diff --git a/tests/cell.cpp b/tests/cell.cpp
index ac4d0e8b1..8c3843d6b 100644
--- a/tests/cell.cpp
+++ b/tests/cell.cpp
@@ -25,8 +25,7 @@ TEST_CASE("Cell") {
   if(getenv("TERM") == nullptr){
     return;
   }
-  FILE* outfp_{};
-  outfp_ = fopen("/dev/tty", "wb");
+  FILE* outfp_ = fopen("/dev/tty", "wb");
   REQUIRE(nullptr != outfp_);
   notcurses_options nopts{};
   nopts.inhibit_alternate_screen = true;
diff --git a/tests/direct.cpp b/tests/direct.cpp
index 98450c9de..a4c4ee8c3 100644
--- a/tests/direct.cpp
+++ b/tests/direct.cpp
@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@ TEST_CASE("DirectMode") {
   if(getenv("TERM") == nullptr){
     return;
   }
-  FILE* outfp_{};
-  outfp_ = fopen("/dev/tty", "wb");
+  FILE* outfp_ = fopen("/dev/tty", "wb");
   REQUIRE(nullptr != outfp_);
   struct ncdirect* nc_ = ncdirect_init(NULL, outfp_);
   REQUIRE(nullptr != nc_);
diff --git a/tests/metric.cpp b/tests/metric.cpp
index b98005f22..2c8367274 100644
--- a/tests/metric.cpp
+++ b/tests/metric.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ char* impericize_ncmetric(uintmax_t val, unsigned decimal, char* buf,
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("ncmetric") {
+  if(!enforce_utf8()){
+    return;
+  }
   const char* decisep = localeconv()->decimal_point;
   REQUIRE(decisep);
   REQUIRE(1 ==  strlen(decisep));