diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 38eacdbf0ca..6e8b263e018 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -69,4 +69,3 @@ CC=mpicc FC=mpif90 cmake [-DOPTION1=value1 -DOPTION2=value2 ...] /path/to/pio/so
 
 Full instructions for the cmake build can be found in the installation
 documentation.
-
diff --git a/examples/c/run_tests.sh b/examples/c/run_tests.sh
index caf49573aba..0d369bbb53d 100755
--- a/examples/c/run_tests.sh
+++ b/examples/c/run_tests.sh
@@ -19,14 +19,20 @@ for EXAMPLE in $PIO_EXAMPLES
 do
     success1=false
     echo "running ${EXAMPLE}"
-    mpiexec -n 4 ./${EXAMPLE} && success1=true || break
+    mpiexec -n 4 ./${EXAMPLE} && success1=true
+    if test $success1 = false; then
+        break
+    fi
 done
 success2=true
 for EXAMPLE in $PIO_EXAMPLES_16
 do
     success2=false
     echo "running ${EXAMPLE}"
-    mpiexec -n 16 ./${EXAMPLE} && success2=true || break
+    mpiexec -n 16 ./${EXAMPLE} && success2=true
+    if test $success2 = false; then
+        break
+    fi
 done
 
 # Did we succeed?