diff --git a/test/parallel/test-child-process-ipc.js b/test/parallel/test-child-process-ipc.js
index 36293cb73c1a7d..f1652a91e6968e 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-child-process-ipc.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-child-process-ipc.js
@@ -44,13 +44,13 @@ child.stdout.on('data', function(data) {
   console.log(`child said: ${JSON.stringify(data)}`);
   if (!gotHelloWorld) {
     console.error('testing for hello world');
-    assert.strictEqual('hello world\r\n', data);
+    assert.strictEqual(data, 'hello world\r\n');
     gotHelloWorld = true;
     console.error('writing echo me');
     child.stdin.write('echo me\r\n');
   } else {
     console.error('testing for echo me');
-    assert.strictEqual('echo me\r\n', data);
+    assert.strictEqual(data, 'echo me\r\n');
     gotEcho = true;
     child.stdin.end();
   }
diff --git a/test/pummel/test-net-timeout.js b/test/pummel/test-net-timeout.js
index 89190f8d282d50..e87cdc0b8edf51 100644
--- a/test/pummel/test-net-timeout.js
+++ b/test/pummel/test-net-timeout.js
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ echo_server.listen(common.PORT, function() {
   });
 
   client.on('data', function(chunk) {
-    assert.strictEqual('hello\r\n', chunk);
+    assert.strictEqual(chunk, 'hello\r\n');
     if (exchanges++ < 5) {
       setTimeout(function() {
         console.log('client write "hello"');