diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 36d8dc85..cb6863c4 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -153,6 +153,19 @@ check_failure(
     ARGUMENTS   -f does_not_exist /dev/null
 )
 
+file(GLOB fail_compile_INPUTS test/fail_compile/*.tas)
+foreach(case ${fail_compile_INPUTS})
+
+    file(RELATIVE_PATH basename ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/test/fail_compile/ ${case})
+    check_failure(
+        NAME        "fail_compile_${basename}"
+        EXPECT      "syntax error|bailing|use before definition|Error|attempted"
+        COMMAND     tas
+        ARGUMENTS   ${case}
+    )
+
+endforeach()
+
 check_failure(
     NAME        "early end of file"
     EXPECT      "End of file unexpectedly reached"
diff --git a/test/Makefile b/test/Makefile
index 82f7f7fc..0fd1f38d 100644
--- a/test/Makefile
+++ b/test/Makefile
@@ -6,25 +6,15 @@ CPPFLAGS += -I$(TOP)/lib
 
 vpath %.tas $(TOP)/lib
 
-vpath %.tas pass_compile/ fail_compile/
+vpath %.tas pass_compile/
 
 get_obj_name = $(notdir $(patsubst %.tas,%.to,$1))
 
 PASS_ASSEMBLE := $(call get_obj_name,$(wildcard pass_compile/*))
-FAIL_ASSEMBLE := $(call get_obj_name,$(wildcard fail_compile/*))
-# Force re-assembly of assembly-failure tests
-.PHONY: $(FAIL_ASSEMBLE)
 
 clean_FILES += *.to *.texe
 clean_FILES += ops/*.texe
 
-all: positive negative
+all: positive
 positive: $(PASS_ASSEMBLE)
-negative: $(FAIL_ASSEMBLE)
-
-$(filter %.to,$(FAIL_ASSEMBLE)): %.to: %.tas
-	@$(MAKESTEP) -n "Assembling `printf %-24s '$@'` (should fail) ... "
-	@(! $(tas) -o$@ $< 2>/dev/null) \
-		&& $(MAKESTEP) "failed as expected" \
-		|| ($(MAKESTEP) "succeeded unexpectedly" ; false)