diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index 9c76628c..9c62f922 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -94,9 +94,16 @@ check_SCRIPTS =	$(check_SCRIPTS_common) $(check_SCRIPTS_cdep) \
 
 
 TESTS = $(check_PROGRAMS) $(check_SCRIPTS)
+XFAIL_TESTS =
 
 if !ARCH_IA64
-XFAIL_TESTS = Gtest-dyn1 Ltest-dyn1
+XFAIL_TESTS += Gtest-dyn1 Ltest-dyn1
+endif
+
+if ARCH_MIPS
+# MIPS kernel does not support PTRACE_SINGLESTEP
+# ptrace request used in the tests.
+XFAIL_TESTS += run-ptrace-mapper run-ptrace-misc
 endif
 
 noinst_PROGRAMS = $(noinst_PROGRAMS_common) $(noinst_PROGRAMS_cdep) \
diff --git a/tests/test-ptrace.c b/tests/test-ptrace.c
index 942b0db4..a5b71ddb 100644
--- a/tests/test-ptrace.c
+++ b/tests/test-ptrace.c
@@ -303,9 +303,17 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 	    {
 	      do_backtrace ();
 #if HAVE_DECL_PTRACE_SINGLESTEP
-	      ptrace (PTRACE_SINGLESTEP, target_pid, 0, pending_sig);
+	      if (ptrace (PTRACE_SINGLESTEP, target_pid, 0, pending_sig) < 0)
+          {
+            panic ("ptrace(PTRACE_SINGLESTEP) failed (errno=%d)\n", errno);
+            killed = 1;
+          }
 #elif HAVE_DECL_PT_STEP
-	      ptrace (PT_STEP, target_pid, (caddr_t)1, pending_sig);
+	      if (ptrace (PT_STEP, target_pid, (caddr_t)1, pending_sig) < 0)
+          {
+            panic ("ptrace(PT_STEP) failed (errno=%d)\n", errno);
+            killed = 1;
+          }
 #else
 #error Singlestep me
 #endif