diff --git a/linux/tests/test-max-data.c b/linux/tests/test-max-data.c
index de9cc5ce39f..414b681d63d 100644
--- a/linux/tests/test-max-data.c
+++ b/linux/tests/test-max-data.c
@@ -4,12 +4,38 @@
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <assert.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <bits/wordsize.h>
 #include "toku_os.h"
 
-int main(void) {
+int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+    int verbose = 0;
+    int i;
+    for (i=1; i<argc; i++) {
+        if (strcmp(argv[i], "-v") == 0) {
+            verbose = 1;
+            continue;
+        }
+        if (strcmp(argv[i], "-q") == 0) {
+            verbose = 0;
+            continue;
+        }
+    }
+        
+    // get the data size
     uint64_t maxdata;
     int r = toku_os_get_max_process_data_size(&maxdata);
     assert(r == 0);
-    printf("maxdata=%"PRIu64"\n", maxdata);
+    if (verbose) printf("maxdata=%"PRIu64"\n", maxdata);
+
+    // check the data size
+#if __WORDSIZE == 64
+    assert(maxdata > (1ULL << 32));
+#elif __WORDSIZE == 32
+    assert(maxdata < (1ULL << 32));
+#else
+#error
+#endif
+
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/linux/tests/test-wss.c b/linux/tests/test-wss.c
index 94f013b9cb7..78fe6dbf7ba 100644
--- a/linux/tests/test-wss.c
+++ b/linux/tests/test-wss.c
@@ -6,23 +6,40 @@
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <toku_os.h>
 
+const int nbuffers = 1000;
+const int buffersize = 1024*1024;
+
 static void do_mallocs(void) {
     int i;
-    for (i=0; i<1000; i++) {
-        int nbytes = 1024*1024;
+    for (i=0; i<nbuffers; i++) {
+        int nbytes = buffersize;
         void *vp = malloc(nbytes);
         memset(vp, 0, nbytes);
     }
 }
 
-int main(void) {
-    int64_t rss;
+int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+    int verbose = 0;
+    int i;
+    for (i=1; i<argc; i++) {
+        if (strcmp(argv[i], "-v") == 0) {
+            verbose = 1;
+            continue;
+        }
+        if (strcmp(argv[i], "-q") == 0) {
+            verbose = 0;
+            continue;
+        }
+    }
 
+    int64_t rss;
     toku_os_get_max_rss(&rss);
-    printf("%"PRId64"\n", rss);
+    if (verbose) printf("%"PRId64"\n", rss);
+    assert(rss < nbuffers*buffersize);
     do_mallocs();
     toku_os_get_max_rss(&rss);
-    printf("%"PRId64"\n", rss);
+    if (verbose) printf("%"PRId64"\n", rss);
+    assert(rss > nbuffers*buffersize);
 
     return 0;
 }