diff --git a/test/testsem.c b/test/testsem.c
index 8a60ff122..39da9fa02 100644
--- a/test/testsem.c
+++ b/test/testsem.c
@@ -21,25 +21,14 @@
 #define NUM_THREADS 10
 
 static SDL_sem *sem;
-int alive = 1;
+int alive;
 
-int SDLCALL
-ThreadFunc(void *data)
-{
-    int threadnum = (int) (uintptr_t) data;
-    while (alive) {
-        SDL_SemWait(sem);
-        SDL_Log("Thread number %d has got the semaphore (value = %d)!\n",
-                threadnum, SDL_SemValue(sem));
-        SDL_Delay(200);
-        SDL_SemPost(sem);
-        SDL_Log("Thread number %d has released the semaphore (value = %d)!\n",
-                threadnum, SDL_SemValue(sem));
-        SDL_Delay(1);           /* For the scheduler */
-    }
-    SDL_Log("Thread number %d exiting.\n", threadnum);
-    return 0;
-}
+typedef struct Thread_State {
+    SDL_Thread * thread;
+    int number;
+    int loop_count;
+    int content_count;
+} Thread_State;
 
 static void
 killed(int sig)
@@ -47,6 +36,61 @@ killed(int sig)
     alive = 0;
 }
 
+static int SDLCALL
+ThreadFuncRealWorld(void *data)
+{
+    Thread_State *state = (Thread_State *) data;
+    while (alive) {
+        SDL_SemWait(sem);
+        SDL_Log("Thread number %d has got the semaphore (value = %d)!\n",
+                state->number, SDL_SemValue(sem));
+        SDL_Delay(200);
+        SDL_SemPost(sem);
+        SDL_Log("Thread number %d has released the semaphore (value = %d)!\n",
+                state->number, SDL_SemValue(sem));
+        ++state->loop_count;
+        SDL_Delay(1);           /* For the scheduler */
+    }
+    SDL_Log("Thread number %d exiting.\n", state->number);
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static void
+TestRealWorld(int init_sem) {
+    Thread_State thread_states[NUM_THREADS];
+    int i;
+    int loop_count;
+
+    sem = SDL_CreateSemaphore(init_sem);
+
+    SDL_Log("Running %d threads, semaphore value = %d\n", NUM_THREADS,
+           init_sem);
+    alive = 1;
+    /* Create all the threads */
+    for (i = 0; i < NUM_THREADS; ++i) {
+        char name[64];
+        SDL_snprintf(name, sizeof (name), "Thread%u", (unsigned int) i);
+        thread_states[i].number = i;
+        thread_states[i].loop_count = 0;
+        thread_states[i].thread = SDL_CreateThread(ThreadFuncRealWorld, name, (void *) &thread_states[i]);
+    }
+
+    /* Wait 10 seconds */
+    SDL_Delay(10 * 1000);
+
+    /* Wait for all threads to finish */
+    SDL_Log("Waiting for threads to finish\n");
+    alive = 0;
+    loop_count = 0;
+    for (i = 0; i < NUM_THREADS; ++i) {
+        SDL_WaitThread(thread_states[i].thread, NULL);
+        loop_count += thread_states[i].loop_count;
+    }
+    SDL_Log("Finished waiting for threads, ran %d loops in total\n\n", loop_count);
+
+    SDL_DestroySemaphore(sem);
+}
+
 static void
 TestWaitTimeout(void)
 {
@@ -65,21 +109,19 @@ TestWaitTimeout(void)
     duration = end_ticks - start_ticks;
 
     /* Accept a little offset in the effective wait */
-    if (duration > 1900 && duration < 2050)
-        SDL_Log("Wait done.\n");
-    else
-        SDL_Log("Wait took %d milliseconds\n", duration);
+    SDL_assert(duration > 1900 && duration < 2050);
+    SDL_Log("Wait took %d milliseconds\n\n", duration);
 
     /* Check to make sure the return value indicates timed out */
     if (retval != SDL_MUTEX_TIMEDOUT)
-        SDL_LogError(SDL_LOG_CATEGORY_APPLICATION, "SDL_SemWaitTimeout returned: %d; expected: %d\n", retval, SDL_MUTEX_TIMEDOUT);
+        SDL_LogError(SDL_LOG_CATEGORY_APPLICATION, "SDL_SemWaitTimeout returned: %d; expected: %d\n\n", retval, SDL_MUTEX_TIMEDOUT);
+
+    SDL_DestroySemaphore(sem);
 }
 
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-    SDL_Thread *threads[NUM_THREADS];
-    uintptr_t i;
     int init_sem;
 
     /* Enable standard application logging */
@@ -99,30 +141,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
     signal(SIGINT, killed);
 
     init_sem = atoi(argv[1]);
-    sem = SDL_CreateSemaphore(init_sem);
-
-    SDL_Log("Running %d threads, semaphore value = %d\n", NUM_THREADS,
-           init_sem);
-    /* Create all the threads */
-    for (i = 0; i < NUM_THREADS; ++i) {
-        char name[64];
-        SDL_snprintf(name, sizeof (name), "Thread%u", (unsigned int) i);
-        threads[i] = SDL_CreateThread(ThreadFunc, name, (void *) i);
+    if (init_sem > 0) {
+        TestRealWorld(init_sem);
     }
 
-    /* Wait 10 seconds */
-    SDL_Delay(10 * 1000);
-
-    /* Wait for all threads to finish */
-    SDL_Log("Waiting for threads to finish\n");
-    alive = 0;
-    for (i = 0; i < NUM_THREADS; ++i) {
-        SDL_WaitThread(threads[i], NULL);
-    }
-    SDL_Log("Finished waiting for threads\n");
-
-    SDL_DestroySemaphore(sem);
-
     TestWaitTimeout();
 
     SDL_Quit();