diff --git a/tests/r_1024_small_bg/script b/tests/r_1024_small_bg/script
index fafcf914..2038cb96 100644
--- a/tests/r_1024_small_bg/script
+++ b/tests/r_1024_small_bg/script
@@ -10,13 +10,17 @@ E2FSCK=../e2fsck/e2fsck
 
 . $cmd_dir/scripts/resize_test
 
-if resize_test
-then
+resize_test
+RC=$?
+if [ $RC -eq 0 ]; then
 	echo "$test_name: $test_description: ok"
 	touch $test_name.ok
+elif [ $RC -eq 111 ]; then
+	echo "$test_name: $test_description: skipped"
+	touch $test_name.ok
 else
 	echo "$test_name: $test_description: failed"
-	touch $test_name.failed
+	ln $LOG $test_name.failed
 fi
 
 unset FEATURES SIZE_1 SIZE_2 LOG E2FSCK
diff --git a/tests/r_64bit_big_expand/script b/tests/r_64bit_big_expand/script
index 51f36e98..6716f3c6 100644
--- a/tests/r_64bit_big_expand/script
+++ b/tests/r_64bit_big_expand/script
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ elif [ $RC -eq 111 ]; then
 	touch $test_name.ok
 else
 	echo "$test_name: $test_description: failed"
-	touch $test_name.failed
+	ln $LOG $test_name.failed
 fi
 
 unset FEATURES SIZE_1 SIZE_2 LOG E2FSCK
diff --git a/tests/r_bigalloc_big_expand/script b/tests/r_bigalloc_big_expand/script
index 56c8c15d..511733b6 100644
--- a/tests/r_bigalloc_big_expand/script
+++ b/tests/r_bigalloc_big_expand/script
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ elif [ $RC -eq 111 ]; then
 	touch $test_name.ok
 else
 	echo "$test_name: $test_description: failed"
-	touch $test_name.failed
+	ln $LOG $test_name.failed
 fi
 
 unset FEATURES SIZE_1 SIZE_2 LOG E2FSCK
diff --git a/tests/r_ext4_big_expand/script b/tests/r_ext4_big_expand/script
index a4f8fe63..b4a6f6e3 100644
--- a/tests/r_ext4_big_expand/script
+++ b/tests/r_ext4_big_expand/script
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ elif [ $RC -eq 111 ]; then
 	touch $test_name.ok
 else
 	echo "$test_name: $test_description: failed"
-	touch $test_name.failed
+	ln $LOG $test_name.failed
 fi
 
 unset FEATURES SIZE_1 SIZE_2 LOG E2FSCK
diff --git a/tests/r_ext4_small_bg/script b/tests/r_ext4_small_bg/script
index 553cbd8a..cdc6e4a3 100644
--- a/tests/r_ext4_small_bg/script
+++ b/tests/r_ext4_small_bg/script
@@ -10,13 +10,17 @@ E2FSCK=../e2fsck/e2fsck
 
 . $cmd_dir/scripts/resize_test
 
-if resize_test
-then
+resize_test
+RC=$?
+if [ $RC -eq 0 ]; then
 	echo "$test_name: $test_description: ok"
 	touch $test_name.ok
+elif [ $RC -eq 111 ]; then
+	echo "$test_name: $test_description: skipped"
+	touch $test_name.ok
 else
 	echo "$test_name: $test_description: failed"
-	touch $test_name.failed
+	ln $LOG $test_name.failed
 fi
 
 unset FEATURES SIZE_1 SIZE_2 LOG E2FSCK
diff --git a/tests/scripts/resize_test b/tests/scripts/resize_test
index 6a8b0e97..b09731c1 100755
--- a/tests/scripts/resize_test
+++ b/tests/scripts/resize_test
@@ -1,25 +1,36 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
+# old distros are missing "truncate", emulate it with "dd"
+truncate()
+{
+	[ "$1" = "-s" ] && size=$2 && shift 2
+
+	dd if=/dev/zero of=$1 bs=1 count=0 seek=$size >> $LOG 2>&1
+}
+
 resize_test () {
 
+echo $test_description starting > $LOG
 rm -f $TMPFILE
 touch $TMPFILE
 
 # Verify that the $TMP filesystem handles $SIZE_2 sparse files.
 # If that fails, try the local filesystem instead.
 if truncate -s $SIZE_2 $TMPFILE 2> /dev/null; then
-        > $TMPFILE
+	echo "using $TMPFILE" >> $LOG
 else
 	rm $TMPFILE
 	export TMPFILE=$(TMPDIR=. mktemp -t $test_name.XXXXXX.tmp)
 	touch $TMPFILE
-	if ! truncate -s $SIZE_2 $TMPFILE 2> /dev/null; then
+	echo "using $TMPFILE" >> $LOG
+	if ! truncate -s $SIZE_2 $TMPFILE >> $LOG 2>&1; then
 		rm $TMPFILE
 		return 111
 	fi
 fi
+> $TMPFILE
 
-echo $MKE2FS $FEATURES -qF $TMPFILE $SIZE_1 > $LOG
+echo $MKE2FS $FEATURES -qF $TMPFILE $SIZE_1 >> $LOG
 $MKE2FS $FEATURES -qF $TMPFILE $SIZE_1 >> $LOG
 
 OUT_TMP=$(mktemp -t csum-tmp.XXXXXX)