diff --git a/testing/sisyphus/bin/build.sh b/testing/sisyphus/bin/build.sh
index 741fe632f77..f23aede0e42 100755
--- a/testing/sisyphus/bin/build.sh
+++ b/testing/sisyphus/bin/build.sh
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ case $product in
 	fi
 
 	case "$OSID" in
-	    mac*) 
+	    mac) 
 		if [[ "$buildtype" == "debug" ]]; then
 		    if [[ "$product" == "firefox" ]]; then
 			executablepath=$product-$buildtype/dist/FirefoxDebug.app/Contents/MacOS
diff --git a/testing/sisyphus/bin/edit-talkback.sh b/testing/sisyphus/bin/edit-talkback.sh
index bb7aa44e7ea..756efd5beed 100755
--- a/testing/sisyphus/bin/edit-talkback.sh
+++ b/testing/sisyphus/bin/edit-talkback.sh
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ if [[ $talkback -eq 1 ]]; then
             buildid=`dos2unix < master.ini | grep '^BuildID = "' | sed 's@BuildID = "\([^"]*\)"@\1@'`
             talkbackdir="$HOME/.fullcircle"
             ;;
-        mac* )
+        mac)
             # hack around Mac's use of spaces in directory names
             vendorid=`grep '^VendorID = "' master.ini | sed 's@VendorID = "\([^"]*\)"@\1@'`
             productid=`grep '^ProductID = "' master.ini | sed 's@ProductID = "\([^"]*\)"@\1@'`
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ if [[ $talkback -eq 1 ]]; then
         win32)
             talkbackinidir="$talkbackdir/$vendorid/$productid/$platformid/$buildid"
             ;;
-        linux | mac* )
+        linux | mac )
             talkbackinidir="$talkbackdir/$vendorid$productid$platformid$buildid"
             ;;
     esac
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ if [[ $talkback -eq 1 ]]; then
         linux )
             sed -i.bak "s@URLEditControl .*@URLEditControl = \"mozqa:$talkbackid\"@" Talkback.ini
             ;;
-        mac* )
+        mac )
             sed -i.bak "s@URLEditControl .*@URLEditControl = \"mozqa:$talkbackid\"@" Talkback.ini
             ;;
         *)
diff --git a/testing/sisyphus/bin/install-build.sh b/testing/sisyphus/bin/install-build.sh
index 48ca745d908..460aafb1a05 100755
--- a/testing/sisyphus/bin/install-build.sh
+++ b/testing/sisyphus/bin/install-build.sh
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ else
             fi
             ;; 
 
-        mac*)
+        mac)
         # answer license prompt
             result=`${TEST_BIN}/hdiutil-expect.ex $filename`
         # now get the volume data
diff --git a/testing/sisyphus/bin/library.sh b/testing/sisyphus/bin/library.sh
index 34e23c50ae9..c3a42ca66a5 100755
--- a/testing/sisyphus/bin/library.sh
+++ b/testing/sisyphus/bin/library.sh
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ if [[ -z "$LIBRARYSH" ]]; then
         # cvs builds on mac os x.
             get_executable_name="$get_executable_product${EXE_EXT}"
             case "$OSID" in
-                mac*)
+                mac)
                     get_executable_filter="Contents/MacOS/$get_executable_product"
                     if [[ "$get_executable_product" == "thunderbird" ]]; then
                         get_executable_name="$get_executable_product-bin"
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ if [[ -z "$LIBRARYSH" ]]; then
         OSID=linux
         EXE_EXT=
     elif echo $OSTYPE | grep -iq darwin; then
-        OSID=mac`uname -p`
+        OSID=mac
         EXE_EXT=
     else
         error "Unknown OS $OSTYPE"
diff --git a/testing/sisyphus/bin/test-setup.sh b/testing/sisyphus/bin/test-setup.sh
index b211837eea7..1a23b02d3cd 100755
--- a/testing/sisyphus/bin/test-setup.sh
+++ b/testing/sisyphus/bin/test-setup.sh
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ if [[ -n "$buildcommands" ]]; then
     fi
 
     case "$OSID" in
-        mac*)
+        mac)
             if [[ "$product" == "firefox" ]]; then
                 App=Firefox
             elif [[ "$product" == "thunderbird" ]]; then
diff --git a/testing/sisyphus/bin/tester.sh b/testing/sisyphus/bin/tester.sh
index 74f28ac2c9a..f9ab2ab512e 100755
--- a/testing/sisyphus/bin/tester.sh
+++ b/testing/sisyphus/bin/tester.sh
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ while getopts $options optname ;
       t) 
           testscript="$OPTARG"
           if echo $testscript | grep -iq ' ' ; then
-              testargs=`echo $testscript | sed 's|\([^ ]*\) \+\(.*\)|\2|'`
-              testscript=`echo $testscript | sed 's|\( .*\)||'`
+              testargs=`echo $testscript   | sed 's|^\([^ ]*\)[ ]*\(.*\)|\2|'`
+              testscript=`echo $testscript | sed 's|^\([^ ]*\)[ ]*.*|\1|'`
           fi
           ;;
   esac
diff --git a/testing/sisyphus/bin/timed_run.py b/testing/sisyphus/bin/timed_run.py
index e415a300984..529b8d0688c 100755
--- a/testing/sisyphus/bin/timed_run.py
+++ b/testing/sisyphus/bin/timed_run.py
@@ -89,7 +89,12 @@ try:
 	signal.alarm(0) # Cancel the alarm
 	stoptime = time.time()
 	elapsedtime = stoptime - starttime
-	if os.WIFEXITED(status):
+	# it appears that linux at least will on "occasion" return a status
+	# when the process was terminated by a signal, so test signal first.
+	if os.WIFSIGNALED(status):
+	    print "%s EXIT STATUS: CRASHED signal %d (%f seconds)" % (prefix, os.WTERMSIG(status), elapsedtime)
+	    sys.exit(exitSignal)
+	elif os.WIFEXITED(status):
 	    rc = os.WEXITSTATUS(status)
 	    msg = ''
 	    if rc == 0:
@@ -103,9 +108,6 @@ try:
 
 	    print "%s EXIT STATUS: %s (%f seconds)" % (prefix, msg, elapsedtime)
 	    sys.exit(rc)
-	elif os.WIFSIGNALED(status):
-	    print "%s EXIT STATUS: CRASHED signal %d (%f seconds)" % (prefix, os.WTERMSIG(status), elapsedtime)
-	    sys.exit(exitSignal)
 	else:
 	    print "%s EXIT STATUS: NONE (%f seconds)" % (prefix, elapsedtime)
 	    sys.exit(0)