diff --git a/tests/bzip2/test_script.sh b/tests/bzip2/test_script.sh
index bf756f88c62474bcf295da727019054d7572089b..6c9704e6156fa812c1a23da9798e4582b51eada5 100755
--- a/tests/bzip2/test_script.sh
+++ b/tests/bzip2/test_script.sh
@@ -67,4 +67,4 @@ if [[ -z "$IGNORE_RESULTS" ]] && [[ -f $DATA_DIR/compression_input1_orig.bz2 ]];
 	fi 
 fi
 cleanup
-report_success
\ No newline at end of file
+report_success
diff --git a/tests/du/test_script.sh b/tests/du/test_script.sh
index d208e7a1098617b9d31763e732461f5c9f63e328..0b3009610e2c2260876a8dfd5e7d6ef28a404a8f 100755
--- a/tests/du/test_script.sh
+++ b/tests/du/test_script.sh
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@ ORIG_NAME=du
 pwd
 echo "TEST_PROG: $TEST_PROG"
 
+timeout 10 $BENCH /usr | grep bin
+if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]; then
+	report_failure
+fi
+
 run_basic_test 120 --help
 run_basic_test 120 --version
 run_basic_test 120 --doesnotexist
diff --git a/tests/egrep/test_script.sh b/tests/egrep/test_script.sh
index de2e8967e72f6329f43f9104d0a7d436457631bb..f310d63bd88ed4c1e811d621e8b9b3f52ed43ff7 100755
--- a/tests/egrep/test_script.sh
+++ b/tests/egrep/test_script.sh
@@ -18,6 +18,23 @@ ORIG_NAME=grep
 pwd
 echo "TEST_PROG: $TEST_PROG"
 
+# test basic grep functionality
+TMP_LOG=/tmp/tmp.hello.$(whoami)
+timeout 10 ls / | $BENCH tmp >/dev/null 2>&1
+if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]; then
+	report_failure
+fi
+echo "hello" > $TMP_LOG
+$BENCH hello $TMP_LOG
+if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]; then
+	report_failure
+fi
+$BENCH foobar $TMP_LOG
+if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+	report_failure
+fi
+rm $TMP_LOG
+
 run_basic_test 120 --help
 run_basic_test 120 --version
 run_basic_test 120 --doesnotexist
diff --git a/tests/fgrep/test_script.sh b/tests/fgrep/test_script.sh
index de2e8967e72f6329f43f9104d0a7d436457631bb..a401200c9ded03bb43ac59238fa2a7f0d604d1a4 100755
--- a/tests/fgrep/test_script.sh
+++ b/tests/fgrep/test_script.sh
@@ -18,6 +18,24 @@ ORIG_NAME=grep
 pwd
 echo "TEST_PROG: $TEST_PROG"
 
+# test basic grep functionality
+TMP_LOG=/tmp/tmp.hello.$(whoami)
+ls / | $BENCH tmp >/dev/null 2>&1
+if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]; then
+	report_failure
+fi
+
+echo "hello" > $TMP_LOG
+$BENCH hello $TMP_LOG
+if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]; then
+	report_failure
+fi
+$BENCH foobar $TMP_LOG
+if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+	report_failure
+fi
+rm $TMP_LOG
+
 run_basic_test 120 --help
 run_basic_test 120 --version
 run_basic_test 120 --doesnotexist
diff --git a/tests/grep/test_script.sh b/tests/grep/test_script.sh
index 9d01bdf48752f45d1c7e86f567c6cd16c20d4418..f12d37246ce28c2f604e16c2f554b924386fdb5f 100755
--- a/tests/grep/test_script.sh
+++ b/tests/grep/test_script.sh
@@ -18,6 +18,24 @@ ORIG_NAME=grep
 pwd
 echo "TEST_PROG: $TEST_PROG"
 
