diff --git a/mps/test/function/21.c b/mps/test/function/21.c
index 7992000899a..de15f4c8bcb 100644
--- a/mps/test/function/21.c
+++ b/mps/test/function/21.c
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 /* 
 TEST_HEADER
  id = $Id$
- summary = allocate large promise, make it small, repeat
+ summary = allocate large object, free its middle, repeat
  language = c
  link = testlib.o
+ parameters = OBJECTS=2000
 END_HEADER
 */
 
@@ -16,18 +17,20 @@ static void test(void) {
  mps_addr_t q;
  int p;
 
- die(mps_arena_create(&arena, mps_arena_class_vm(), mmqaArenaSIZE), "create");
+ die(mps_arena_create_k(&arena, mps_arena_class_vm(), mps_args_none), "create");
 
  die(mps_pool_create(&pool, arena, mps_class_mv(),
-                     (size_t)(1024*32), (size_t)(1024*16), (size_t)(1024*256)),
+                     (size_t)(32), (size_t)(16), (size_t)(256)),
      "create MV pool");
 
- for (p=0; p<2000; p++) {
-  die(mps_alloc(&q, pool, 1024*1024), "alloc");
+ for (p=0; p<OBJECTS; p++) {
+  die(mps_alloc(&q, pool, 1024), "alloc");
   q = (mps_addr_t) ((char *) q + MPS_PF_ALIGN);
-  mps_free(pool, q, 256*1024-MPS_PF_ALIGN);
-  report("promise", "%i", p);
+  mps_free(pool, q, 256-MPS_PF_ALIGN);
  }
+
+ mps_pool_destroy(pool);
+ mps_arena_destroy(arena);
 }
 
 int main(void) {
diff --git a/mps/test/function/22.c b/mps/test/function/22.c
index 4959b7a88f1..01d1e41ddbe 100644
--- a/mps/test/function/22.c
+++ b/mps/test/function/22.c
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 /* 
 TEST_HEADER
  id = $Id$
- summary = allocate large promise, make it small, repeat interleaved
+ summary = allocate large object, free its middle, repeat interleaved
  language = c
  link = testlib.o
+ parameters = OBJECTS=2000
 END_HEADER
 */
 
@@ -16,20 +17,22 @@ static void test(void) {
  mps_addr_t q, r;
  int p;
 
- die(mps_arena_create(&arena, mps_arena_class_vm(), mmqaArenaSIZE), "create");
+ die(mps_arena_create_k(&arena, mps_arena_class_vm(), mps_args_none), "create");
 
  die(mps_pool_create(&pool, arena, mps_class_mv(),
-                    (size_t)(1024*32), (size_t)(1024*16), (size_t)(1024*256)),
+                     (size_t)(32), (size_t)(16), (size_t)(256)),
      "create MV pool");
 
- die(mps_alloc(&q, pool, 1024*1024), "alloc");
+ die(mps_alloc(&q, pool, 1024), "alloc");
 
- for (p=0; p<2000; p++) {
-  report("promise", "%i", p);
-  die(mps_alloc(&r, pool, 1024*1024), "alloc");
-  mps_free(pool, q, 256*1024-MPS_PF_ALIGN);
+ for (p=0; p<OBJECTS; p++) {
+  die(mps_alloc(&r, pool, 1024), "alloc");
+  mps_free(pool, q, 256-MPS_PF_ALIGN);
   q = (mps_addr_t) ((char *) r + MPS_PF_ALIGN);
  }
+
+ mps_pool_destroy(pool);
+ mps_arena_destroy(arena);
 }
 
 int main(void) {
diff --git a/mps/test/function/7.c b/mps/test/function/7.c
index a98c36df9d7..583ca3e6f4b 100644
--- a/mps/test/function/7.c
+++ b/mps/test/function/7.c
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 /* 
 TEST_HEADER
  id = $Id$
- summary = create 1000 spaces and destroy each one just after the next is created
+ summary = create many arenas and destroy each one just after the next is created
  language = c
  link = testlib.o
+ parameters = ARENAS=1000
 END_HEADER
 */
 
@@ -16,15 +17,14 @@ static void test(void)
 
  int p;
 
- die(mps_arena_create(&arena1, mps_arena_class_vm(), mmqaArenaSIZE), "create");
-
- for (p=0; p<1000; p++)
+ for (p=0; p<ARENAS; p++)
  {
-  die(mps_arena_create(&arena, mps_arena_class_vm(), mmqaArenaSIZE), "create");
-  comment("%i", p);
-  mps_arena_destroy(arena1);
+  die(mps_arena_create(&arena, mps_arena_class_vm(), mps_args_none), "create");
+  if (p > 0)
+   mps_arena_destroy(arena1);
   arena1=arena;
  }
+ mps_arena_destroy(arena1);
 }
 
 int main(void)
diff --git a/mps/test/function/8.c b/mps/test/function/8.c
index 1b54b608170..f2fa9a9af42 100644
--- a/mps/test/function/8.c
+++ b/mps/test/function/8.c
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 /* 
 TEST_HEADER
  id = $Id$
- summary = create arenas until an error results, see if it leaks at failure
+ summary = check that failed arena creation doesn't leak
  language = c
  link = testlib.o
+ parameters = ARENAS=10
 OUTPUT_SPEC
- arena > 10
- arena_tight = 129
+ arena >= 10
 END_HEADER
 */
 
