diff --git a/scripts/tests/scripts_regression_tests.py b/scripts/tests/scripts_regression_tests.py
index 6d5cee41ebf..fd0d7f69377 100755
--- a/scripts/tests/scripts_regression_tests.py
+++ b/scripts/tests/scripts_regression_tests.py
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 from six import assertRaisesRegex
 import six
 
+import collections
+
 from CIME.utils import run_cmd, run_cmd_no_fail, get_lids, get_current_commit
 import update_acme_tests
 import CIME.test_scheduler, CIME.wait_for_tests
@@ -24,10 +26,6 @@
 from  CIME.code_checker import check_code, get_all_checkable_files
 from  CIME.test_status import *
 
-from  CIME.case_setup import case_setup
-from  CIME.case_submit import submit
-import CIME.build as build
-
 SCRIPT_DIR  = CIME.utils.get_scripts_root()
 TOOLS_DIR   = os.path.join(SCRIPT_DIR,"Tools")
 TEST_COMPILER = None
@@ -1412,18 +1410,32 @@ def test_cime_case_prereq(self):
         with Case(testdir, read_only=False) as case:
             job_name = "case.run"
             prereq_name = 'prereq_test'
-            batch_cmd = case.submit_jobs(prereq=prereq_name, job=job_name, skip_pnl=True, dry_run=True)[0][1].split()
-            jobid_ident = 'jobid'
-            dep_str = case.get_env('batch').get_value('depend_string', subgroup=None)[:-len(jobid_ident)]
-            found_dep_str = False
-            for arg in batch_cmd:
-                if dep_str in arg:
-                    found_dep_str = True
-                    dep_id_pos = arg.find(dep_str) + len(dep_str)
-                    dep_id = arg[dep_id_pos:]
-                    break
-            self.assertTrue(found_dep_str, "Dependency not added to batch command")
-            self.assertTrue(prereq_name in dep_id, "Dependencies added, but not the user specified one")
+            batch_commands = case.submit_jobs(prereq=prereq_name, job=job_name, skip_pnl=True, dry_run=True)
+            self.assertTrue(isinstance(batch_commands, collections.Sequence), "case.submit_jobs did not return a sequence for a dry run")
+            self.assertTrue(len(batch_commands) > 0, "case.submit_jobs did not return any job submission string")
+            # The first element in the internal sequence should just be the job name
+            # The second one (batch_cmd_index) should be the actual batch submission command
+            batch_cmd_index = 1
+            # The prerequisite should be applied to all jobs, though we're only expecting one
+            for batch_cmd in batch_commands:
+                self.assertTrue(isinstance(batch_cmd, collections.Sequence), "case.submit_jobs did not return a sequence of sequences")
+                self.assertTrue(len(batch_cmd) > batch_cmd_index, "case.submit_jobs returned internal sequences with length <= {}".format(batch_cmd_index))
+                self.assertTrue(isinstance(batch_cmd[1], str), "case.submit_jobs returned internal sequences without the batch command string as the second parameter: {}".format(batch_cmd[1]))
+                batch_cmd_args = batch_cmd[1]
+
+                jobid_ident = 'jobid'
+                dep_str_fmt = case.get_env('batch').get_value('depend_string', subgroup=None)
+                self.assertTrue(jobid_ident in dep_str_fmt, "dependency string doesn't include the jobid identifier {}".format(jobid_ident))
+                dep_str = dep_str_fmt[:-len(jobid_ident)]
+
+                while dep_str in batch_cmd_args:
+                    dep_id_pos = batch_cmd_args.find(dep_str) + len(dep_str)
+                    batch_cmd_args = batch_cmd_args[dep_id_pos:]
+                    prereq_substr = batch_cmd_args[:len(prereq_name)]
+                    if prereq_substr == prereq_name:
+                        break
+
+                self.assertTrue(prereq_name in prereq_substr, "Dependencies added, but not the user specified one")
 
     ###########################################################################
     def test_cime_case_build_threaded_1(self):