diff --git a/validation/config_updates_without_affect/config_updates_without_affect.go b/validation/config_updates_without_affect/config_updates_without_affect.go
index 0625c8b35..77c02ed19 100644
--- a/validation/config_updates_without_affect/config_updates_without_affect.go
+++ b/validation/config_updates_without_affect/config_updates_without_affect.go
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func main() {
 		err = r.Delete()
 	}
 	if err != nil {
-		util.Fatal(err)
+		t.Fail(err.Error())
 	}
 
 	t.AutoPlan()
diff --git a/validation/delete/delete.go b/validation/delete/delete.go
index 1eef5bb53..98374e3d2 100644
--- a/validation/delete/delete.go
+++ b/validation/delete/delete.go
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func main() {
 			util.WaitingForStatus(testRuntime, util.LifecycleStatusStopped, time.Second*10, time.Second*1)
 			err = testRuntime.Delete()
 			if err != nil {
-				util.Fatal(err)
+				t.Fail(err.Error())
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/validation/hooks_stdin/hooks_stdin.go b/validation/hooks_stdin/hooks_stdin.go
index 7e68ffab4..aef63161a 100644
--- a/validation/hooks_stdin/hooks_stdin.go
+++ b/validation/hooks_stdin/hooks_stdin.go
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	err = util.RuntimeLifecycleValidate(config)
 	if err != nil {
-		util.Fatal(err)
+		t.Fail(err.Error())
 	}
 
 	expectedState := rspecs.State{
diff --git a/validation/hostname/hostname.go b/validation/hostname/hostname.go
index 1cce37d8e..ec1b6e785 100644
--- a/validation/hostname/hostname.go
+++ b/validation/hostname/hostname.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	for _, h := range hostnames {
 		if err := testHostname(t, h); err != nil {
-			util.Fatal(err)
+			t.Fail(err.Error())
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/validation/kill_no_effect/kill_no_effect.go b/validation/kill_no_effect/kill_no_effect.go
index 25549ea50..601cdf537 100644
--- a/validation/kill_no_effect/kill_no_effect.go
+++ b/validation/kill_no_effect/kill_no_effect.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 	err = util.RuntimeLifecycleValidate(config)
 	if err != nil && err != targetErr {
-		util.Fatal(err)
+		t.Fail(err.Error())
 	} else {
 		util.SpecErrorOK(t, err == nil, targetErr, nil)
 	}
diff --git a/validation/killsig/killsig.go b/validation/killsig/killsig.go
index bdef16f92..d0cde75d1 100644
--- a/validation/killsig/killsig.go
+++ b/validation/killsig/killsig.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ func main() {
 	containerID := uuid.NewV4().String()
 	sigConfig, err := util.GetDefaultGenerator()
 	if err != nil {
+		os.RemoveAll(bundleDir)
 		util.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	rootDir := filepath.Join(bundleDir, sigConfig.Spec().Root.Path)
diff --git a/validation/linux_ns_itype/linux_ns_itype.go b/validation/linux_ns_itype/linux_ns_itype.go
index f46bf0da8..13b9adc6e 100644
--- a/validation/linux_ns_itype/linux_ns_itype.go
+++ b/validation/linux_ns_itype/linux_ns_itype.go
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	err := testNamespaceInheritType(t)
 	if err != nil {
-		util.Fatal(err)
+		t.Fail(err.Error())
 	}
 
 	t.AutoPlan()
diff --git a/validation/linux_ns_nopath/linux_ns_nopath.go b/validation/linux_ns_nopath/linux_ns_nopath.go
index 2b6cab496..ae6e8ec90 100644
--- a/validation/linux_ns_nopath/linux_ns_nopath.go
+++ b/validation/linux_ns_nopath/linux_ns_nopath.go
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	err := testNamespaceNoPath(t)
 	if err != nil {
-		util.Fatal(err)
+		t.Fail(err.Error())
 	}
 
 	t.AutoPlan()
diff --git a/validation/start/start.go b/validation/start/start.go
index 8b4c01951..473f96a81 100644
--- a/validation/start/start.go
+++ b/validation/start/start.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 func main() {
 	t := tap.New()
 	t.Header(0)
+	defer t.AutoPlan()
 
 	bundleDir, err := util.PrepareBundle()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -54,7 +55,8 @@ func main() {
 
 	err = r.Create()
 	if err != nil {
-		util.Fatal(err)
+		t.Fail(err.Error())
+		return
 	}
 	_, err = os.Stat(output)
 	// check the existence of the output file
@@ -67,7 +69,8 @@ func main() {
 	} else {
 		err = util.WaitingForStatus(r, util.LifecycleStatusStopped, time.Second*10, time.Second*1)
 		if err != nil {
-			util.Fatal(err)
+			t.Fail(err.Error())
+			return
 		}
 		outputData, outputErr := ioutil.ReadFile(output)
 		// check the output
@@ -81,7 +84,8 @@ func main() {
 
 	err = util.WaitingForStatus(r, util.LifecycleStatusStopped, time.Second*10, time.Second*1)
 	if err != nil {
-		util.Fatal(err)
+		t.Fail(err.Error())
+		return
 	}
 
 	outputData, outputErr := ioutil.ReadFile(output)
@@ -90,7 +94,8 @@ func main() {
 
 	err = r.Delete()
 	if err != nil {
-		util.Fatal(err)
+		t.Fail(err.Error())
+		return
 	}
 
 	g.Spec().Process = nil
@@ -100,7 +105,8 @@ func main() {
 	}
 	err = r.Create()
 	if err != nil {
-		util.Fatal(err)
+		t.Fail(err.Error())
+		return
 	}
 
 	err = r.Start()
@@ -110,8 +116,6 @@ func main() {
 		err = r.Delete()
 	}
 	if err != nil {
-		util.Fatal(err)
+		t.Fail(err.Error())
 	}
-
-	t.AutoPlan()
 }