+
+# test basic grep functionality
+TMP_LOG=/tmp/tmp.hello.$(whoami)
+ls / | $BENCH tmp >/dev/null 2>&1
+if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]; then
+	report_failure
+fi
+echo "hello" > $TMP_LOG
+$BENCH hello $TMP_LOG
+if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]; then
+	report_failure
+fi
+$BENCH foobar $TMP_LOG
+if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+	report_failure
+fi
+rm $TMP_LOG
+
 run_basic_test 120 --help
 run_basic_test 120 --version
 run_basic_test 120 --doesnotexist
diff --git a/tests/ls/test_script.sh b/tests/ls/test_script.sh
index 3fe317f0c01d92ff463abde547fd22b0b889556a..294a7dc060900e7d317631a3598526ccf9c70e01 100755
--- a/tests/ls/test_script.sh
+++ b/tests/ls/test_script.sh
@@ -18,6 +18,13 @@ ORIG_NAME=ls
 pwd
 echo "TEST_PROG: $TEST_PROG"
 
+
+# sanity check
+$BENCH / | grep tmp >/dev/null 2>&1
+if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]; then
+	report_failure 
+fi
+
 run_basic_test 120 --help
 run_basic_test 120 --version
 run_basic_test 120 --doesnotexist
diff --git a/tests/ncal/test_script.sh b/tests/ncal/test_script.sh
index 443aa38e0d32fa205becdd4cac1400a2460254a3..6bfac8c6724b0412a04af65b3fc861a22458870a 100755
--- a/tests/ncal/test_script.sh
+++ b/tests/ncal/test_script.sh
@@ -16,6 +16,12 @@ ORIG_NAME=ncal
 pwd
 echo "TEST_PROG: $TEST_PROG"
 
+# sanity check
+timeout 10 $BENCH 2000 | grep -i october
+if [ ! $? -eq 0 ];then 
+	report_failure
+fi
+
 ARGS=("" "-h" "-bogus" "2000" "-w 2000" "-3 5 2001" "1 2000" "1 1999" "-j 2000" "-J 2000" "-S 1000" "-M 1015" "-J -o 12 9999" "-e -p -y 2000" "-M -y -B9 -A5 2000" "-S -y -B10 -A10 2000" "-1" "-A-20 -B-5 1000"  "-w -m 3 1111" "-N 2000" "-N -w 2000" "-N -3 8 2001" "-N 1 2000" "-N 1 1999" "-N -j 2000" "-N -J 2000" "-N -S 1000" "-N -M 1015" "-N -J -o 12 9999" "-N -e -p -y 2000" "-N -M -y -B9 -A5 2000" "-N -S -y -B10 -A10 2000" "-N -1" "-N -A-20 -B-5 1000"  "-N -w -m 3 1111" "-N -y 1999 -m 3" "-N -y -b" "-N -s GB 2000")
 
 for ix in ${!ARGS[*]}
diff --git a/tests/objdump/test_script.sh b/tests/objdump/test_script.sh
index 1f544d6ae0af0f30249bcf58af56a5e5c4acd96f..29a4e2f50c2c2ae4ca98b9389828f80fce5afb4c 100755
--- a/tests/objdump/test_script.sh
+++ b/tests/objdump/test_script.sh
@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@ ORIG_NAME=objdump
 pwd
 echo "TEST_PROG: $TEST_PROG"
 
+# sanity check
+timeout 10 $BENCH -D /bin/ls | grep -e add >/dev/null 2>&1
+if [ ! $? -eq 0 ];then 
+	report_failure
+fi
+
 run_basic_test 120 --help
 run_basic_test 120 --version
 run_basic_test 120 --doesnotexist
diff --git a/tests/readelf/test_script.sh b/tests/readelf/test_script.sh
index dceaed61bf26566f34cf71a2bc701c04df1cb8ec..dab4fa9a8496b675c14897120fbda1b72fb118e4 100755
--- a/tests/readelf/test_script.sh
+++ b/tests/readelf/test_script.sh
@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@ ORIG_NAME=readelf
 pwd
 echo "TEST_PROG: $TEST_PROG"
 
