diff --git a/tests/sanity/runtests.py b/tests/sanity/runtests.py
index 2d7d27a..0839015 100644
--- a/tests/sanity/runtests.py
+++ b/tests/sanity/runtests.py
@@ -5,47 +5,39 @@ import subprocess
 
 
 def call_command(command_to_call):
-    call = subprocess.check_call(command_to_call, shell=True)
-    output = subprocess.check_output(command_to_call, shell=True)
-    return call, output[:-1]
+    result = subprocess.check_output(command_to_call, shell=True)
+    return result[:-1].decode("utf-8") 
 
 
 class TestBC(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_divide(self):
         result = call_command("echo '6.5 / 2.7' | bc")
-        self.assertEqual( result[0], 0)
-        self.assertEqual( result[1], '2')
+        self.assertEqual( result, '2')
 
     def test_sum(self):
         result = call_command("echo '2 + 5' | bc")
-        self.assertEqual( result[0], 0)
-        self.assertEqual( result[1], '7')
+        self.assertEqual( result, '7')
 
     def test_difference(self):
         result = call_command("echo '10 - 4' | bc")
-        self.assertEqual( result[0], 0)
-        self.assertEqual( result[1], '6')
+        self.assertEqual( result, '6')
 
     def test_multiplying(self):
         result = call_command("echo '3 * 8' | bc")
-        self.assertEqual( result[0], 0)
-        self.assertEqual( result[1], '24')
+        self.assertEqual( result, '24')
 
     def test_scale(self):
         result = call_command("echo 'scale = 2; 2 / 3' | bc")
-        self.assertEqual( result[0], 0)
-        self.assertEqual( result[1], '.66')
+        self.assertEqual( result, '.66')
 
     def test_remainder(self):
         result = call_command("echo '6 % 4' | bc")
-        self.assertEqual( result[0], 0)
-        self.assertEqual( result[1], '2')
+        self.assertEqual( result, '2')
 
     def test_exponent(self):
         result = call_command("echo '10^2' | bc")
-        self.assertEqual( result[0], 0)
-        self.assertEqual( result[1], '100')
+        self.assertEqual( result, '100')
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/tests/tests.yml b/tests/tests.yml
index 0771b71..129e35e 100644
--- a/tests/tests.yml
+++ b/tests/tests.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 ---
+# This first play always runs on the local staging system
 - hosts: localhost
   roles:
   - role: standard-test-basic
@@ -11,4 +12,4 @@
         dir: sanity
         run: python3 runtests.py -v 
     required_packages:
-    - bc
+    - bc       # Required to run initscript