diff --git a/bin/tests/system/autosign/ns3/keygen.sh b/bin/tests/system/autosign/ns3/keygen.sh
index 8f1ff3cf93..b33dead98f 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/autosign/ns3/keygen.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/autosign/ns3/keygen.sh
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ SYSTEMTESTTOP=../..
 SYSTESTDIR=autosign
 
 dumpit () {
-	echo "D:${debug}: dumping ${1}"
-	cat "${1}" | sed 's/^/D:/'
+	echo_d "${debug}: dumping ${1}"
+	cat "${1}" | cat_d
 }
 
 setup () {
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/cds/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/cds/tests.sh
index 7ef22895d0..43368a4c5d 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/cds/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/cds/tests.sh
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ testcase() {
 	check_stdout
 	check_stderr
 	if [ "$expect" -ne "$result" ]; then
-                echo "D:exit status does not match $expect"
+                echo_d "exit status does not match $expect"
 		fail
 	fi
         unset name err out
@@ -45,19 +45,19 @@ check_stderr() {
 	else
 		[ -s err.$n ] || return 0
 	fi
-	echo "D:stderr did not match '$err'"
-	sed 's/^/D:/' err.$n
+	echo_d "stderr did not match '$err'"
+	cat err.$n | cat_d
 	fail
 }
 
 check_stdout() {
 	cmp out.$n "${out:-empty}" >/dev/null && return
-	echo "D:stdout did not match '$out'"
+	echo_d "stdout did not match '$out'"
 	(	echo "wanted"
 		cat "$out"
 		echo "got"
 		cat out.$n
-	) | sed 's/^/D:/'
+	) | cat_d
 	fail
 }
 
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.in b/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.in
index 7519e9d9b9..414eb1ce3f 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.in
+++ b/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.in
@@ -240,6 +240,19 @@ cat_i() {
     done
 }
 
+echo_d() {
+    echo "$@" | while read __LINE ; do
+       echoinfo "D:$SYSTESTDIR:$__LINE"
+    done
+}
+
+cat_d() {
+    while read __LINE ; do
+       echoinfo "D:$SYSTESTDIR:$__LINE"
+    done
+}
+
+
 digcomp() {
     output=`$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/digcomp.pl "$@"`
     result=$?
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/verify/zones/genzones.sh b/bin/tests/system/verify/zones/genzones.sh
index 3cd623ca70..34d9ecbe3a 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/verify/zones/genzones.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/verify/zones/genzones.sh
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ SYSTEMTESTTOP=../..
 SYSTESTDIR=verify
 
 dumpit () {
-	echo "D:${debug}: dumping ${1}"
-	cat "${1}" | sed 's/^/D:/'
+	echo_d "${debug}: dumping ${1}"
+	cat "${1}" | cat_d
 }
 setup () {
 	echo_i "setting up $2 zone: $1"