diff --git a/src/client/distren.c b/src/client/distren.c
--- a/src/client/distren.c
+++ b/src/client/distren.c
@@ -25,20 +25,36 @@
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
+  char buf[10];
   struct execio *testrem;
-  char *execargv[] = 
+  char *execargv[] =
     {
       "ssh",
       "protofusion.org",
       "sh",
       "-c",
-      "\"echo hello from ${HOSTNAME} 1>&2\"",
+      "\"echo hello from ${HOSTNAME}\"",
       (char *)NULL
     };
+  
+  size_t readlen;
+  
 
   fprintf(stderr, "testing execio (It shouldn't work) :-)\n");
+  fprintf(stderr, "execio_open returns %d\n", execio_open(&testrem, "ssh", execargv));
   
-  fprintf(stderr, "execio_open returns %d\n", execio_open(&testrem, "ssh", execargv));
+  buf[9] = '\0';
+  while(!execio_read(testrem, buf, 9, &readlen))
+    {
+      if(readlen > 9)
+	{
+	  fprintf(stderr, "execio_read doesn't set readlen correctly or read() is messed up\n");
+	  return 1;
+	}
+      buf[readlen] = '\0';
+      fprintf(stderr, "read \"%s\"\n", buf);
+    }
+  
 
   return 0;
 };