diff --git a/gdb/testsuite/ChangeLog b/gdb/testsuite/ChangeLog
index bd768ce1ac..80e8d31e6a 100644
--- a/gdb/testsuite/ChangeLog
+++ b/gdb/testsuite/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2001-12-17  Jim Blandy  <jimb@redhat.com>
+
+	* gdb.base/corefile.exp: Recognize the message saying that GDB
+ 	can't find the core file's registers as a failure.
+
 2001-12-13  Jackie Smith Cashion  <jsmith@redhat.com>
 
         * gdb.base/commands.exp (user_defined_command_test): Make "show user"
diff --git a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/corefile.exp b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/corefile.exp
index 3d6bf5b925..e25c03c2ea 100644
--- a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/corefile.exp
+++ b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/corefile.exp
@@ -110,6 +110,9 @@ set timeout [expr "$timeout + 60"]
 verbose "Timeout is now $timeout seconds" 2
 eval "spawn $GDB -nw $GDBFLAGS -core=$objdir/$subdir/corefile"
 expect {
+    -re "Couldn't find .* registers in core file.*$gdb_prompt $" {
+        fail "args: -core=corefile (couldn't find regs)"
+    }
     -re "Core was generated by .*coremaker.*\r\n\#0  .*\(\).*\r\n$gdb_prompt $" {
 	pass "args: -core=corefile"
     }