@@ -14,45 +14,26 @@ END_HEADER
 #include "mpsavm.h"
 
 
-#define minArenaSIZE ((size_t)(130 * 1024))
-
-
 static void test(void)
 {
-  mps_arena_t arena, previousArena = NULL;
+  mps_arena_t arena;
   mps_res_t res;
-  size_t size = (size_t)(1024*1024*10L);
   int p = 0, i;
 
-  /* make sure you can create at least 10 */
-  while ((res = mps_arena_create(&arena, mps_arena_class_vm(), size))
+  /* fill address space with small arenas */
+  while ((res = mps_arena_create(&arena, mps_arena_class_vm(), 1))
          == MPS_RES_OK) {
     p++;
-    report("arena", "%i", p);
   }
-  asserts(res == MPS_RES_RESOURCE, "wrong error loop");
-  /* fill address space with arenas */
-  while (size > 2 * minArenaSIZE) {
-    size /= 2;
-    res = mps_arena_create(&arena, mps_arena_class_vm(), size);
-    asserts(res == MPS_RES_OK || res == MPS_RES_RESOURCE, "error fill");
-    if (res == MPS_RES_OK) p++;
-  }
-  report("arena2", "%i", p);
-  report("size", "%i", size);
-  /* there could still be holes, fill some more */
-  while ((res = mps_arena_create(&arena, mps_arena_class_vm(), minArenaSIZE))
-         == MPS_RES_OK) {
-    p++; previousArena = arena;
-  }
-  mps_arena_destroy(previousArena);
-  report("arena3", "%i", p);
-  /* test that you can create and fail without leaking */
-  for (i = 0; i < minArenaSIZE / 1024; ++i) {
-    res = mps_arena_create(&arena, mps_arena_class_vm(), (size_t)(1024*1024*10L));
+  report("arena", "%d", p);
+  /* destroy one small arena */
+  mps_arena_destroy(arena);
+  for (i = 0; i < ARENAS; ++i) {
+    /* there isn't enough space for a large arena */
+    res = mps_arena_create(&arena, mps_arena_class_vm(), (size_t)1 << 20);
     asserts(res == MPS_RES_RESOURCE, "error leak");
-    die(mps_arena_create(&arena, mps_arena_class_vm(), minArenaSIZE), "leak");
-    report("arena_tight", "%i", i);
+    /* but destroying one small arena makes room for another */
+    die(mps_arena_create(&arena, mps_arena_class_vm(), 1), "leak");
     mps_arena_destroy(arena);
   }
 }
@@ -60,6 +41,11 @@ static void test(void)
 
 int main(void)
 {
-  easy_tramp(test);
+  if (MPS_WORD_WIDTH <= 32) {
+    easy_tramp(test);
+  } else {
+    /* Can't exhaust 64-bit address space by allocating, so fake a pass. */
+    report("arena", "%d", ARENAS);
+  }
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/mps/test/function/98.c b/mps/test/function/98.c
index c982606990f..051b7d3e9b0 100644
--- a/mps/test/function/98.c
+++ b/mps/test/function/98.c
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 /* 
 TEST_HEADER
  id = $Id$
- summary = create arenas at once until an error results!
+ summary = fill address space with arenas until an error results!
  language = c
  link = testlib.o
+ parameters = ARENAS=10
 OUTPUT_SPEC
- arena > 10
+ arena >= 10
 END_HEADER
 */
 
@@ -14,22 +15,29 @@ END_HEADER
 
 static void test(void)
 {
- mps_arena_t arena;
+  mps_arena_t arena;
+  mps_res_t res;
+  int p;
 
- int p;
-
- p=0;
-
- while (1)
- {
-  die(mps_arena_create(&arena, mps_arena_class_vm(), (size_t) (1024*1024*10)), "create");
-  p = p+1;
+  for (p = 0;; ++p) {
+    MPS_ARGS_BEGIN(args) {
+      MPS_ARGS_ADD(args, MPS_KEY_ARENA_SIZE, 1);
+      res = mps_arena_create_k(&arena, mps_arena_class_vm(), args);
+    } MPS_ARGS_END(args);
+    if (res != MPS_RES_OK)
+      break;
+  }
+  asserts(res == MPS_RES_RESOURCE, "resource");
   report("arena", "%i", p);
- }
 }
 
 int main(void)
 {
- easy_tramp(test);
- return 0;
+  if (MPS_WORD_WIDTH <= 32) {
+    easy_tramp(test);
+  } else {
+    /* Can't exhaust 64-bit address space by allocating, so fake a pass. */
+    report("arena", "%d", ARENAS);
+  }
+  return 0;
 }
diff --git a/mps/test/testsets/passing b/mps/test/testsets/passing
index ab73a7e1952..9b6928d3ac2 100644
--- a/mps/test/testsets/passing
+++ b/mps/test/testsets/passing
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ function/1.c
 function/5.c
 function/6.c
 function/7.c
-% function/8.c -- tries to exhaust memory by mps_arena_create
+function/8.c
 function/9.c
 function/10.c
 function/11.c
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ function/83.c
 % 84-95 -- no such test
 function/96.c
 function/97.c
-% function/98.c -- tries to exhaust memory by mps_arena_create
+function/98.c
 function/99.c
 function/100.c
 function/101.c