diff --git a/test cases/failing/19 target clash/meson.build b/test cases/failing/19 target clash/meson.build
index ca09fb568..4fd09348e 100644
--- a/test cases/failing/19 target clash/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/failing/19 target clash/meson.build	
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ project('clash', 'c')
 # output location is redirected.
 
 if host_machine.system() == 'windows' or host_machine.system() == 'cygwin'
-  error('This is expected.')
+  error('MESON_SKIP_TEST test only works on platforms where executables have no suffix.')
 endif
 
 executable('clash', 'clash.c')
diff --git a/test cases/failing/32 exe static shared/meson.build b/test cases/failing/32 exe static shared/meson.build
index b1027647d..2ae512583 100644
--- a/test cases/failing/32 exe static shared/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/failing/32 exe static shared/meson.build	
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ project('statchain', 'c')
 
 host_system = host_machine.system()
 if host_system == 'windows' or host_system == 'darwin'
-  error('Test only fails on Linux and BSD')
+  error('MESON_SKIP_TEST test only fails on Linux and BSD')
 endif
 
 statlib = static_library('stat', 'stat.c', pic : false)
diff --git a/test cases/failing/36 pkgconfig dependency impossible conditions/meson.build b/test cases/failing/36 pkgconfig dependency impossible conditions/meson.build
index 54d434c09..874b58177 100644
--- a/test cases/failing/36 pkgconfig dependency impossible conditions/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/failing/36 pkgconfig dependency impossible conditions/meson.build	
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
 project('impossible-dep-test', 'c', version : '1.0')
 
+if not dependency('zlib', required: false).found()
+  error('MESON_SKIP_TEST test requires zlib')
+endif
+
 dependency('zlib', version : ['>=1.0', '<1.0'])
diff --git a/test cases/failing/42 custom target outputs not matching install_dirs/meson.build b/test cases/failing/42 custom target outputs not matching install_dirs/meson.build
index 45bd7b397..765e23764 100644
--- a/test cases/failing/42 custom target outputs not matching install_dirs/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/failing/42 custom target outputs not matching install_dirs/meson.build	
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ project('outputs not matching install_dirs', 'c')
 gen = find_program('generator.py')
 
 if meson.backend() != 'ninja'
-  error('Failing manually, test is only for the ninja backend')
+  error('MESON_SKIP_TEST test is only for the ninja backend')
 endif
 
 custom_target('too-few-install-dirs',
diff --git a/test cases/failing/54 wrong shared crate type/meson.build b/test cases/failing/54 wrong shared crate type/meson.build
index 69ac3dad5..b9fcad4e5 100644
--- a/test cases/failing/54 wrong shared crate type/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/failing/54 wrong shared crate type/meson.build	
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
-project('test', 'rust')
+project('test')
+
+if not add_languages('rust', required: false)
+  error('MESON_SKIP_TEST test requires rust compiler')
+endif
 
 shared_library('test', 'foo.rs', rust_crate_type : 'staticlib')
diff --git a/test cases/failing/55 wrong static crate type/meson.build b/test cases/failing/55 wrong static crate type/meson.build
index c094613b2..109907f96 100644
--- a/test cases/failing/55 wrong static crate type/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/failing/55 wrong static crate type/meson.build	
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
-project('test', 'rust')
+project('test')
+
+if not add_languages('rust', required: false)
+  error('MESON_SKIP_TEST test requires rust compiler')
+endif
 
 static_library('test', 'foo.rs', rust_crate_type : 'cdylib')
diff --git a/test cases/failing/68 wrong boost module/meson.build b/test cases/failing/68 wrong boost module/meson.build
index 7fb3a40b2..937e58749 100644
--- a/test cases/failing/68 wrong boost module/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/failing/68 wrong boost module/meson.build	
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 project('boosttest', 'cpp',
   default_options : ['cpp_std=c++11'])
 
