diff --git a/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/ngpfb/cases0 b/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/ngpfb/cases0
index e3604488d..4d3c1b8c3 100644
--- a/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/ngpfb/cases0
+++ b/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/ngpfb/cases0
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ description:for hwconn
 label:others,hctrl_fsp
 cmd:rmhwconn $$CN
 check:rc==0
-check:rc!~(state=LINE UP)
+check:output!~(state=LINE UP)
 cmd:mkhwconn $$CN -t
 check:rc==0
 cmd:sleep 40
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ check:rc==0
 check:output=~(LINE UP)
 cmd:rmhwconn blade
 check:rc==0
-check:rc!~(state=LINE UP)
+check:output!~(state=LINE UP)
 cmd:mkhwconn blade -t
 check:rc==0
 cmd:sleep 50
diff --git a/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/pscp/cases0 b/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/pscp/cases0
index e7050691e..ff061794c 100644
--- a/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/pscp/cases0
+++ b/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/pscp/cases0
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ cmd:echo "test" > /tmp/pscp.tmp
 check:rc==0
 cmd:pscp /tmp/pscp.tmp $$CN:/tmp/
 check:rc==0
-check:$$CN: done
+check:output=~$$CN: done
 cmd:xdsh $$CN "ls -l /tmp |grep pscp.tmp"
 check:rc==0
 check:output=~pscp.tmp
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ cmd:echo "test" > /tmp/pscp/pscp.tmp
 check:rc==0
 cmd:pscp -r /tmp/pscp $$CN:/tmp/
 check:rc==0
-check:$$CN: done
+check:output=~$$CN: done
 cmd:xdsh $$CN "ls -l /tmp |grep pscp"
 check:rc==0
 check:output=~pscp
diff --git a/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/rscan/cases0 b/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/rscan/cases0
index 98f09ae30..aaf6752e2 100644
--- a/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/rscan/cases0
+++ b/xCAT-test/autotest/testcase/rscan/cases0
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ cmd:rmdef $$CN
 cmd:rscan __GETNODEATTR(testnode,hcp)__  -z -w
 check:rc==0
 check:output=~parent=[\w-]+
-check:lsdef -l $$CN
+cmd:lsdef -l $$CN
 check:rc==0
 check:output=~parent=[\w-]+
 cmd:rmdef all
diff --git a/xCAT-test/unit/autotest_check_lines_are_understood.t b/xCAT-test/unit/autotest_check_lines_are_understood.t
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b589be314
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xCAT-test/unit/autotest_check_lines_are_understood.t
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env perl
+use strict;
+use warnings;
+
+use File::Copy qw(copy);
+use File::Find qw(find);
+use File::Path qw(make_path);
+use File::Temp qw(tempdir);
+use FindBin;
+use Test::More;
+
+my $program = "$FindBin::Bin/../xcattest";
+my $casedir = "$FindBin::Bin/../autotest/testcase";
+BAIL_OUT("xcattest is not at $program")     unless -f $program;
+BAIL_OUT("no test cases under $casedir")    unless -d $casedir;
+
+# A check line xcattest does not understand costs the case the assertion it describes, and the
+# case says nothing about it: an unknown operator reports "Unrecognized testcase syntax", and a
+# line whose content does not start with a word character is dropped while the case is loaded.
+# Read the shipped check lines and let the harness report on them.
+my @files;
+find({ wanted => sub { push(@files, $File::Find::name) if -f $File::Find::name }, no_chdir => 1 }, $casedir);
+BAIL_OUT("no case files under $casedir") unless @files;
+
+my (%checks, %vars);
+for my $file (sort @files) {
+    open(my $fh, '<', $file) or BAIL_OUT("open $file: $!");
+    while (my $line = <$fh>) {
+        chomp($line);
+        next unless $line =~ /^check\s*:\s*(\S.*)$/;
+        my $check = $1;
+
+        # __GETNODEATTR(...)__ and its siblings read the xCAT database, one lsdef for each
+        # check. The shape of the line is what this test reads, so a fixed value stands in.
