diff --git a/testsuite/expect/globals b/testsuite/expect/globals
index 2cd5f8f0016c0498693d27f660171b7330f795dd..29f8cda0f9122eafb7f4b131eb5fb2ea164cc94f 100755
--- a/testsuite/expect/globals
+++ b/testsuite/expect/globals
@@ -4173,6 +4173,10 @@ proc test_pack_step { } {
 	} elseif {$version_major == 17 && $version_minor == 11} {
 		spawn $scontrol show config
 		expect {
+			-re "disable_hetero_steps" {
+				set pack_step 0
+				exp_continue
+			}
 			-re "enable_hetero_steps" {
 				set pack_step 1
 				exp_continue
diff --git a/testsuite/expect/test38.12 b/testsuite/expect/test38.12
index 84692915a3df1c65bf1a36a89dc94b5e17a1ac48..3772fd722330226a0d0ea67ebb4aa3cdcb2b4e72 100755
--- a/testsuite/expect/test38.12
+++ b/testsuite/expect/test38.12
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ if {[test_front_end]} {
         send_user "\nWARNING: This test is incompatible with front-end systems\n"
         exit $exit_code
 }
+if {[test_pack_step] == 0} {
+	send_user "\nWARNING: heterogeneous steps not currently supported\n"
+	exit $exit_code
+}
 
 set def_part_name [default_partition]
 set nb_nodes [get_node_cnt_in_part $def_part_name]
diff --git a/testsuite/expect/test38.14 b/testsuite/expect/test38.14
index 81735473a9647dcdc460e1d4fc6b91737504be04..88bfb911ccce9f05f29b02c548c526b2e34c7ac7 100755
--- a/testsuite/expect/test38.14
+++ b/testsuite/expect/test38.14
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@ set pack_job_id	0
 
 print_header $test_id
 
+if {[test_pack_step] == 0} {
+	send_user "\nWARNING: heterogeneous steps not currently supported\n"
+	exit $exit_code
+}
+
 set def_part_name [default_partition]
 set nb_nodes [get_node_cnt_in_part $def_part_name]
 if {$nb_nodes < 2} {
@@ -83,5 +88,6 @@ if {[wait_for_file $file_out] == 0} {
 
 if {$exit_code == 0} {
 	exec $bin_rm -f $file_out
+	send_user "\nSUCCESS\n"
 }
 exit $exit_code
diff --git a/testsuite/expect/test38.15 b/testsuite/expect/test38.15
index 2c262f5a2b5506ae5d10ca7ded774b4a37ddde46..008b5f3c0aa29eed8c33314b5ce2e3cb20b3cb00 100755
--- a/testsuite/expect/test38.15
+++ b/testsuite/expect/test38.15
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ if {[test_front_end]} {
         send_user "\nWARNING: This test is incompatible with front-end systems\n"
         exit $exit_code
 }
+if {[test_pack_step] == 0} {
+	send_user "\nWARNING: heterogeneous steps not currently supported\n"
+	exit $exit_code
+}
 
 set def_part_name [default_partition]
 set nb_nodes [get_node_cnt_in_part $def_part_name]
diff --git a/testsuite/expect/test38.16 b/testsuite/expect/test38.16
index 007d21024748618078f3f4b7283ba8e20011b658..ecccbac63f6ce2dfdf2c2580934c04e1b0868101 100755
--- a/testsuite/expect/test38.16
+++ b/testsuite/expect/test38.16
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ if {[test_front_end]} {
         send_user "\nWARNING: This test is incompatible with front-end systems\n"
         exit $exit_code
 }
+if {[test_pack_step] == 0} {
+	send_user "\nWARNING: heterogeneous steps not currently supported\n"
+	exit $exit_code
+}
 
 set def_part_name [default_partition]
 set nb_nodes [get_node_cnt_in_part $def_part_name]
diff --git a/testsuite/expect/test38.6 b/testsuite/expect/test38.6
index 802c70771d69e03612d3c7d289e235f6a4444d3d..73dea05f7662fc3ffb43bf70770ffc1378747167 100755
--- a/testsuite/expect/test38.6
+++ b/testsuite/expect/test38.6
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ if {[test_front_end]} {
         send_user "\nWARNING: This test is incompatible with front-end systems\n"
         exit $exit_code
 }
+if {[test_pack_step] == 0} {
+	send_user "\nWARNING: heterogeneous steps not currently supported\n"
+	exit $exit_code
+}
 
 proc end_it { exit_code } {
 	global test_id orig_spank_conf spank_conf_file new_spank_conf spank_out
diff --git a/testsuite/expect/test38.7 b/testsuite/expect/test38.7
index 7d5de3851bee5e6aff8ba54e6967323a1ad7b897..0a34e41f109e1acb00c884252b0ad68b48581465 100755
--- a/testsuite/expect/test38.7
+++ b/testsuite/expect/test38.7
@@ -331,6 +331,10 @@ if {[wait_for_file $file_out] == 0} {
 # TEST OF PACK GROUP 0,1
 ########################################################################
 
+if {[test_pack_step] == 0} {
+	send_user "\nWARNING: heterogeneous steps not currently supported\n"
+	exit $exit_code
+}
 if {[test_pack_step] == 0} {
 	send_user "\nWARNING: heterogeneous steps not currently supported\n"
 	exit $exit_code
diff --git a/testsuite/expect/test38.9 b/testsuite/expect/test38.9
index 481fcfe65d51225ceb5791a773990d4e78843975..db01456cab2831083feb7d1f7737fa536efd8e07 100755
--- a/testsuite/expect/test38.9
+++ b/testsuite/expect/test38.9
@@ -31,16 +31,21 @@
 source ./globals
 
 set test_id     "38.9"
+set exit_code	0
+set prompt	"PROMPT:"
 
 print_header $test_id
-set prompt           "PROMPT:"
-
-set timeout 60
 
 if {[test_front_end]} {
         send_user "\nWARNING: This test is incompatible with front-end systems\n"
         exit $exit_code
-} elseif {[test_serial]} {
+}
+if {[test_pack_step] == 0} {
+	send_user "\nWARNING: heterogeneous steps not currently supported\n"
+	exit $exit_code
+}
+
+if {[test_serial]} {
 	set task_num 1
 } else {
 	set task_num 2