diff --git a/project/build/XSbt.scala b/project/build/XSbt.scala
index ce3d4650f..ba85b293c 100644
--- a/project/build/XSbt.scala
+++ b/project/build/XSbt.scala
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ class XSbt(info: ProjectInfo) extends ParentProject(info) with NoCrossPaths
 	trait TestDependencies extends Project
 	{
 		val sc = "org.scala-tools.testing" % "scalacheck_2.8.0" % "1.7" % "test"
-		val sp = "org.scala-tools.testing" % "specs_2.8.0" % "1.6.5" % "test"
+		val sp = "org.scala-tools.testing" % "specs_2.8.1" % "1.6.7.2" % "test"
 	}
 	class LogProject(info: ProjectInfo) extends Base(info) with TestDependencies
 	{
diff --git a/tasks/src/test/scala/TaskGen.scala b/tasks/src/test/scala/TaskGen.scala
index f14f8eb76..482cfa7de 100644
--- a/tasks/src/test/scala/TaskGen.scala
+++ b/tasks/src/test/scala/TaskGen.scala
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ object TaskGen
 	// upper bounds to make the tests finish in reasonable time
 	val MaxTasks = 100
 	val MaxWorkers = 29
-	val MaxJoin = 100
+	val MaxJoin = 20
 	
 	val MaxTasksGen = choose(0, MaxTasks)
 	val MaxWorkersGen = choose(1, MaxWorkers)
diff --git a/tasks/standard/src/test/scala/TaskSerial.scala b/tasks/standard/src/test/scala/TaskSerial.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f2a542e5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tasks/standard/src/test/scala/TaskSerial.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package sbt
+package std
+
+	import Types._
+	import TaskExtra._
+	import TaskTest.tryRun
+
+	import org.scalacheck._
+	import Prop.forAll
+	import Transform.taskToNode
+
+object TaskSerial extends Properties("task serial")
+{
+	val checkCycles = true
+	val maxWorkers = 100
+
+	def eval[T](t: Task[T]): T = tryRun(t, checkCycles, maxWorkers)
+
+	property("Evaluates basic") = forAll { (i: Int) =>
+		checkResult( eval( task(i) ), i )
+	}
+
+	property("Evaluates Function0") = forAll { (i: Int) =>
+		checkResult( eval( () => i ), i )
+	}
+
+	
+}
+
+object TaskTest
+{
+	def run[T](root: Task[T], checkCycles: Boolean, maxWorkers: Int): Result[T] =
+	{
+		val (service, shutdown) = CompletionService[Task[_], Completed](maxWorkers)
+		
+		val x = new Execute[Task](checkCycles)(taskToNode)
+		try { x.run(root)(service) } finally { shutdown() }
+	}
+	def tryRun[T](root: Task[T], checkCycles: Boolean, maxWorkers: Int): T =
+		run(root, checkCycles, maxWorkers) match {
+			case Value(v) => v
+			case Inc(i) => throw i
+		}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/util/process/src/test/scala/ProcessSpecification.scala b/util/process/src/test/scala/ProcessSpecification.scala
index f2f42d3ca..15f9c1f48 100644
--- a/util/process/src/test/scala/ProcessSpecification.scala
+++ b/util/process/src/test/scala/ProcessSpecification.scala
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import Prop._
 
 import Process._
 
-object ProcessSpecification extends Properties("Process I/O")
+private[this] object ProcessSpecification extends Properties("Process I/O")
 {
 	implicit val exitCodeArb: Arbitrary[Array[Byte]] = Arbitrary(Gen.choose(0, 10) flatMap { size => Gen.resize(size, Arbitrary.arbArray[Byte].arbitrary) })