diff --git a/tests/scripts/its-all b/tests/scripts/its-all
index da140b3097..11620ae322 100755
--- a/tests/scripts/its-all
+++ b/tests/scripts/its-all
@@ -14,8 +14,12 @@
 ## <http://www.OpenLDAP.org/license.html>.
 
 SHTOOL="$SRCDIR/../build/shtool"
-TB=`$SHTOOL echo -e "%B"`
-TN=`$SHTOOL echo -e "%b"`
+
+TB="" TN=""
+if test -t 1 ; then
+	TB=`$SHTOOL echo -e "%B" 2>/dev/null`
+	TN=`$SHTOOL echo -e "%b" 2>/dev/null`
+fi
 
 echo "#######################################################################"
 echo "###                                                                 ###"
@@ -44,6 +48,5 @@ for CMD in $SRCDIR/data/regressions/its*/its*; do
 		exit $RC
 	fi
 
-	echo ">>>>> waiting for things to exit"
 	echo ""
 done