diff --git a/IPython/parallel/tests/clienttest.py b/IPython/parallel/tests/clienttest.py
index a6e4300..8cee15f 100644
--- a/IPython/parallel/tests/clienttest.py
+++ b/IPython/parallel/tests/clienttest.py
@@ -29,6 +29,17 @@ def segfault():
     import ctypes
     ctypes.memset(-1,0,1)
 
+def crash():
+    """from stdlib crashers in the test suite"""
+    import types
+    if sys.platform.startswith('win'):
+        import ctypes
+        ctypes.windll.kernel32.SetErrorMode(0x0002);
+
+    co = types.CodeType(0, 0, 0, 0, b'\x04\x71\x00\x00',
+                             (), (), (), '', '', 1, b'')
+    exec(co)
+
 def wait(n):
     """sleep for a time"""
     import time
@@ -86,7 +97,7 @@ class ClusterTestCase(BaseZMQTestCase):
             except error.CompositeError as e:
                 e.raise_exception()
         except error.RemoteError as e:
-            self.assertEquals(etype.__name__, e.ename, "Should have raised %r, but raised %r"%(e.ename, etype.__name__))
+            self.assertEquals(etype.__name__, e.ename, "Should have raised %r, but raised %r"%(etype.__name__, e.ename))
         else:
             self.fail("should have raised a RemoteError")
             
diff --git a/IPython/parallel/tests/test_view.py b/IPython/parallel/tests/test_view.py
index f28cc30..d076881 100644
--- a/IPython/parallel/tests/test_view.py
+++ b/IPython/parallel/tests/test_view.py
@@ -25,33 +25,37 @@ from IPython.parallel.util import interactive
 
 from IPython.parallel.tests import add_engines
 
-from .clienttest import ClusterTestCase, segfault, wait, skip_without
+from .clienttest import ClusterTestCase, crash, wait, skip_without
 
 def setup():
     add_engines(3)
 
 class TestView(ClusterTestCase):
     
-    def test_segfault_task(self):
+    def test_crash_task(self):
         """test graceful handling of engine death (balanced)"""
         # self.add_engines(1)
-        ar = self.client[-1].apply_async(segfault)
+        ar = self.client[-1].apply_async(crash)
         self.assertRaisesRemote(error.EngineError, ar.get)
         eid = ar.engine_id
-        while eid in self.client.ids:
+        tic = time.time()
+        while eid in self.client.ids and time.time()-tic < 5:
             time.sleep(.01)
             self.client.spin()
+        self.assertFalse(eid in self.client.ids, "Engine should have died")
     
-    def test_segfault_mux(self):
+    def test_crash_mux(self):
         """test graceful handling of engine death (direct)"""
         # self.add_engines(1)
         eid = self.client.ids[-1]
-        ar = self.client[eid].apply_async(segfault)
+        ar = self.client[eid].apply_async(crash)
         self.assertRaisesRemote(error.EngineError, ar.get)
         eid = ar.engine_id
-        while eid in self.client.ids:
+        tic = time.time()
+        while eid in self.client.ids and time.time()-tic < 5:
             time.sleep(.01)
             self.client.spin()
+        self.assertFalse(eid in self.client.ids, "Engine should have died")
     
     def test_push_pull(self):
         """test pushing and pulling"""