diff --git a/tests/test_ini_config.sh b/tests/test_ini_config.sh
index b2529ac4c9..3aef6f39bd 100755
--- a/tests/test_ini_config.sh
+++ b/tests/test_ini_config.sh
@@ -13,7 +13,13 @@ set -e
 
 echo "Testing INI functions"
 
-cat >test.ini <<EOF
+INI_TMP_DIR=$(mktemp -d)
+INI_TMP_ETC_DIR=$INI_TMP_DIR/etc
+TEST_INI=${INI_TMP_ETC_DIR}/test.ini
+mkdir ${INI_TMP_ETC_DIR}
+
+echo "Creating $TEST_INI"
+cat >${TEST_INI} <<EOF
 [default]
 # comment an option
 #log_file=./log.conf
@@ -67,204 +73,98 @@ EOF
 
 # Test with missing arguments
 
-BEFORE=$(cat test.ini)
+BEFORE=$(cat ${TEST_INI})
 
-echo -n "iniset: test missing attribute argument: "
-iniset test.ini aaa
-NO_ATTRIBUTE=$(cat test.ini)
-if [[ "$BEFORE" == "$NO_ATTRIBUTE" ]]; then
-    passed
-else
-    failed "failed"
-fi
+iniset ${TEST_INI} aaa
+NO_ATTRIBUTE=$(cat ${TEST_INI})
+assert_equal "$BEFORE" "$NO_ATTRIBUTE" "test missing attribute argument"
 
-echo -n "iniset: test missing section argument: "
-iniset test.ini
-NO_SECTION=$(cat test.ini)
-if [[ "$BEFORE" == "$NO_SECTION" ]]; then
-    passed
-else
-    failed "failed"
-fi
+iniset ${TEST_INI}
+NO_SECTION=$(cat ${TEST_INI})
+assert_equal "$BEFORE" "$NO_SECTION" "missing section argument"
 
-# Test with spaces
+# Test with spaces in values
+VAL=$(iniget ${TEST_INI} aaa handlers)
+assert_equal "$VAL" "aa, bb" "iniget spaces in option"
 
-VAL=$(iniget test.ini aaa handlers)
-if [[ "$VAL" == "aa, bb" ]]; then
-    passed "OK: $VAL"
-else
-    failed "iniget failed: $VAL"
-fi
-
-iniset test.ini aaa handlers "11, 22"
-
-VAL=$(iniget test.ini aaa handlers)
-if [[ "$VAL" == "11, 22" ]]; then
-    passed "OK: $VAL"
-else
-    failed "iniget failed: $VAL"
-fi
+iniset ${TEST_INI} aaa handlers "11, 22"
+VAL=$(iniget ${TEST_INI} aaa handlers)
+assert_equal "$VAL" "11, 22" "iniset spaces in option"
 
 # Test with spaces in section header
+VAL=$(iniget ${TEST_INI} " ccc " spaces)
+assert_equal "$VAL" "yes" "iniget with section header space"
 
-VAL=$(iniget test.ini " ccc " spaces)
-if [[ "$VAL" == "yes" ]]; then
-    passed "OK: $VAL"
-else
-    failed "iniget failed: $VAL"
-fi
-
-iniset test.ini "b b" opt_ion 42
-
-VAL=$(iniget test.ini "b b" opt_ion)
-if [[ "$VAL" == "42" ]]; then
-    passed "OK: $VAL"
-else
-    failed "iniget failed: $VAL"
-fi
+iniset ${TEST_INI} "b b" opt_ion 42
+VAL=$(iniget ${TEST_INI} "b b" opt_ion)
+assert_equal "$VAL" "42" "iniset with section header space"
 
 # Test without spaces, end of file
+VAL=$(iniget ${TEST_INI} bbb handlers)
+assert_equal "$VAL" "ee,ff" "iniget at EOF"
 
-VAL=$(iniget test.ini bbb handlers)
-if [[ "$VAL" == "ee,ff" ]]; then
-    passed "OK: $VAL"
-else
-    failed "iniget failed: $VAL"
-fi
-
-iniset test.ini bbb handlers "33,44"
-
-VAL=$(iniget test.ini bbb handlers)
-if [[ "$VAL" == "33,44" ]]; then
-    passed "OK: $VAL"
-else
-    failed "iniget failed: $VAL"
-fi
+iniset ${TEST_INI} bbb handlers "33,44"
+VAL=$(iniget ${TEST_INI} bbb handlers)
+assert_equal "$VAL" "33,44" "inset at EOF"
 
