diff --git a/testsuite/expect/test12.7 b/testsuite/expect/test12.7
index a9e184a4b16d7febc11e7792e88e87fd106fc5d1..87eb29c0f104d6cc3c3e70e06cc174fbf4de3567 100755
--- a/testsuite/expect/test12.7
+++ b/testsuite/expect/test12.7
@@ -58,12 +58,12 @@ proc mod_state { state } {
 proc check_step { num } {
 
 	global sacct job_id exit_code
-
 	set steps 0
-	spawn $sacct --job=$job_id\.batch -D --noheader --format=jobid%30 -P
+	spawn $sacct --job=$job_id\.batch -D --start=today --noheader --format=jobid -P
 	expect {
 		-re "batch" {
-			incr steps 1
+			incr steps
+			send_user "got here with $steps\n"
 			exp_continue
 		}
 		timeout {
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ proc check_step { num } {
 		}
 
 	}
+
 	if {$num != $steps} {
 		send_user "\nFAILURE: found $steps step(s) when expecting "
 		send_user "$num steps\n"
@@ -88,13 +89,13 @@ proc check_sacct_states { states log_it } {
 	log_user $log_it
 	set state_num 0
 	if { $log_it == 1 } {
-		spawn $sacct --job=$job_id --duplicates --parsable2
+		spawn $sacct --job=$job_id --duplicates --parsable2 --start=today
 	} else {
-		spawn $sacct --job=$job_id --duplicates --parsable2 --noheader --format=state
+		spawn $sacct --job=$job_id --duplicates --parsable2 --start=today --noheader --format=state
 	}
 	expect {
 		-re ($states) {
-			incr state_num 1
+			incr state_num
 			exp_continue
 		}
 		timeout {