diff --git a/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/aliases.cton b/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/aliases.cton
index 575fedd923..a16fe7231b 100644
--- a/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/aliases.cton
+++ b/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/aliases.cton
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-test compile
+test regalloc
 set is_64bit
 isa intel haswell
 
diff --git a/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/global-constraints.cton b/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/global-constraints.cton
index 5fc63d0c36..b2a3fc0a7e 100644
--- a/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/global-constraints.cton
+++ b/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/global-constraints.cton
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-test compile
+test regalloc
 isa intel
 
 ; This test covers the troubles when values with global live ranges are defined
diff --git a/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/global-fixed.cton b/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/global-fixed.cton
index 9bdcde3be0..a332311b6e 100644
--- a/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/global-fixed.cton
+++ b/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/global-fixed.cton
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-test compile
+test regalloc
 set is_64bit=1
 isa intel haswell
 
diff --git a/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/iterate.cton b/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/iterate.cton
index 15e0145407..6f7e6547fd 100644
--- a/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/iterate.cton
+++ b/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/iterate.cton
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-test compile
+test regalloc
 set is_64bit
 isa intel haswell
 
diff --git a/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/output-interference.cton b/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/output-interference.cton
index 11079a383f..666c13c0d7 100644
--- a/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/output-interference.cton
+++ b/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/output-interference.cton
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-test compile
+test regalloc
 set is_64bit=1
 isa intel haswell
 
diff --git a/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/schedule-moves.cton b/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/schedule-moves.cton
index e0d9cf4e6e..e3bae45be3 100644
--- a/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/schedule-moves.cton
+++ b/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/schedule-moves.cton
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-test compile
+test regalloc
 isa intel haswell
 
 function %pr165() native {
diff --git a/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/unreachable_code.cton b/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/unreachable_code.cton
index efb1271105..ac667e7721 100644
--- a/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/unreachable_code.cton
+++ b/cranelift/filetests/regalloc/unreachable_code.cton
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
+; Use "test compile" here otherwise the dead blocks won't be eliminated.
 test compile
+
 set is_64bit
 isa intel haswell
 
diff --git a/cranelift/src/filetest/subtest.rs b/cranelift/src/filetest/subtest.rs
index bbb8b666ca..6c49b6e5a9 100644
--- a/cranelift/src/filetest/subtest.rs
+++ b/cranelift/src/filetest/subtest.rs
@@ -113,10 +113,5 @@ pub fn build_filechecker(context: &Context) -> Result<Checker> {
             format!("filecheck: {}", e)
         })?;
     }
-    let checker = builder.finish();
-    if checker.is_empty() {
-        Err("no filecheck directives in function".to_string())
-    } else {
-        Ok(checker)
-    }
+    Ok(builder.finish())
 }