 # test empty option
-if ini_has_option test.ini ddd empty; then
-    passed "OK: ddd.empty present"
+if ini_has_option ${TEST_INI} ddd empty; then
+    passed "ini_has_option: ddd.empty present"
 else
     failed "ini_has_option failed: ddd.empty not found"
 fi
 
 # test non-empty option
-if ini_has_option test.ini bbb handlers; then
-    passed "OK: bbb.handlers present"
+if ini_has_option ${TEST_INI} bbb handlers; then
+    passed "ini_has_option: bbb.handlers present"
 else
     failed "ini_has_option failed: bbb.handlers not found"
 fi
 
 # test changing empty option
-iniset test.ini ddd empty "42"
-
-VAL=$(iniget test.ini ddd empty)
-if [[ "$VAL" == "42" ]]; then
-    passed "OK: $VAL"
-else
-    failed "iniget failed: $VAL"
-fi
+iniset ${TEST_INI} ddd empty "42"
+VAL=$(iniget ${TEST_INI} ddd empty)
+assert_equal "$VAL" "42" "change empty option"
 
 # test pipe in option
-iniset test.ini aaa handlers "a|b"
-
-VAL=$(iniget test.ini aaa handlers)
-if [[ "$VAL" == "a|b" ]]; then
-    passed "OK: $VAL"
-else
-    failed "iniget failed: $VAL"
-fi
-
-# test space in option
-iniset test.ini aaa handlers "a b"
-
-VAL="$(iniget test.ini aaa handlers)"
-if [[ "$VAL" == "a b" ]]; then
-    passed "OK: $VAL"
-else
-    failed "iniget failed: $VAL"
-fi
+iniset ${TEST_INI} aaa handlers "a|b"
+VAL=$(iniget ${TEST_INI} aaa handlers)
+assert_equal "$VAL" "a|b" "pipe in option"
 
 # Test section not exist
-
-VAL=$(iniget test.ini zzz handlers)
-if [[ -z "$VAL" ]]; then
-    passed "OK: zzz not present"
-else
-    failed "iniget failed: $VAL"
-fi
-
-iniset test.ini zzz handlers "999"
-
-VAL=$(iniget test.ini zzz handlers)
-if [[ -n "$VAL" ]]; then
-    passed "OK: zzz not present"
-else
-    failed "iniget failed: $VAL"
-fi
+VAL=$(iniget ${TEST_INI} zzz handlers)
+assert_empty VAL "section does not exist"
 
 # Test option not exist
+VAL=$(iniget ${TEST_INI} aaa debug)
+assert_empty VAL "option does not exist"
 
-VAL=$(iniget test.ini aaa debug)
-if [[ -z "$VAL" ]]; then
-    passed "OK aaa.debug not present"
-else
-    failed "iniget failed: $VAL"
-fi
-
-if ! ini_has_option test.ini aaa debug; then
-    passed "OK aaa.debug not present"
+if ! ini_has_option ${TEST_INI} aaa debug; then
+    passed "ini_has_option: aaa.debug not present"
 else
     failed "ini_has_option failed: aaa.debug"
 fi
 
-iniset test.ini aaa debug "999"
-
-VAL=$(iniget test.ini aaa debug)
-if [[ -n "$VAL" ]]; then
-    passed "OK aaa.debug present"
-else
-    failed "iniget failed: $VAL"
-fi
-
 # Test comments
-
-inicomment test.ini aaa handlers
-
-VAL=$(iniget test.ini aaa handlers)
-if [[ -z "$VAL" ]]; then
-    passed "OK"
-else
-    failed "inicomment failed: $VAL"
-fi
+inicomment ${TEST_INI} aaa handlers
+VAL=$(iniget ${TEST_INI} aaa handlers)
+assert_empty VAL "test inicomment"
 
 # Test multiple line iniset/iniget
-iniset_multiline test.ini eee multi bar1 bar2
+iniset_multiline ${TEST_INI} eee multi bar1 bar2
 
