diff --git a/tests/10_define.sh b/tests/10_define.sh
index 3f57103..7d4c5f6 100644
--- a/tests/10_define.sh
+++ b/tests/10_define.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 @define A=aaa
 @define B=${A}bbb
-C=ccc
 
 @goal testA
 echo A=$A
diff --git a/tests/12_errors.sh b/tests/12_errors.sh
index 37025e5..d49663f 100644
--- a/tests/12_errors.sh
+++ b/tests/12_errors.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 
+echo 'code in prelude'
+echo 'more code in prelude'
+
 @reached_if true
 @depends_on g1
 @doc Doc in prelude
diff --git a/tests/12_errors.tush b/tests/12_errors.tush
index cfc1d64..5dd2d68 100644
--- a/tests/12_errors.tush
+++ b/tests/12_errors.tush
@@ -1,47 +1,49 @@
 
 $ cd "$MYDIR"; ./$MAKESURE -f tests/12_errors.sh
+@ Shell code is not allowed in prelude area:
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:2: echo 'code in prelude'
 @ Only use @reached_if in @goal:
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:2: @reached_if true
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:5: @reached_if true
 @ Only use @depends_on in @goal:
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:3: @depends_on g1
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:6: @depends_on g1
 @ Only use @doc in @goal:
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:4: @doc Doc in prelude
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:7: @doc Doc in prelude
 @ Option 'unsupported' is not supported:
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:5: @options unsupported
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:8: @options unsupported
 @ Provide at least one option:
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:6: @options
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:9: @options
 @ Shell 'unsupported' is not supported:
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:7: @shell unsupported
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:10: @shell unsupported
 @ Shell '' is not supported:
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:8: @shell
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:11: @shell
 @ Only use @use_lib in @goal:
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:9: @use_lib lib1
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:12: @use_lib lib1
 @ Goal must have a name:
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:11: @goal
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:14: @goal
 @ Goal 'g1' is already defined:
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:17: @goal g1
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:20: @goal g1
 @ Provide at least one dependency:
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:18: @depends_on
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:21: @depends_on
 @ Multiple @reached_if not allowed for a goal:
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:20: @reached_if false
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:23: @reached_if false
 @ Only use @shell in prelude:
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:25: @shell sh
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:28: @shell sh
 @ Only use @define in prelude:
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:26: @define A=1
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:29: @define A=1
 @ Multiple @doc not allowed for a goal:
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:31: @doc doc2
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:34: @doc doc2
 @ Only use @options in prelude:
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:32: @options timing
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:35: @options timing
 @ Unknown directive: @unknown_directive:
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:33: @unknown_directive arg
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:36: @unknown_directive arg
 @ You can only use one @lib in a @goal:
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:35: @use_lib lib2
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:38: @use_lib lib2
 @ Goal 'g1' has unknown dependency 'unknown':
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:15: @depends_on unknown
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:18: @depends_on unknown
 @ Goal 'g2' uses unknown lib 'unknown':
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:24: @use_lib unknown
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:27: @use_lib unknown
 @ Goal 'g13' uses unknown lib 'unknown1':
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:38: @use_lib unknown1
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:41: @use_lib unknown1
 @ Goal 'g14' has unknown dependency 'unknown1':
-@ tests/12_errors.sh:41: @depends_on unknown1
+@ tests/12_errors.sh:44: @depends_on unknown1
 ? 1
diff --git a/tests/16_prelude_fail.tush b/tests/16_prelude_fail.tush.TBD.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/16_prelude_fail.tush
rename to tests/16_prelude_fail.tush.TBD.txt
diff --git a/tests/18_vars_priority.sh b/tests/18_vars_priority.sh
index 15e0bb3..77063bc 100644
--- a/tests/18_vars_priority.sh
+++ b/tests/18_vars_priority.sh
@@ -1,16 +1,6 @@
 
-echo "in prelude: A=$A"
-echo "in prelude: V=$V"
-sh -c 'echo "in prelude: in child: A=$A"'
-sh -c 'echo "in prelude: in child: V=$V"'
-
 @define V="V_prelude"
 
-echo "in prelude: A=$A"
-echo "in prelude: V=$V"
-sh -c 'echo "in prelude: in child: A=$A"'
-sh -c 'echo "in prelude: in child: V=$V"'
-
 @goal default
   echo "A=$A"
   echo "V=$V"
diff --git a/tests/18_vars_priority.tush b/tests/18_vars_priority.tush
index ea6159a..8a26316 100644
--- a/tests/18_vars_priority.tush
+++ b/tests/18_vars_priority.tush
@@ -1,13 +1,5 @@
 
