diff --git a/packages/core/src/scripts/prisma.ts b/packages/core/src/scripts/prisma.ts
index 5d34d69d199..57b001f469f 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/scripts/prisma.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/scripts/prisma.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export async function prisma (cwd: string, args: string[], frozen: boolean) {
 
   // this is the compiled version of the configuration which was generated during the build step
   if (!(await fs.stat(builtConfigPath).catch(() => null))) {
-    console.error('🚨 keystone build must be run before running keystone start')
+    console.error('🚨 keystone build must be run before running keystone prisma')
     throw new ExitError(1)
   }
 
diff --git a/tests/cli-tests/__snapshots__/prisma.test.ts.snap b/tests/cli-tests/__snapshots__/prisma.test.ts.snap
index 01de043ea45..ce562c097de 100644
--- a/tests/cli-tests/__snapshots__/prisma.test.ts.snap
+++ b/tests/cli-tests/__snapshots__/prisma.test.ts.snap
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
 
 exports[`keystone prisma exits with the same code as the prisma child process exits with 1`] = `
-"? Generated GraphQL and Prisma schemas
+"? GraphQL and Prisma schemas are up to date
 
 ! Unknown command "bad-thing"
 
@@ -59,12 +59,14 @@ Examples
 
   Display Prisma debug info
   $ prisma debug
+
 "
 `;
 
 exports[`keystone prisma uses the db url in the keystone config 1`] = `
-"? Generated GraphQL and Prisma schemas
+"? GraphQL and Prisma schemas are up to date
 Prisma schema loaded from schema.prisma
 Datasource "sqlite": SQLite database "app.db" at "file:./app.db"
-Error: P1003: Database app.db does not exist at ./app.db"
+Error: P1003: Database app.db does not exist at ./app.db
+"
 `;
diff --git a/tests/cli-tests/prisma.test.ts b/tests/cli-tests/prisma.test.ts
index 0e6c26e4c9e..29366bbdb57 100644
--- a/tests/cli-tests/prisma.test.ts
+++ b/tests/cli-tests/prisma.test.ts
@@ -1,34 +1,38 @@
-import execa from 'execa'
-import { basicKeystoneConfig, cliBinPath, schemas, symlinkKeystoneDeps, testdir } from './utils'
+import {
+  basicKeystoneConfig,
+  schemas,
+  spawnCommand,
+  spawnCommand2,
+  symlinkKeystoneDeps,
+  testdir
+} from './utils'
 
 // testing erroring when the schemas are not up to date is in artifacts.test.ts
 
 test('keystone prisma exits with the same code as the prisma child process exits with', async () => {
-  const tmp = await testdir({
+  const cwd = await testdir({
     ...symlinkKeystoneDeps,
     ...schemas,
     'keystone.js': basicKeystoneConfig,
   })
-  const result = await execa('node', [cliBinPath, 'prisma', 'bad-thing'], {
-    reject: false,
-    all: true,
-    cwd: tmp,
-  })
-  expect(result.all!.replace(/[^ -~\n]/g, '?').replace(/  \n/g, '\n')).toMatchSnapshot()
-  expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1)
+
+  await spawnCommand(cwd, ['build', '--no-ui'])
+  const { exitCode, output } = await spawnCommand2(cwd, ['prisma', 'bad-thing'])
+
+  expect(exitCode).toEqual(1)
+  expect(output.replace(/[^ -~\n]/g, '?').replace(/  \n/g, '\n')).toMatchSnapshot()
 })
 
 test('keystone prisma uses the db url in the keystone config', async () => {
-  const tmp = await testdir({
+  const cwd = await testdir({
     ...symlinkKeystoneDeps,
     ...schemas,
     'keystone.js': basicKeystoneConfig,
   })
-  const result = await execa('node', [cliBinPath, 'prisma', 'migrate', 'status'], {
-    reject: false,
-    all: true,
-    cwd: tmp,
-  })
-  expect(result.all!.replace(/[^ -~\n]/g, '?').replace(/  \n/g, '\n')).toMatchSnapshot()
-  expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1)
+
+  await spawnCommand(cwd, ['build', '--no-ui'])
+  const { exitCode, output } = await spawnCommand2(cwd, ['prisma', 'migrate', 'status'])
+
+  expect(exitCode).toEqual(1)
+  expect(output.replace(/[^ -~\n]/g, '?').replace(/  \n/g, '\n')).toMatchSnapshot()
 })
diff --git a/tests/cli-tests/prisma.test.ts.2 b/tests/cli-tests/prisma.test.ts.2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..75dc2e5ea79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cli-tests/prisma.test.ts.2
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import {
+  basicKeystoneConfig,
+  cliBinPath,
+  schemas,
+  spawnCommand,
+  symlinkKeystoneDeps,
+  testdir
+} from './utils'
+
+// testing erroring when the schemas are not up to date is in artifacts.test.ts
+
+test('keystone prisma exits with the same code as the prisma child process exits with', async () => {
+  const cwd = await testdir({
+    ...symlinkKeystoneDeps,
+    ...schemas,
+    'keystone.js': basicKeystoneConfig,
+  })
+
+  const output = await spawnCommand(cwd, ['prisma', 'bad-thing'])
+  expect(result.all!.replace(/[^ -~\n]/g, '?').replace(/  \n/g, '\n')).toMatchSnapshot()
+  expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1)
+})
+
+test('keystone prisma uses the db url in the keystone config', async () => {
+  const tmp = await testdir({
+    ...symlinkKeystoneDeps,
+    ...schemas,
+    'keystone.js': basicKeystoneConfig,
+  })
+  const result = await execa('node', [cliBinPath, 'prisma', 'migrate', 'status'], {
+    reject: false,
+    all: true,
+    cwd: tmp,
+  })
+  expect(result.all!.replace(/[^ -~\n]/g, '?').replace(/  \n/g, '\n')).toMatchSnapshot()
+  expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1)
+})
diff --git a/tests/cli-tests/utils.ts b/tests/cli-tests/utils.ts
index ed6295175ff..52d3420d738 100644
--- a/tests/cli-tests/utils.ts
+++ b/tests/cli-tests/utils.ts
@@ -90,13 +90,27 @@ export async function spawnCommand (cwd: string, commands: string[]) {
     p.stdout.on('data', (data) => (output += data.toString('utf-8')))
     p.stderr.on('data', (data) => (output += data.toString('utf-8')))
     p.on('error', err => reject(err))
-    p.on('exit', code => {
-      if (code) return reject(new ExitError(code))
+    p.on('exit', exitCode => {
+      if (typeof exitCode === 'number' && exitCode !== 0) return reject(new ExitError(exitCode))
       resolve(output)
     })
   })
 }
 
+export async function spawnCommand2 (cwd: string, commands: string[]) {
+  let output = ''
+  return new Promise<{
+    exitCode: number | null,
+    output: string
+  }>((resolve, reject) => {
+    const p = spawn('node', [cliBinPath, ...commands], { cwd })
+    p.stdout.on('data', (data) => (output += data.toString('utf-8')))
+    p.stderr.on('data', (data) => (output += data.toString('utf-8')))
+    p.on('error', err => reject(err))
+    p.on('exit', exitCode => (resolve({ exitCode, output })))
+  })
+}
+
 let dirsToRemove: string[] = []
 
 afterAll(async () => {