diff --git a/tests/visual_tests/compare.py b/tests/visual_tests/compare.py
index 5645c3a9b..92bea4ad8 100644
--- a/tests/visual_tests/compare.py
+++ b/tests/visual_tests/compare.py
@@ -94,10 +94,10 @@ def summary(generate=False):
                 if generate:
                     actual = open(error[1],'r').read()
                     open(error[2],'wb').write(actual)
-                    print "Generating reference image: '%s'" % error[2]
+                    print str(idx+1) + ") Generating reference image: '%s'" % error[2]
                     continue
                 else:
-                    print "Could not verify %s: No reference image found!" % error[1]
+                    print str(idx+1) + ")Could not verify %s: No reference image found!" % error[1]
             elif isinstance(error[0],int):
                 print str(idx+1) + ") \x1b[34m%s different pixels\x1b[0m:\n\t%s (\x1b[31mactual\x1b[0m)\n\t%s (\x1b[32mexpected\x1b[0m)" % error
             elif isinstance(error[0],str):
diff --git a/tests/visual_tests/test.py b/tests/visual_tests/test.py
index affeecb6e..b5c886f19 100755
--- a/tests/visual_tests/test.py
+++ b/tests/visual_tests/test.py
@@ -102,15 +102,14 @@ def render(filename, width, height, bbox, quiet=False):
     except Exception, e:
         sys.stderr.write(e.message + '\n')
         fail(actual_agg,expected,str(e.message))
-    if 'tiff' in actual or 'marker' in actual:
+    if try_cairo and ('tiff' in actual or 'marker' in actual):
         actual_cairo = os.path.join(visual_output_dir, '%s-cairo.png' % actual)
         if not quiet:
             print "\"%s\" with size %dx%d with cairo..." % (filename, width, height),
         try:
             mapnik.render_to_file(m, actual_cairo,'ARGB32')
             if not os.path.exists(expected):
-                # generate it on the fly
-                fail(actual_cairo,expected,None)
+                pass # will have been generated by agg test
             else:
                 # cairo and agg differ in alpha for reasons unknown, so don't test it for now
                 diff = compare(actual_cairo, expected, threshold=1, alpha=False)