diff --git a/src/goBuild.ts b/src/goBuild.ts
index 885f243f5..af4b7d577 100644
--- a/src/goBuild.ts
+++ b/src/goBuild.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ export function buildPkg(goConfig: vscode.WorkspaceConfiguration, pkg: string, c
 
 export function buildTest(goConfig: vscode.WorkspaceConfiguration, pkg: string, cwd: string): Promise<string> {
 	let tmppath = path.normalize(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'go-code-check'));
-	// FIXME: allow to disable -cover in some builds?
-	let args = ['test', '-c', '-cover', '-o', tmppath, ...buildFlags(goConfig), '.'];
+	// FIXME: -cover changes output if the source has syntax errors; can we still compile code only one time for buildOnSave and coverOnSave?
+	let args = ['test', '-c', '-o', tmppath, ...buildFlags(goConfig), '.'];
 	return runTool(args, cwd).then(result => tmppath);
 }
diff --git a/src/goCheck.ts b/src/goCheck.ts
index 86cbf4e67..3a65b50dc 100644
--- a/src/goCheck.ts
+++ b/src/goCheck.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ import { runTest } from './goTest';
 import { buildPkg, buildTest } from './goBuild';
 import { getBinPath, parseFilePrelude } from './util';
 
+let statusBarItem = vscode.window.createStatusBarItem(vscode.StatusBarAlignment.Left);
+
 export interface ICheckResult {
 	file: string;
 	line: number;
@@ -169,13 +171,24 @@ export function check(filename: string, goConfig: vscode.WorkspaceConfiguration)
 		runningToolsPromises.push(buildPromise);
 	}
 	if (!!goConfig['testOnSave']) {
+		statusBarItem.show();
+		statusBarItem.text = 'building';
 		buildCurrentTest().then(result => {
+			statusBarItem.text = 'testing';
 			// FIXME: args? can we be backward compatible with testFlags?
-			runTest(goConfig, result, [], cwd);
+			return runTest(goConfig, result, [], cwd);
+		}).then(success => {
+			if (success) {
+				statusBarItem.text = 'OK :-)';
+			} else {
+				statusBarItem.text = 'FAIL :-(';
+			}
 		}).catch(err => {
+			statusBarItem.text = 'syntax error';
 			// FIXME: failed to build, just ignore?
-			return [];
 		});
+	} else {
+		statusBarItem.hide();
 	}
 	if (!!goConfig['lintOnSave']) {
 		let lintTool = goConfig['lintTool'] || 'golint';
@@ -208,6 +221,7 @@ export function check(filename: string, goConfig: vscode.WorkspaceConfiguration)
 	}
 
 	if (!!goConfig['coverOnSave']) {
+		// FIXME: broken, test built without -cover flag
 		let coverPromise = buildCurrentTest().then(
 			result => getCoverage(result, cwd),
 			err => {
diff --git a/src/goTest.ts b/src/goTest.ts
index b2d0073de..7053142c7 100644
--- a/src/goTest.ts
+++ b/src/goTest.ts
@@ -191,21 +191,22 @@ function goTest(testconfig: TestConfig): Thenable<boolean> {
  *
  * @param FIXME
  */
-export function runTest(goConfig: vscode.WorkspaceConfiguration, command: string, args: any, cwd: string) {
-	outputChannel.clear();
-	let testEnvVars = Object.assign({}, process.env, goConfig['testEnvVars']);
-	let proc = cp.spawn(command, args, { env: testEnvVars, cwd: cwd });
-	proc.stdout.on('data', chunk => outputChannel.append(chunk.toString()));
-	proc.stderr.on('data', chunk => outputChannel.append(chunk.toString()));
-	proc.on('close', code => {
-		if (code) {
-			outputChannel.append('Error: Tests failed.');
-			outputChannel.show(true);
-		} else {
-			outputChannel.append('Success: Tests passed.');
-		}
-		// FIXME: return promise?
-		// resolve(code === 0);
+export function runTest(goConfig: vscode.WorkspaceConfiguration, command: string, args: any, cwd: string): Promise<boolean> {
+	return new Promise<boolean>((resolve, reject) => {
+		outputChannel.clear();
+		let testEnvVars = Object.assign({}, process.env, goConfig['testEnvVars']);
+		let proc = cp.spawn(command, args, { env: testEnvVars, cwd: cwd });
+		proc.stdout.on('data', chunk => outputChannel.append(chunk.toString()));
+		proc.stderr.on('data', chunk => outputChannel.append(chunk.toString()));
+		proc.on('close', code => {
+			if (code) {
+				outputChannel.append('Error: Tests failed.');
+				outputChannel.show(true);
+			} else {
+				outputChannel.append('Success: Tests passed.');
+			}
+			resolve(code === 0);
+		});
 	});
 }