diff --git a/test/cmsapitest.c b/test/cmsapitest.c
index 8187fec761..ee08c0c974 100644
--- a/test/cmsapitest.c
+++ b/test/cmsapitest.c
@@ -340,8 +340,6 @@ static int test_d2i_CMS_decode(const int idx)
     long buf_len = 0;
     int ret = 0;
 
-    ERR_clear_error();
-
     if (!TEST_ptr(bio = BIO_new_file(derin, "r")))
       goto end;
 
diff --git a/test/recordlentest.c b/test/recordlentest.c
index 8567964ce1..c693b08913 100644
--- a/test/recordlentest.c
+++ b/test/recordlentest.c
@@ -101,8 +101,6 @@ static int test_record_overflow(int idx)
         return 1;
 #endif
 
-    ERR_clear_error();
-
     if (!TEST_true(create_ssl_ctx_pair(NULL, TLS_server_method(),
                                        TLS_client_method(),
                                        TLS1_VERSION, 0,
diff --git a/test/sslcorrupttest.c b/test/sslcorrupttest.c
index 57ce2a8a8e..50c3bf7eeb 100644
--- a/test/sslcorrupttest.c
+++ b/test/sslcorrupttest.c
@@ -192,8 +192,6 @@ static int test_ssl_corrupt(int testidx)
 
     docorrupt = 0;
 
-    ERR_clear_error();
-
     TEST_info("Starting #%d, %s", testidx, cipher_list[testidx]);
 
     if (!TEST_true(create_ssl_ctx_pair(NULL, TLS_server_method(),
diff --git a/test/testutil/driver.c b/test/testutil/driver.c
index efb5785d7d..6427d235af 100644
--- a/test/testutil/driver.c
+++ b/test/testutil/driver.c
@@ -331,6 +331,7 @@ int run_tests(const char *test_prog_name)
             test_flush_tapout();
         } else if (all_tests[i].num == -1) {
             set_test_title(all_tests[i].test_case_name);
+            ERR_clear_error();
             verdict = all_tests[i].test_fn();
             finalize(verdict != 0);
             test_verdict(verdict, "%d - %s", test_case_count + 1, test_title);
@@ -365,6 +366,7 @@ int run_tests(const char *test_prog_name)
                 j = (j + jstep) % all_tests[i].num;
                 if (single_iter != -1 && ((jj + 1) != single_iter))
                     continue;
+                ERR_clear_error();
                 v = all_tests[i].param_test_fn(j);
 
                 if (v == 0) {