diff --git a/tests/hwtimer/tests/test_hwtimer b/tests/hwtimer/tests/test_hwtimer
deleted file mode 100755
index b746455437..0000000000
--- a/tests/hwtimer/tests/test_hwtimer
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,47 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/expect
-
-set timeout 5
-
-spawn pseudoterm $env(PORT)
-
-expect {
-    "OK" {}
-    timeout { exit 1 }
-}
-
-expect {
-    "set callback  1" {}
-    timeout { exit 1 }
-}
-
-expect {
-    "set callback  2" {}
-    timeout { exit 1 }
-}
-
-expect {
-    "set callback  3" {}
-    timeout { exit 1 }
-}
-
-expect {
-    "callback  1" {}
-    timeout { exit 1 }
-}
-
-expect {
-    "callback  3" {}
-    timeout { exit 1 }
-}
-
-expect {
-    "callback  2" {}
-    timeout { exit 1 }
-}
-
-expect {
-    "hwtimer set." {}
-    timeout { exit 1 }
-}
-
-puts "\nTest successful!\n"
diff --git a/tests/hwtimer/tests/test_hwtimer.py b/tests/hwtimer/tests/test_hwtimer.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..a7abc02eee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/hwtimer/tests/test_hwtimer.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+from pexpect import spawn, TIMEOUT
+
+DEFAULT_TIMEOUT=5
+hwtimers = 0
+
+term = spawn("make term")
+
+term.expect(r"Setting timers:", timeout=DEFAULT_TIMEOUT)
+
+try:
+    while True:
+        term.expect(r"set callback\s+\d+", timeout=DEFAULT_TIMEOUT)
+        hwtimers += 1
+except TIMEOUT:
+    pass
+
+term.expect(r"All timers set.", timeout=DEFAULT_TIMEOUT)
+term.expect(r"callback\s+1", timeout=DEFAULT_TIMEOUT)
+print("Got callback 1")
+
+while hwtimers > 1:
+    term.expect(r"callback\s+{:d}".format(hwtimers), timeout=DEFAULT_TIMEOUT)
+    print("Got callback {:d}".format(hwtimers))
+    hwtimers -= 1
+
+# Setting timers:
+# term.expect("OK")
+if not term.terminate():
+    term.terminate(force=True)
+
diff --git a/tests/thread_basic/tests/test_thread.py b/tests/thread_basic/tests/test_thread.py
index 691d3a640f..fb69ca0c23 100755
--- a/tests/thread_basic/tests/test_thread.py
+++ b/tests/thread_basic/tests/test_thread.py
@@ -1,14 +1,8 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python
 
 import pexpect
-import os
-import subprocess
 
-child = pexpect.spawn("board/msba2/tools/bin/pseudoterm %s" % os.environ["PORT"])
+term = pexpect.spawn("make term")
 
-null = open('/dev/null', 'wb')
-subprocess.call(['jam', 'reset'], stdout=null)
-
-child.expect ('first thread\r\n')
-child.expect ('second thread\r\n')
-print("Test successful!")
+term.expect('first thread\r\n')
+term.expect('second thread\r\n')
diff --git a/tests/thread_exit/tests/hello-world b/tests/thread_exit/tests/hello-world
deleted file mode 100755
index e7ab2a7c31..0000000000
--- a/tests/thread_exit/tests/hello-world
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/expect
-
-set timeout 5
-
-spawn board/msba2/tools/bin/pseudoterm $env(PORT)
-
-expect {
-    "Hello World!" {}
-    timeout { exit 1 }
-}
-
-puts "\nTest successful!\n"