+if not dependency('boost', required: false).found()
+  error('MESON_SKIP_TEST test requires boost')
+endif
+
 # abc doesn't exist
 linkdep = dependency('boost', modules : ['thread', 'system', 'test', 'abc'])
diff --git a/test cases/failing/76 link with shared module on osx/meson.build b/test cases/failing/76 link with shared module on osx/meson.build
index 2c714f97a..bf18b3626 100644
--- a/test cases/failing/76 link with shared module on osx/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/failing/76 link with shared module on osx/meson.build	
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 project('link with shared module', 'c')
 
 if host_machine.system() != 'darwin'
-  error('Test only fails on OSX')
+  error('MESON_SKIP_TEST test only fails on OSX')
 endif
 
 m = shared_module('mymodule', 'module.c')
diff --git a/test cases/failing/80 framework dependency with version/meson.build b/test cases/failing/80 framework dependency with version/meson.build
index 1ead388a9..b7e04bab4 100644
--- a/test cases/failing/80 framework dependency with version/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/failing/80 framework dependency with version/meson.build	
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 project('framework dependency with version', 'c')
+
+if host_machine.system() != 'darwin'
+  error('MESON_SKIP_TEST test only applicable on darwin')
+endif
+
 # do individual frameworks have a meaningful version to test?  And multiple frameworks might be listed...
-# otherwise we're not on OSX and this will definitely fail
 dep = dependency('appleframeworks', modules: 'foundation', version: '>0')
diff --git a/test cases/failing/82 gl dependency with version/meson.build b/test cases/failing/82 gl dependency with version/meson.build
index 3014d433f..012709302 100644
--- a/test cases/failing/82 gl dependency with version/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/failing/82 gl dependency with version/meson.build	
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ project('gl dependency with version', 'c')
 
 host_system = host_machine.system()
 if host_system != 'windows' and host_system != 'darwin'
-  error('Test only fails on Windows and OSX')
+  error('MESON_SKIP_TEST: test only fails on Windows and OSX')
 endif
 
 # gl dependency found via system method doesn't have a meaningful version to check
diff --git a/test cases/failing/84 gtest dependency with version/meson.build b/test cases/failing/84 gtest dependency with version/meson.build
index 3d909942c..b43a04733 100644
--- a/test cases/failing/84 gtest dependency with version/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/failing/84 gtest dependency with version/meson.build	
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
 project('gtest dependency with version', ['c', 'cpp'])
+
+if not dependency('gtest', method: 'system', required: false).found()
+   error('MESON_SKIP_TEST test requires gtest')
+endif
+
 # discovering gtest version is not yet implemented
 dep = dependency('gtest', method: 'system', version: '>0')
diff --git a/test cases/failing/85 dub libray/meson.build b/test cases/failing/85 dub libray/meson.build
index 5b0ccaced..306d5b3e5 100644
--- a/test cases/failing/85 dub libray/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/failing/85 dub libray/meson.build	
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
-project('dub', 'd')
+project('dub')
+
+if not add_languages('d', required: false)
+  error('MESON_SKIP_TEST test requires D compiler')
+endif
+
+if not find_program('dub', required: false).found()
+  error('MESON_SKIP_TEST test requires dub')
+endif
 
 dependency('dubtestproject', method: 'dub') # Not library (none)
diff --git a/test cases/failing/86 dub executable/meson.build b/test cases/failing/86 dub executable/meson.build
index 63fd63134..9a134ea21 100644
--- a/test cases/failing/86 dub executable/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/failing/86 dub executable/meson.build	
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
-project('dub', 'd')
+project('dub')
+
+if not add_languages('d', required: false)
+  error('MESON_SKIP_TEST test requires D compiler')
+endif
+
+if not find_program('dub', required: false).found()
+  error('MESON_SKIP_TEST test requires dub')
+endif
 
 dependency('dubtestproject:test1', method: 'dub') # Not library (executable)
diff --git a/test cases/failing/87 dub compiler/meson.build b/test cases/failing/87 dub compiler/meson.build
index c93ccbc2a..36f1849e5 100644
--- a/test cases/failing/87 dub compiler/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/failing/87 dub compiler/meson.build	
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
-project('dub', 'd')
+project('dub')
+
+if not add_languages('d', required: false)
+  error('MESON_SKIP_TEST test requires D compiler')
+endif
 
 if meson.get_compiler('d').get_id() == 'dmd'
   if host_machine.system() == 'windows' or host_machine.system() == 'cygwin'
@@ -6,4 +10,8 @@ if meson.get_compiler('d').get_id() == 'dmd'
   endif
 endif
 
+if not find_program('dub', required: false).found()
+  error('MESON_SKIP_TEST test requires dub')
+endif
+
 dependency('dubtestproject:test2', method: 'dub') # Compiler mismatch