 $ cd "$MYDIR"; ./$MAKESURE -f tests/18_vars_priority.sh
-| in prelude: A=
-| in prelude: V=
-| in prelude: in child: A=
-| in prelude: in child: V=
-| in prelude: A=
-| in prelude: V=V_prelude
-| in prelude: in child: A=
-| in prelude: in child: V=V_prelude
 |   goal 'default' ...
 | A=
 | V=V_prelude
@@ -15,14 +7,6 @@ $ cd "$MYDIR"; ./$MAKESURE -f tests/18_vars_priority.sh
 | in child: V=V_prelude
 
 $ cd "$MYDIR"; A=A_env ./$MAKESURE -f tests/18_vars_priority.sh
-| in prelude: A=A_env
-| in prelude: V=
-| in prelude: in child: A=A_env
-| in prelude: in child: V=
-| in prelude: A=A_env
-| in prelude: V=V_prelude
-| in prelude: in child: A=A_env
-| in prelude: in child: V=V_prelude
 |   goal 'default' ...
 | A=A_env
 | V=V_prelude
@@ -30,14 +14,6 @@ $ cd "$MYDIR"; A=A_env ./$MAKESURE -f tests/18_vars_priority.sh
 | in child: V=V_prelude
 
 $ cd "$MYDIR"; V=V_env ./$MAKESURE -f tests/18_vars_priority.sh
-| in prelude: A=
-| in prelude: V=V_env
-| in prelude: in child: A=
-| in prelude: in child: V=V_env
-| in prelude: A=
-| in prelude: V=V_prelude
-| in prelude: in child: A=
-| in prelude: in child: V=V_prelude
 |   goal 'default' ...
 | A=
 | V=V_prelude
@@ -45,14 +21,6 @@ $ cd "$MYDIR"; V=V_env ./$MAKESURE -f tests/18_vars_priority.sh
 | in child: V=V_prelude
 
 $ cd "$MYDIR"; ./$MAKESURE -f tests/18_vars_priority.sh -D V=V_D
-| in prelude: A=
-| in prelude: V=V_D
-| in prelude: in child: A=
-| in prelude: in child: V=V_D
-| in prelude: A=
-| in prelude: V=V_D
-| in prelude: in child: A=
-| in prelude: in child: V=V_D
 |   goal 'default' ...
 | A=
 | V=V_D
@@ -60,14 +28,6 @@ $ cd "$MYDIR"; ./$MAKESURE -f tests/18_vars_priority.sh -D V=V_D
 | in child: V=V_D
 
 $ cd "$MYDIR"; V=V_env ./$MAKESURE -f tests/18_vars_priority.sh -D V=V_D
-| in prelude: A=
-| in prelude: V=V_D
-| in prelude: in child: A=
-| in prelude: in child: V=V_D
-| in prelude: A=
-| in prelude: V=V_D
-| in prelude: in child: A=
-| in prelude: in child: V=V_D
 |   goal 'default' ...
 | A=
 | V=V_D
diff --git a/tests/7_options.tush b/tests/7_options.tush
index 0cc0927..82a7dc6 100644
--- a/tests/7_options.tush
+++ b/tests/7_options.tush
@@ -15,10 +15,7 @@ $ cd "$MYDIR"; ./$MAKESURE -f tests/7_options_in_goal.sh
 ? 1
 
 $ cd "$MYDIR"; ./$MAKESURE -f tests/7_options_tracing.sh -x
-| prelude 123
 |   goal 'default' ...
 | test
-@ + A=123
-@ + echo 'prelude 123'
 @ + echo test
 
diff --git a/tests/7_options_tracing.sh b/tests/7_options_tracing.sh
index 68cf89e..ccbea4d 100644
--- a/tests/7_options_tracing.sh
+++ b/tests/7_options_tracing.sh
@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
 
 @options tracing
 
-A=123
-echo "prelude $A"
-
 @goal default
   echo test
diff --git a/tests/9_prelude.sh b/tests/9_prelude.sh
index 4aa173c..18b7cde 100644
--- a/tests/9_prelude.sh
+++ b/tests/9_prelude.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 
-echo "prelude should execute only once"
+# no code allowed in prelude,
+# only comments, @define, @shell, @options
+
+@shell bash
+@define A=B
 
 @goal a
 @depends_on b
diff --git a/tests/9_prelude.tush b/tests/9_prelude.tush
index c0815cf..fc43e4c 100644
--- a/tests/9_prelude.tush
+++ b/tests/9_prelude.tush
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 
 $ cd "$MYDIR"; ./$MAKESURE -f tests/9_prelude.sh a
-| prelude should execute only once
 |   goal 'c' [already satisfied].
 |   goal 'd' ...
 | d