diff --git a/t/curse/Makefile b/t/curse/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a0b5862
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/curse/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+all:
+	. ./check-1.sh
+	$(MAKE) 1.n0 2.n0 3.n0
+	$(MAKE) $(shell seq 10 | sed 's/$$/.n1/')
+	. ./check-2.sh
+
+%.n0: $(shell seq 10 | sed 's/$$/.n1/')
+	: >$@
+
+%.n1: $(shell seq 100 | sed 's/$$/.n2/')
+	echo n1-$* >$@
+
+.PRECIOUS: %.n2
+%.n2:
+	echo n2-$* >$@
+	echo $* >>$*.count
+	echo $* >>in.countall
+	$(MAKE) countall
+
+.PHONY: countall
+countall:
+	echo $@ >>out.countall
+	echo hello >$@
+
+clean:
+	rm -f *~ .*~ *.n0 *.n1 *.n2 *.tmp *.count countall *.countall
diff --git a/t/curse/all.do b/t/curse/all.do
index fc04451..1482456 100644
--- a/t/curse/all.do
+++ b/t/curse/all.do
@@ -1,18 +1,5 @@
-rm -f in.countall out.countall *.count
-touch in.countall out.countall
-echo x >x.count
+. ./check-1.sh
 redo-ifchange 1.n0 2.n0 3.n0
 DEPS=$(seq 10 | sed 's/$/.n1/')
 redo-ifchange $DEPS
-COUNT_IN=$(ls *.count | wc -l)
-COUNT_OUT=$(cat *.count | wc -l)
-if [ "$COUNT_IN" != "$COUNT_OUT" ]; then
-	echo "expected $COUNT_IN individual writes, got $COUNT_OUT" >&2
-	exit 42
-fi
-COUNTALL_IN=$(cat in.countall | wc -l)
-COUNTALL_OUT=$(cat out.countall | wc -l)
-if [ "$COUNTALL_IN" != "$COUNTALL_OUT" ]; then
-	echo "expected $COUNTALL_IN allwrites, got $COUNTALL_OUT" >&2
-	exit 43
-fi
+. ./check-2.sh
diff --git a/t/curse/check-1.sh b/t/curse/check-1.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6243eca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/curse/check-1.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+rm -f in.countall out.countall *.count
+touch in.countall out.countall
+echo x >x.count
diff --git a/t/curse/check-2.sh b/t/curse/check-2.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..87061af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/curse/check-2.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+COUNT_IN=$(ls *.count | wc -l)
+COUNT_OUT=$(cat *.count | wc -l)
+if [ "$COUNT_IN" != "$COUNT_OUT" ]; then
+	echo "expected $COUNT_IN individual writes, got $COUNT_OUT" >&2
+	exit 42
+fi
+COUNTALL_IN=$(cat in.countall | wc -l)
+COUNTALL_OUT=$(cat out.countall | wc -l)
+if [ "$COUNTALL_IN" != "$COUNTALL_OUT" ]; then
+	echo "expected $COUNTALL_IN allwrites, got $COUNTALL_OUT" >&2
+	exit 43
+fi
diff --git a/t/curse/clean.do b/t/curse/clean.do
index c34c50e..58c0381 100644
--- a/t/curse/clean.do
+++ b/t/curse/clean.do
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-rm -f *~ .*~ *.n1 *.n2 *.tmp *.count countall *.countall
+rm -f *~ .*~ *.n0 *.n1 *.n2 *.tmp *.count countall *.countall