diff --git a/autoconf_share/Makefile.common b/autoconf_share/Makefile.common
index 5b2c016384d487b31a76bf4867af10ce161de66a..e62a9e73becebe0ae58f206f73da2b6b30172afd 100644
--- a/autoconf_share/Makefile.common
+++ b/autoconf_share/Makefile.common
@@ -260,3 +260,12 @@ help:
 	@echo "dist              make a distribution";
 	@echo "distcheck         make and check a distribution";
 	@echo "rpm               make an rpm";
+
+# Define the default variables to export to the test scripts.
+#TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = LOFARROOT="$(LOFARROOT)" \
+#		    lofar_sharedir="$(lofar_sharedir)" \
+#                   top_srcdir="$(top_srcdir)" \
+#                   srcdir="$(srcdir)" \
+#		    CHECKTOOLPROGS="$(CHECKTOOLPROGS)" \
+#		    MPIBIN="$(MPIBIN)" \
+#		    AIPSPP="$(AIPSPP)"
diff --git a/autoconf_share/assay b/autoconf_share/assay
index 6edb939d5a0c31526f3e0a8f5d627c7c40c4ac94..a45398e7c08004eb3220d69a3808dd0b4e90d92a 100755
--- a/autoconf_share/assay
+++ b/autoconf_share/assay
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Usage: assay <testexe> <max run-time(sec)> <precision> [<arguments>]
+# Usage: assay <testexe> <max run-time(sec)> <precision> <needoutfil> [<arguments>]
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # This script is an adapted version of the AIPS++ assay script.
 #
@@ -139,6 +139,8 @@
   shift
   PREC=$1
   shift
+  NEEDOUTFIL=$1
+  shift
 
 # Use LimitExec if available
   if [ -x $LOFARROOT/bin/LimitExec ]
@@ -201,16 +203,12 @@
      then
         CAT=cat
      else
-        echo "PASS (execution succeeded): $PROG"
-        exit
-     fi
-     ;;
-  2) 
-     if [ -f $PROG.stdout ]
-     then
-        CAT=cat
-     else
-        echo "FAIL (reference output file missing): $PROG"
+        if [ "$NEEDOUTFIL" = 1 ]; then
+            echo "FAIL (reference output file missing): $PROG"
+	    STATUS=2
+        else
+            echo "PASS (execution succeeded): $PROG"
+        fi
         exit
      fi
      ;;
@@ -251,6 +249,7 @@
   sed -e 's/[+-]\?\(\(\([0-9]\+\)\|\([0-9]*\.\?[0-9]*\)\)\(e[+-]\?[0-9]\+\)\?\)/x/g' ${PROG}_tmp.out > ${PROG}_tmp.out2
   sed -e 's/[+-]\?\(\(\([0-9]\+\)\|\([0-9]*\.\?[0-9]*\)\)\(e[+-]\?[0-9]\+\)\?\)/x/g' ${PROG}_tmp_orig.out > ${PROG}_tmp_orig.out2
   diff ${PROG}_tmp.out2 ${PROG}_tmp_orig.out2 > /dev/null 2>&1
+  diff ${PROG}_tmp.out2 ${PROG}_tmp_orig.out2 > /dev/null 2>&1
   if [ $? != 0 ]
   then
      echo "FAIL (output not verified): $PROG"
diff --git a/autoconf_share/runtest.sh b/autoconf_share/runtest.sh
index 8ca2bba4bf2acafac4b08262e3fda7ccc20539b4..98d18812fc0a47658dbf5489d1d5acd89b483250 100755
--- a/autoconf_share/runtest.sh
+++ b/autoconf_share/runtest.sh
@@ -22,19 +22,36 @@
 #
 #  $Id$
 
+# Set default options.
+NEEDOUTFIL=0;
+
+# Handle possible options.
+while [ $# != 0 ]
+do
+  # Special cvs command?
+  if [ "$1" = "-stdout" ]; then
+    NEEDOUTFIL=1
+    shift
+  elif [ "$1" = "-nostdout" ]; then
+    NEEDOUTFIL=0
+    shift
+  else
+    break
+  fi
+done
 
 if test $# -lt 1 || test $# -gt 3; then
-  echo "usage: runtest.sh <testname> [<max run-time>] [<precision>]"
-  exit 0
+  echo "usage: runtest.sh [-stdout] <testname> [<max run-time>] [<precision>]"
+  exit 1
 fi
 
-if test $# -ge 2; then
+if [ "$2" != "" ]; then
   MAXTIME=$2
 else
   MAXTIME=300  # 300 seconds == 5 minutes
 fi
 
-if test $# -ge 3; then
+if [ "$3" != "" ]; then
   PREC=$3
 else
   PREC=1e-5
@@ -114,13 +131,13 @@ else
         sed -e "s/<LOGFILENAME>/$1_tmp.log/" $lfr_share_dir/default.log_prop > $1.log_prop
     fi
 fi
-
+    
 #
 # Define source directory and run assay
 #
 LOFAR_PKGSRCDIR=$srcdir
 export LOFAR_PKGSRCDIR
-$lfr_share_dir/assay $1 $MAXTIME $PREC
+$lfr_share_dir/assay $1 $MAXTIME $PREC $NEEDOUTFIL
 STS=$?
 
 # Cleanup (mainly for make distcheck).
diff --git a/autoconf_share/variants.lofar17 b/autoconf_share/variants.lofar17
index 6f954260659d75b742d5d00fa0afbcdf3a76157b..c00563e273f3cbb2e0e5b48711802c33565fb4e8 100644
--- a/autoconf_share/variants.lofar17
+++ b/autoconf_share/variants.lofar17
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ gnu3.compiler.conf: CXX="$CCACHE /usr/bin/g++"
 gnu3.compiler.aipspp.var: --with-aipspp=/lofarbuild/aips++/prod/linux_gnu
 
 gnu.compiler.conf: CXX="$CCACHE /usr/bin/g++"
-gnu.compiler.aipspp.var: --with-aipspp=/lofarbuild/aips++/prod/linux_gnu
+gnu.compiler.aipspp.var: --with-aipspp=/lofarbuild/aips++/dev/linux_gnu --with-lapack=/usr
 
 gnu34.compiler.conf: CXX="$CCACHE /usr/local/gcc343/bin/g++" --with-ldflags="-Wl,--rpath,/usr/local/gcc343/lib" 
 gnu34.compiler.aipspp.var: --with-aipspp=/lofarbuild/aips++/prod/linux_gnunew