diff --git a/cxx/tests/Makefile b/cxx/tests/Makefile
index 0a637dd4316..bf654fb12e4 100644
--- a/cxx/tests/Makefile
+++ b/cxx/tests/Makefile
@@ -115,24 +115,24 @@ check_a_bunch:
 	$(VGRIND) ./test_get_not_found  $(SUMMARIZE_CMD)
 
 check_db_create: db_create
-	rm -f $@.tdb
+	rm -rf $@.tdb
 	$(VGRIND) ./db_create -s main $@.tdb  $(SUMMARIZE_CMD)
 check_db_create_DSM: db_create
-	rm -f $@.tdb
+	rm -rf $@.tdb
 	$(VGRIND) ./db_create -D -S -s main $@.tdb  $(SUMMARIZE_CMD)
 
-check_db_create_1:
-	$(VGRIND) ./db_create > $@.out ; test $$? -ne 0  $(SUMMARIZE_CMD)
-check_db_create_2:
-	$(VGRIND) ./db_create -h 2> $@.out ; test $$? -ne 0 $(SUMMARIZE_CMD)
-check_db_create_3:
-	$(VGRIND) ./db_create --help 2> $@.out; test $$? -ne 0 $(SUMMARIZE_CMD)
-check_db_create_4:
-	$(VGRIND) ./db_create -s 2> $@.out ; test $$? -ne 0 $(SUMMARIZE_CMD)
+check_db_create_1: db_create
+	$(VGRIND) ./db_create &> $@.out ; test $$? -ne 0  $(SUMMARIZE_CMD)
+check_db_create_2: db_create
+	$(VGRIND) ./db_create -h &> $@.out ; test $$? -ne 0 $(SUMMARIZE_CMD)
+check_db_create_3: db_create
+	$(VGRIND) ./db_create --help &> $@.out; test $$? -ne 0 $(SUMMARIZE_CMD)
+check_db_create_4: db_create
+	$(VGRIND) ./db_create -s &> $@.out ; test $$? -ne 0 $(SUMMARIZE_CMD)
 
 check_permissions:
 	rm -f permissions.tdb 
 	./db_create permissions.tdb 1 1 && \
 	 chmod -w permissions.tdb && \
-	 (./db_create permissions.tdb 2 2 2> check_permissions.out; test $$? -ne 0) \
+	 (./db_create permissions.tdb 2 2 &> check_permissions.out; test $$? -ne 0) \
 	 $(SUMMARIZE_CMD)
diff --git a/cxx/tests/db_create.cpp b/cxx/tests/db_create.cpp
index f70df263fe7..fd6ab4001c0 100644
--- a/cxx/tests/db_create.cpp
+++ b/cxx/tests/db_create.cpp
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ static int dbcreate(char *dbfile, char *dbname, int dbflags, int argc, char *arg
 }
 
 static int usage() {
-    printf("db_create [-s DBNAME] [-D] [-S] DBFILE [KEY VAL]*\n");
-    printf("[--set_data_dir DIRNAME]\n");
+    fprintf(stderr, "db_create [-s DBNAME] [-D] [-S] DBFILE [KEY VAL]*\n");
+    fprintf(stderr, "[--set_data_dir DIRNAME]\n");
     return 1;
 }