diff --git a/implementations/python/tests/test_preserves.py b/implementations/python/tests/test_preserves.py
index 51d8baa..0a335e2 100644
--- a/implementations/python/tests/test_preserves.py
+++ b/implementations/python/tests/test_preserves.py
@@ -275,16 +275,23 @@ def install_test(d, variant, tName, binaryForm, annotatedTextForm):
     if variant in ['normal', 'nondeterministic']:
         add_method(d, tName, test_encode_ann)
 
-def install_exn_test(d, tName, bs, check_proc):
+def install_exn_test(d, tName, testLambda, check_proc):
     def test_exn(self):
         try:
-            self.D(bs)
+            testLambda(self)
         except:
             check_proc(self, sys.exc_info()[1])
             return
         self.fail('did not fail as expected')
     add_method(d, tName, test_exn)
 
+def expected_err(self, e):
+    self.assertIsInstance(e, DecodeError)
+    self.assertNotIsInstance(e, ShortPacket)
+
+def expected_short(self, e):
+    self.assertIsInstance(e, ShortPacket)
+
 class CommonTestSuite(PreservesTestCase):
     TestCases = Record.makeConstructor('TestCases', 'cases')
 
@@ -300,20 +307,20 @@ class CommonTestSuite(PreservesTestCase):
         elif t.key == Symbol('DecodeTest'):
             install_test(locals(), 'decode', tName, t[0].strip(), t[1])
         elif t.key == Symbol('DecodeError'):
-            def expected_err(self, e):
-                self.assertIsInstance(e, DecodeError)
-                self.assertNotIsInstance(e, ShortPacket)
-            install_exn_test(locals(), tName, t[0].strip(), expected_err)
+            install_exn_test(locals(), tName, lambda self, t=t: self.D(t[0].strip()), expected_err)
         elif t.key in [Symbol('DecodeShort'), Symbol('DecodeEOF')]:
-            def expected_short(self, e):
-                self.assertIsInstance(e, ShortPacket)
-            install_exn_test(locals(), tName, t[0].strip(), expected_short)
-        elif t.key in [Symbol('ParseError'), Symbol('ParseShort'), Symbol('ParseEOF')]:
-            # Skipped for now, until we have an implementation of text syntax
+            install_exn_test(locals(), tName, lambda self, t=t: self.D(t[0].strip()), expected_short)
+        elif t.key == Symbol('ParseError'):
+            install_exn_test(locals(), tName, lambda self, t=t: self.R(t[0].strip()), expected_err)
+        elif t.key in [Symbol('ParseShort'), Symbol('ParseEOF')]:
+            install_exn_test(locals(), tName, lambda self, t=t: self.R(t[0].strip()), expected_short)
             pass
         else:
             raise Exception('Unsupported test kind', t.key)
 
+    def R(self, text):
+        return parse(text)
+
     def DS(self, bs):
         return decode(bs, decode_embedded=lambda x: x)