
-value = '(null)'
-reply = '(null)'
+reply = 'GET with trailing characters'
 handling:
-replied: 'ERROR 1 Command not found'
+replied: 'ERROR 1 GET with trailing characters'
 ok
 test: 'GET 1 variable multiple value tokens\n'
 parsing:
 id = '1'
-variable = 'variable'
-value = '(null)'
-reply = '(null)'
+reply = 'GET with trailing characters'
 handling:
-replied: 'ERROR 1 Command not found'
+replied: 'ERROR 1 GET with trailing characters'
 ok
 test: 'SET 1 variable value'
 parsing:
@@ -108,21 +94,17 @@
 ok
 test: 'SET weird_id variable value'
 parsing:
-id = 'weird_id'
-variable = 'variable'
-value = 'value'
-reply = '(null)'
+id = 'err'
+reply = 'Invalid message ID number'
 handling:
-replied: 'ERROR weird_id Command not found'
+replied: 'ERROR err Invalid message ID number'
 ok
 test: 'SET weird_id variable value\n'
 parsing:
-id = 'weird_id'
-variable = 'variable'
-value = 'value'
-reply = '(null)'
+id = 'err'
+reply = 'Invalid message ID number'
 handling:
-replied: 'ERROR weird_id Command not found'
+replied: 'ERROR err Invalid message ID number'
 ok
 test: 'SET 1 variable multiple value tokens'
 parsing:
@@ -162,21 +144,17 @@
 ok
 test: 'SET \n special_char_id value'
 parsing:
-id = '\n'
-variable = 'special_char_id'
-value = 'value'
-reply = '(null)'
+id = 'err'
+reply = 'Invalid message ID number'
 handling:
-replied: 'ERROR \n Command not found'
+replied: 'ERROR err Invalid message ID number'
 ok
 test: 'SET \t special_char_id value'
 parsing:
-id = '\t'
-variable = 'special_char_id'
-value = 'value'
-reply = '(null)'
+id = 'err'
+reply = 'Invalid message ID number'
 handling:
-replied: 'ERROR \t Command not found'
+replied: 'ERROR err Invalid message ID number'
 ok
 test: 'GET_REPLY 1 variable OK'
 parsing:
diff --git a/tests/testsuite.at b/tests/testsuite.at
index 4a59b22..81730ee 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite.at
+++ b/tests/testsuite.at
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 AT_SETUP([ctrl])
 AT_KEYWORDS([ctrl])
 cat $abs_srcdir/ctrl/ctrl_test.ok > expout
-AT_CHECK([$abs_top_builddir/tests/ctrl/ctrl_test], [0], [expout])
+AT_CHECK([$abs_top_builddir/tests/ctrl/ctrl_test], [0], [expout], [ignore])
 AT_CLEANUP
 
 AT_SETUP([kasumi])