-VAL=$(iniget_multiline test.ini eee multi)
-if [[ "$VAL" == "bar1 bar2" ]]; then
-    echo "OK: iniset_multiline"
-else
-    failed "iniset_multiline failed: $VAL"
-fi
+VAL=$(iniget_multiline ${TEST_INI} eee multi)
+assert_equal "$VAL" "bar1 bar2" "iniget_multiline"
 
 # Test iniadd with exiting values
-iniadd test.ini eee multi bar3
-VAL=$(iniget_multiline test.ini eee multi)
-if [[ "$VAL" == "bar1 bar2 bar3" ]]; then
-    passed "OK: iniadd"
-else
-    failed "iniadd failed: $VAL"
-fi
+iniadd ${TEST_INI} eee multi bar3
+VAL=$(iniget_multiline ${TEST_INI} eee multi)
+assert_equal "$VAL" "bar1 bar2 bar3" "iniadd with existing values"
 
 # Test iniadd with non-exiting values
-iniadd test.ini eee non-multi foobar1 foobar2
-VAL=$(iniget_multiline test.ini eee non-multi)
-if [[ "$VAL" == "foobar1 foobar2" ]]; then
-    passed "OK: iniadd with non-exiting value"
-else
-    failed "iniadd with non-exsting failed: $VAL"
-fi
+iniadd ${TEST_INI} eee non-multi foobar1 foobar2
+VAL=$(iniget_multiline ${TEST_INI} eee non-multi)
+assert_equal "$VAL" "foobar1 foobar2" "iniadd non-existing values"
 
 # Test inidelete
 del_cases="
@@ -276,25 +176,21 @@ del_cases="
     del_no_section"
 
 for x in $del_cases; do
-    inidelete test.ini $x a
-    VAL=$(iniget_multiline test.ini $x a)
-    if [ -z "$VAL" ]; then
-        passed "OK: inidelete $x"
-    else
-        failed "inidelete $x failed: $VAL"
-    fi
+    inidelete ${TEST_INI} $x a
+    VAL=$(iniget_multiline ${TEST_INI} $x a)
+    assert_empty VAL "inidelete $x"
     if [ "$x" = "del_separate_options" -o \
         "$x" = "del_missing_option" -o \
         "$x" = "del_missing_option_multi" ]; then
-        VAL=$(iniget_multiline test.ini $x b)
+        VAL=$(iniget_multiline ${TEST_INI} $x b)
         if [ "$VAL" = "c" -o "$VAL" = "c d" ]; then
-            passed "OK: inidelete other_options $x"
+            passed "inidelete other_options $x"
         else
-            failed "inidelete other_option $x failed: $VAL"
+            failed "inidelete other_option $x: $VAL"
         fi
     fi
 done
 
-rm test.ini
+rm -rf ${INI_TMP_DIR}
 
 report_results
diff --git a/tests/unittest.sh b/tests/unittest.sh
index 93aa5fc571..603652a216 100644
--- a/tests/unittest.sh
+++ b/tests/unittest.sh
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ function passed {
         msg="OK"
     fi
     PASS=$((PASS+1))
-    echo "PASS: $function:L$lineno $msg"
+    echo "PASS: $function:L$lineno - $msg"
 }
 
 # fail a test, printing out MSG
@@ -63,6 +63,27 @@ function assert_equal {
     fi
 }
 
+# assert variable is empty/blank, printing out msg
+#  usage: assert_empty VAR msg
+function assert_empty {
+    local lineno=`caller 0 | awk '{print $1}'`
+    local function=`caller 0 | awk '{print $2}'`
+    local msg=$2
+
+    if [ -z "$msg" ]; then
+        msg="OK"
+    fi
+    if [[ ! -z ${!1} ]]; then
+        FAILED_FUNCS+="$function:L$lineno\n"
+        echo "ERROR: $1 not empty in $function:L$lineno!"
+        echo "  $msg"
+        ERROR=$((ERROR+1))
+    else
+        PASS=$((PASS+1))
+        echo "PASS: $function:L$lineno - $msg"
+    fi
+}
+
 # print a summary of passing and failing tests, exiting
 # with an error if we have failed tests
 #  usage: report_results