+# sanity check readelf
+timeout 10 $BENCH -h /bin/ls | grep -i "header" >/dev/null 2>&1
+if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]; then
+	report_failure
+fi
+
 run_basic_test 120 --help
 run_basic_test 120 --version
 run_basic_test 120 --doesnotexist
diff --git a/tests/sort/data/data.abc b/tests/sort/data/data.abc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..de980441c3ab03a8c07dda1ad27b8a11f39deb1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/sort/data/data.abc
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+a
+b
+c
diff --git a/tests/sort/data/data.cba b/tests/sort/data/data.cba
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..e274b2bb10a00f540e0ce484ee74f2876d4880c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/sort/data/data.cba
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+c
+b
+a
diff --git a/tests/sort/test_script.sh b/tests/sort/test_script.sh
index a1c1b0051de660e6ee2cbad4b481f5cf5238b3a7..0ac6b3526b129354b69aca15ed0279a4d3f4a2ee 100755
--- a/tests/sort/test_script.sh
+++ b/tests/sort/test_script.sh
@@ -18,6 +18,14 @@ ORIG_NAME=sort
 pwd
 echo "TEST_PROG: $TEST_PROG"
 
+# sanity check
+SORTED=/tmp/tmp.sorted.$(whoami)
+timeout 20 $BENCH $DATA_DIR/data.cba > $SORTED
+diff $SORTED $DATA_DIR/data.abc
+if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]; then
+	report_failure
+fi
+rm $SORTED
 
 run_basic_test 120 --help
 run_basic_test 120 --version
diff --git a/tests/tar/test_script.sh b/tests/tar/test_script.sh
index 274a2b5c517e5288f16be901b4272b7f892859e7..98a249c310f52804985e2f88da8aea61f89c39fb 100755
--- a/tests/tar/test_script.sh
+++ b/tests/tar/test_script.sh
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ run_basic_test 120 --doesnotexist
 run_basic_test 120 -cvf $DATA_DIR.tar $DATA_DIR
 run_basic_test 120 -tvf $DATA_DIR/test.tar $DATA_DIR
 
+# sanity check tar functionality
+timeout 10 $BENCH -tf $DATA_DIR.tar | grep dir1
+if [ ! $? -eq 0 ];then 
+	report_failure
+fi
+
 rm $DATA_DIR.tar
 cleanup
 
diff --git a/tests/tcpdump/test_script.sh b/tests/tcpdump/test_script.sh
index 334d3239158acc90977f8af904deb6cc7da89cbb..dfc1a02b0721fdb324f8eeb07cb4dd0fab27584f 100755
--- a/tests/tcpdump/test_script.sh
+++ b/tests/tcpdump/test_script.sh
@@ -13,6 +13,13 @@ DELETE_FILTER="stonesoup|gcc|lib|DUMMY|exec|python|tcpdump"
 
 run_basic_test 20 -h
 run_basic_test 20 -n -r $TEST_DIR/tcpd_tests/bgp_vpn_attrset.pcap -t -v
+
+# sanity check tcpdump
+timeout 10 $BENCH -n -r $TEST_DIR/tcpd_tests/bgp_vpn_attrset.pcap -t -v | grep -i "message" >/dev/null 2>&1
+if [ ! $? -eq 0 ];then
+	report_failure
+fi
+
 run_basic_test 20 -$i -s0 -nr $TEST_DIR/tcpd_tests/print-flags.pcap
 run_basic_test 20 -n -r $TEST_DIR/tcpd_tests/mpbgp-linklocal-nexthop.pcap -t -v
 run_basic_test 20 -n -r $TEST_DIR/tcpd_tests/eapon1.pcap -t
diff --git a/tests/touch/test_script.sh b/tests/touch/test_script.sh
index a280f88e7b2a4f78fbe4fd1cf0a42bf04ba7011a..091698b6ed81c3b845dc36105796795047ce0e5c 100755
--- a/tests/touch/test_script.sh
+++ b/tests/touch/test_script.sh
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ ORIG_NAME=touch
 #must import the library here, as it depends on some of the above variables
 . $TEST_LIB
 
+# sanity check
+timeout 10 $BENCH --help | grep FILE
+if [ ! $? -eq 0 ];then
+	report_failure
+fi
+
 run_basic_test 20 --help
 run_basic_test 20 --version
 rm -f tmp
@@ -15,4 +21,4 @@ rm -f tmp
 #no arg test
 run_basic_test 10
 
-report_success
\ No newline at end of file
+report_success