diff --git a/tests/salvage/ncp_delete_smoke.c b/tests/salvage/ncp_delete_smoke.c
index bb259f2..19d0409 100644
--- a/tests/salvage/ncp_delete_smoke.c
+++ b/tests/salvage/ncp_delete_smoke.c
@@ -144,12 +144,20 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
             }
 
             err = ncp_write(conn, file_info.file_id, 0, payload_len, payload);
-            if (!err)
-                err = ncp_write(conn, file_info.file_id, payload_len, 1, "\n");
-            if (err) {
+            if (err != (long)payload_len) {
                 fprintf(stderr,
-                        "NCP write failed: path=%s error=0x%04x\n",
-                        path, (unsigned int)err);
+                        "NCP write failed: path=%s wrote=%ld expected=%lu\n",
+                        path, err, (unsigned long)payload_len);
+                ncp_close_file(conn, file_info.file_id);
+                ncp_close(conn);
+                return 1;
+            }
+
+            err = ncp_write(conn, file_info.file_id, payload_len, 1, "\n");
+            if (err != 1) {
+                fprintf(stderr,
+                        "NCP write newline failed: path=%s wrote=%ld expected=1\n",
+                        path, err);
                 ncp_close_file(conn, file_info.file_id);
                 ncp_close(conn);
                 return 1;