diff --git a/tests/plugin/spec/editorconfig_spec.rb b/tests/plugin/spec/editorconfig_spec.rb
index 0b3e654b6..fd1644b0a 100644
--- a/tests/plugin/spec/editorconfig_spec.rb
+++ b/tests/plugin/spec/editorconfig_spec.rb
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ def test_editorconfig(vim, file_name, expected_values)
   vim.edit(File.join(BASE_PATH, file_name))
 
   expected_values.each do |key, val|
-    expect(vim.echo("&l:#{key}")).to eq(val)
+    vimval = vim.echo("&l:#{key}")
+    expect(vimval).to eq(val), "key #{key} had value #{vimval}, but I expected #{val}"
   end
 
   vim.command 'bd!'
diff --git a/tests/travis-test.sh b/tests/travis-test.sh
index 76022a039..ef886e6bd 100755
--- a/tests/travis-test.sh
+++ b/tests/travis-test.sh
@@ -11,6 +11,17 @@ if [[ ( ! "${TEST_WHICH:-}" ) && "${1:-}" ]]; then
     export TEST_WHICH="$1"
 fi
 
+if [[ ! "${TEST_WHICH:-}" ]]; then
+    cat <<EOT
+Usage: $0 \$WHICH
+  or:  TEST_WHICH=\$WHICH $0
+Run automated tests of editorconfig-vim
+
+\$WHICH can be "core" or "plugin".
+EOT
+    exit 2
+fi
+
 if [[ "$TEST_WHICH" = 'plugin' ]]; then       # test plugin
 
     # If not running from Travis, do what Travis would have