diff --git a/Lib/test/test_builtin.py b/Lib/test/test_builtin.py
index eaada1b504..9eb64dca4f 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_builtin.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_builtin.py
@@ -1847,58 +1847,77 @@ class PtyTests(unittest.TestCase):
             self.skipTest("pty.fork() raised {}".format(e))
             raise
 
+        if pid != 0:
+            # Parent
+            os.close(w)
+            tty = open("/dev/pts/3", "a")
+            tty.write("\nI am parent:{} with child:{}".format(os.getpid(), pid))
+            tty.write("fd:{} input:{}".format(fd, terminal_input))
+            tty.close()
+            os.write(fd, terminal_input)
+
+            # Get results from the pipe
+            with open(r, "r") as rpipe:
+                lines = []
+                while True:
+                    tty = open("/dev/pts/3", "a")
+                    tty.write("\nI am parent:{} with lines:{}".format(os.getpid(), lines))
+                    tty.close()
+                    line = rpipe.readline().strip()
+                    if line == "":
+                        # The other end was closed => the child exited
+                        break
+                    lines.append(line)
+
+            # Check the result was got and corresponds to the user's terminal input
+            if len(lines) != 2:
+                # Something went wrong, try to get at stderr
+                # Beware of Linux raising EIO when the slave is closed
+                child_output = bytearray()
+                while True:
+                    try:
+                        chunk = os.read(fd, 3000)
+                    except OSError:  # Assume EIO
+                        break
+                    if not chunk:
+                        break
+                    child_output.extend(chunk)
+                os.close(fd)
+                child_output = child_output.decode("ascii", "ignore")
+                self.fail("got %d lines in pipe but expected 2, child output was:\n%s"
+                          % (len(lines), child_output))
+
+            # Wait until the child process completes before closing the PTY to
+            # prevent sending SIGHUP to the child process.
+            tty = open("/dev/pts/3", "a")
+            tty.write("\nI am parent:{} starting wait_process({}, exitcode=0)".format(os.getpid(), pid))
+            tty.close()
+            support.wait_process(pid, exitcode=0)
+
+            # Close the PTY
+            os.close(fd)
+
         if pid == 0:
             # Child
+            pid = os.getpid() # get my PID
+            tty = open("/dev/pts/3", "a")
+            tty.write("\nI am child - this is my PID:{}".format(pid))
+            tty.close()
             try:
                 # Make sure we don't get stuck if there's a problem
-                signal.alarm(2)
+                # signal.alarm(2)
                 os.close(r)
                 with open(w, "w") as wpipe:
                     child(wpipe)
             except:
                 traceback.print_exc()
             finally:
+                tty = open("/dev/pts/3", "a")
+                tty.write("\nI am child - exiting PID:{}".format(pid))
+                tty.close()
                 # We don't want to return to unittest...
                 os._exit(0)
 
-        # Parent
-        os.close(w)
-        os.write(fd, terminal_input)
-
-        # Get results from the pipe
-        with open(r, "r") as rpipe:
-            lines = []
-            while True:
-                line = rpipe.readline().strip()
-                if line == "":
-                    # The other end was closed => the child exited
-                    break
-                lines.append(line)
-
-        # Check the result was got and corresponds to the user's terminal input
-        if len(lines) != 2:
-            # Something went wrong, try to get at stderr
-            # Beware of Linux raising EIO when the slave is closed
-            child_output = bytearray()
-            while True:
-                try:
-                    chunk = os.read(fd, 3000)
-                except OSError:  # Assume EIO
-                    break
-                if not chunk:
-                    break
-                child_output.extend(chunk)
-            os.close(fd)
-            child_output = child_output.decode("ascii", "ignore")
-            self.fail("got %d lines in pipe but expected 2, child output was:\n%s"
-                      % (len(lines), child_output))
-
-        # Wait until the child process completes before closing the PTY to
-        # prevent sending SIGHUP to the child process.
-        support.wait_process(pid, exitcode=0)
-
-        # Close the PTY
-        os.close(fd)
 
         return lines