diff --git a/test/ChangeLog b/test/ChangeLog
index 6fa11867a5e..78a03d1b335 100644
--- a/test/ChangeLog
+++ b/test/ChangeLog
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 2014-12-16  Glenn Morris  <rgm@gnu.org>
 
+	* automated/data/flymake/Makefile (check-syntax):
+	Prevent colorized gcc output from confusing flymake.
+
 	* automated/flymake-tests.el (flymake-tests-data-directory):
 	Change from flymake/warnpred to more standard data/flymake.
+	* automated/flymake/warnpred/: Rename to automated/data/flymake/.
 
 2014-12-11  Michael Albinus  <michael.albinus@gmx.de>
 
diff --git a/test/automated/data/flymake/Makefile b/test/automated/data/flymake/Makefile
index 33af51c3337..a92db78b46f 100644
--- a/test/automated/data/flymake/Makefile
+++ b/test/automated/data/flymake/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@
 
 CC_OPTS = -Wall
 
+## Recent gcc's (e.g. 4.8.2 on RHEL7) can automatically colorize their output,
+## which can confuse flymake.  Set GCC_COLORS to disable that.
+## TODO is this something that should be fixed in flymake?
 check-syntax:
-	$(CC) $(CC_OPTS) ${CHK_SOURCES}
+	GCC_COLORS= $(CC) $(CC_OPTS) ${CHK_SOURCES}
 
 # eof