diff --git a/t/t0000-basic.sh b/t/t0000-basic.sh
index 22bdacaf78..bc3e711a52 100755
--- a/t/t0000-basic.sh
+++ b/t/t0000-basic.sh
@@ -17,8 +17,37 @@ IDs.  When object ID computation changes, like in the previous case of
 swapping compression and hashing order, the person who is making the
 modification *should* take notice and update the test vectors here.
 '
+
+################################################################
+# It appears that people are getting bitten by not installing
+# 'merge' (usually part of RCS package in binary distributions)
+# or have too old python without subprocess.  Check them and error
+# out before running any tests.  Also catch the bogosity of trying
+# to run tests without building while we are at it.
+
+../git >/dev/null
+if test $? != 1
+then
+	echo >&2 'You do not seem to have built git yet.'
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+merge >/dev/null 2>/dev/null
+if test $? == 127
+then
+	echo >&2 'You do not seem to have "merge" installed.
+Please check INSTALL document.'
+	exit 1
+fi
+
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
+"$PYTHON" -c 'import subprocess' || {
+	echo >&2 'Your python seem to lack "subprocess" module.
+Please check INSTALL document.'
+	exit 1
+}
+
 ################################################################
 # init-db has been done in an empty repository.
 # make sure it is empty.
diff --git a/t/test-lib.sh b/t/test-lib.sh
index 447d9e2517..2819bef1c4 100755
--- a/t/test-lib.sh
+++ b/t/test-lib.sh
@@ -179,11 +179,16 @@ export PATH GIT_EXEC_PATH
 PYTHON=`sed -e '1{
 	s/^#!//
 	q
-}' ../git-merge-recursive` &&
+}' ../git-merge-recursive` || {
+	error "You haven't built things yet, have you?"
+}
 "$PYTHON" -c 'import subprocess' 2>/dev/null || {
 	PYTHONPATH=$(pwd)/../compat
 	export PYTHONPATH
 }
+test -d ../templates/blt || {
+	error "You haven't built things yet, have you?"
+}
 
 # Test repository
 test=trash
@@ -191,6 +196,6 @@ rm -fr "$test"
 mkdir "$test"
 cd "$test"
 "$GIT_EXEC_PATH/git" init-db --template=../../templates/blt/ 2>/dev/null ||
-error "cannot run git init-db"
+error "cannot run git init-db -- have you built things yet?"
 
 mv .git/hooks .git/hooks-disabled