diff --git a/test/instance.js b/test/instance.js
index 62c5c5b..4531ee0 100644
--- a/test/instance.js
+++ b/test/instance.js
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env node
-var sys = require('sys');
 var Traverse = require('traverse');
 var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
 
diff --git a/test/interface.js b/test/interface.js
index 2fe249a..f16fe53 100644
--- a/test/interface.js
+++ b/test/interface.js
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env node
-var sys = require('sys');
+var assert = require('assert');
 var Traverse = require('traverse');
 
-exports['interface map'] = function (assert) {
+exports['interface map'] = function () {
     var obj = { a : [ 5,6,7 ], b : { c : [8] } };
     
-    assert.equal(
+    assert.eql(
         Traverse.paths(obj)
             .sort()
             .map(function (path) { return path.join('/') })
@@ -15,28 +14,29 @@ exports['interface map'] = function (assert) {
          'a a/0 a/1 a/2 b b/c b/c/0'
     );
     
-    assert.equal(
-        Traverse.nodes(obj)
-            .map(function (node) { return sys.inspect(node) })
-            .join(' ')
-        ,
-        '{ a: [ 5, 6, 7 ], b: { c: [ 8 ] } } [ 5, 6, 7 ] 5 6 7 { c: [ 8 ] } [ 8 ] 8'
+    assert.eql(
+        Traverse.nodes(obj),
+        [
+            { a: [ 5, 6, 7 ], b: { c: [ 8 ] } },
+            [ 5, 6, 7 ], 5, 6, 7,
+            { c: [ 8 ] }, [ 8 ], 8
+        ]
     );
     
-    assert.equal(
-        sys.inspect(Traverse.map(obj, function (node) {
+    assert.eql(
+        Traverse.map(obj, function (node) {
             if (typeof node == 'number') {
                 return node + 1000;
             }
             else if (Array.isArray(node)) {
                 return node.join(' ');
             }
-        })),
-        "{ a: '5 6 7', b: { c: '8' } }"
+        }),
+        { a: '5 6 7', b: { c: '8' } }
     );
     
     var nodes = 0;
     Traverse.forEach(obj, function (node) { nodes ++ });
-    assert.equal(nodes, 8);
+    assert.eql(nodes, 8);
 };
 
diff --git a/test/json.js b/test/json.js
index 9bb4875..de916e7 100644
--- a/test/json.js
+++ b/test/json.js
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env node
-var sys = require('sys');
 var Traverse = require('traverse');
 
 exports['json test'] = function (assert) {
diff --git a/test/leaves.js b/test/leaves.js
index be9dbd5..de42407 100644
--- a/test/leaves.js
+++ b/test/leaves.js
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env node
-var sys = require('sys');
 var Traverse = require('traverse');
 
 exports['leaves test'] = function (assert) {
diff --git a/test/negative.js b/test/negative.js
index 2e6119a..706332a 100644
--- a/test/negative.js
+++ b/test/negative.js
@@ -1,22 +1,19 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env node
 var Traverse = require('traverse');
-var sys = require('sys');
+var assert = require('assert');
 
-exports['negative update test'] = function (assert) {
+exports['negative update test'] = function () {
     var obj = [ 5, 6, -3, [ 7, 8, -2, 1 ], { f : 10, g : -13 } ];
     var fixed = Traverse.map(obj, function (x) {
         if (x < 0) this.update(x + 128);
     });
     
-    assert.equal(
-        sys.inspect(fixed),
-        '[ 5, 6, 125, [ 7, 8, 126, 1 ], { f: 10, g: 115 } ]',
+    assert.eql(fixed,
+        [ 5, 6, 125, [ 7, 8, 126, 1 ], { f: 10, g: 115 } ],
         'Negative values += 128'
     );
     
-    assert.equal(
-        sys.inspect(obj),
-        '[ 5, 6, -3, [ 7, 8, -2, 1 ], { f: 10, g: -13 } ]',
+    assert.eql(obj,
+        [ 5, 6, -3, [ 7, 8, -2, 1 ], { f: 10, g: -13 } ],
         'Original references not modified'
     );
 }
diff --git a/test/obj.js b/test/obj.js
index a1b1baf..6c3a19c 100644
--- a/test/obj.js
+++ b/test/obj.js
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env node
-var sys = require('sys');
+var assert = require('assert');
 var Traverse = require('traverse');
 
 exports['traverse an object with nested functions'] = function (assert) {
+    var to = setTimeout(function () {
+        assert.fail('never ran');
+    }, 1000);
+    
     function Cons (x) {
+        clearTimeout(to);
         assert.equal(x, 10);
     };
     Traverse(new Cons(10));
diff --git a/test/stringify.js b/test/stringify.js
index 80c97cb..bf36f63 100644
--- a/test/stringify.js
+++ b/test/stringify.js
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env node
+var assert = require('assert');
 var Traverse = require('traverse');
-var sys = require('sys');
 
-exports.stringify = function (assert) {
+exports.stringify = function () {
     var obj = [ 5, 6, -3, [ 7, 8, -2, 1 ], { f : 10, g : -13 } ];
     
     var s = '';