+        $check =~ s/__\w+\([^)]*\)__/placeholder/g;
+        $vars{$1} = 1 while ($check =~ /\$\$(\w+)/g);
+        push(@{ $checks{$file} }, $check);
+    }
+    close($fh) or BAIL_OUT("close $file: $!");
+}
+BAIL_OUT("no check lines under $casedir") unless keys %checks;
+
+# One case per shipped file, so a check that reports nothing is attributed to its own file.
+my %case_of_file = map { $_ => 'syntax_' . do { my $n = $_; $n =~ s{^\Q$casedir\E/?}{}; $n =~ s/[^A-Za-z0-9_-]/_/g; $n } } keys %checks;
+
+my $fixture = '';
+for my $file (sort keys %checks) {
+    $fixture .= "start:$case_of_file{$file}\n";
+    $fixture .= "cmd:true\n";
+    $fixture .= "check:$_\n" for @{ $checks{$file} };
+    $fixture .= "end\n";
+}
+
+# xcattest derives its result directory from the location of the program, so the copy under the
+# scratch tree keeps every file the run writes inside that tree.
+my $root = tempdir(CLEANUP => 1);
+make_path("$root/bin", "$root/cases");
+copy($program, "$root/bin/xcattest") or BAIL_OUT("copy xcattest: $!");
+chmod 0755, "$root/bin/xcattest";
+open(my $fixture_fh, '>', "$root/cases/fixture") or BAIL_OUT("write the fixture case: $!");
+print $fixture_fh $fixture;
+close($fixture_fh) or BAIL_OUT("close the fixture case: $!");
+
+# Every variable a check line names has to resolve, or xcattest drops the whole case.
+# A "local" here would be undone at the end of its own statement, before the run.
+$ENV{"XCATTEST_$_"} = 'placeholder' for keys %vars;
+$ENV{XCATTEST_CASEDIR} = "$root/cases";
+# Some shipped patterns warn when perl compiles them, and the warnings say nothing about the
+# operator. The log file carries what this test reads, so the warnings go to the scratch tree.
+open(my $stderr_save, '>&', \*STDERR) or BAIL_OUT("save STDERR: $!");
+open(STDERR, '>', "$root/stderr") or BAIL_OUT("redirect STDERR: $!");
+system($^X, "$root/bin/xcattest", '-q', '-t', join(',', sort values %case_of_file));
+open(STDERR, '>&', $stderr_save) or BAIL_OUT("restore STDERR: $!");
+
+my ($logname) = glob("$root/share/xcat/tools/autotest/result/xcattest.log.*");
+BAIL_OUT("the harness wrote no log under $root") unless $logname;
+open(my $log_fh, '<', $logname) or BAIL_OUT("open $logname: $!");
+my @log = <$log_fh>;
+close($log_fh) or BAIL_OUT("close $logname: $!");
+chomp(@log);
+
+# Count what the harness reported for each case, and keep the lines it did not understand.
+my (%reported, @unrecognized, $current);
+for my $line (@log) {
+    $current = $1 if ($line =~ /^------START::(\S+)::/);
+    next unless defined $current;
+    $reported{$current}++ if ($line =~ /^CHECK:/ or $line =~ /^Unrecognized testcase syntax:/);
+    push(@unrecognized, "$current: $line") if ($line =~ /^Unrecognized testcase syntax:/);
+    $current = undef if ($line =~ /^------END::/);
+}
+
+is(join("\n", @unrecognized), '',
+    'every check line in the shipped cases uses an operator xcattest understands');
+
+my @silent;
+for my $file (sort keys %checks) {
+    my $case = $case_of_file{$file};
+    my $fed  = scalar @{ $checks{$file} };
+    my $got  = $reported{$case} || 0;
+    push(@silent, "$file: $fed check lines, $got reported") if ($got != $fed);
+}
+is(join("\n", @silent), '',
+    'every check line in the shipped cases reports a result, so none is dropped while the case loads');
+
+done_testing();