diff --git a/tests/test_lib/test_tasks.py b/tests/test_lib/test_tasks.py
index 47d900b0..db1aec9c 100644
--- a/tests/test_lib/test_tasks.py
+++ b/tests/test_lib/test_tasks.py
@@ -330,7 +330,8 @@ class TasksTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         obj.session.host.taskWait.return_value = [[], [99, 100, 101]]
         time.side_effect = list(range(0, 4000, 60))
         if six.PY3:
-            sigtimedwait = patch('signal.sigtimedwait').start()
+            sigtimedwait = patch('signal.sigtimedwait')
+            sigtimedwait.start()
 
         try:
             obj.wait([99, 100, 101], timeout=3600)
@@ -366,7 +367,8 @@ class TasksTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         obj.session.host.taskWait.side_effect = taskWait_returns
 
         if six.PY3:
-            sigtimedwait = patch('signal.sigtimedwait').start()
+            sigtimedwait = patch('signal.sigtimedwait')
+            sigtimedwait.start()
 
         obj.wait([99, 100, 101], timeout=3600)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_lib/test_utils.py b/tests/test_lib/test_utils.py
index 4e64ce13..18fdcf11 100644
--- a/tests/test_lib/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/test_lib/test_utils.py
@@ -827,7 +827,7 @@ class MavenUtilTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
             # invalid month
             '2000-13-32': 'month must be in 1..12',
             # invalid day
-            '2000-12-32': 'day is out of range for month',
+            '2000-12-32': 'day.*',
             # invalid hour
             '2000-12-31 24:61:61': 'hour must be in 0..23',
             # invalid minute
@@ -835,7 +835,7 @@ class MavenUtilTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
             # invalid second
             '2000-12-31 23:59:61': 'second must be in 0..59',
             # corner case, leap day
-            '1969-2-29': 'day is out of range for month'
+            '1969-2-29': 'day.*'
         }
 
         # invalid date test
@@ -1924,13 +1924,9 @@ class TestRmtree2(unittest.TestCase):
 
         sync = multiprocessing.Event()
 
-        def do_rmtree(dirname):
-            sync.wait()
-            koji.util.rmtree(dirname)
-
         procs = []
         for n in range(3):
-            proc = multiprocessing.Process(target=do_rmtree, args=(dirname,))
+            proc = multiprocessing.Process(target=sync_rmtree, args=(sync, dirname,))
             proc.start()
             procs.append(proc)
         sync.set()
@@ -1962,6 +1958,12 @@ class TestRmtree2(unittest.TestCase):
             raise Exception('test directory not removed')
 
 
+def sync_rmtree(sync, dirname):
+    """Wait for a sync, then call rmtree"""
+    sync.wait()
+    koji.util.rmtree(dirname)
+
+
 class TestProxyLogger(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):