diff --git a/test/Tests/SerialTests.cs b/test/Tests/SerialTests.cs
index 98f392d05..c720ee6d6 100644
--- a/test/Tests/SerialTests.cs
+++ b/test/Tests/SerialTests.cs
@@ -3664,7 +3664,7 @@ public void ChainWithTransitionParameterVectorTest()
             Console.WriteLine("shift = {0}", shiftActual1);
 
             int maxIter = 200;
-            if (false)
+            if (!engine.ShowProgress)
             {
                 for (int iter = 1; iter <= maxIter; iter++)
                 {
@@ -3711,7 +3711,7 @@ public void ChainWithTransitionParameterVectorTest()
         [Fact]
         public void ChainWithTransitionParameterTest()
         {
-            // without PointEstimator, EP doesn't converge unless length <= 700,
+            // without PointEstimate, EP doesn't converge unless length <= 700,
             // where it gets correct mean but variance = 1 (prior variance)
             int length = 1000;
 
@@ -3722,12 +3722,6 @@ public void ChainWithTransitionParameterTest()
             VariableArray<double> observation = Variable.Array<double>(rows).Named("observations");
             Variable<double> shift = Variable.GaussianFromMeanAndVariance(0, 1).Named("shift");
             shift.AddAttribute(new PointEstimate());
-            //Variable<double> shiftPoint = Variable<double>.Factor(PointEstimator.Forward<double>, shift).Named("shiftPoint");
-            //Variable<double> shiftPoint = Variable<double>.Factor(PointEstimator.Forward2<double>, shift, (double)length).Named("shiftPoint");
-            //Variable<double> shiftPoint = Variable<double>.Factor(Damp.Forward<double>, shift, 0.1).Named("shiftPoint");
-            // when using PointEstimator.Forward with Secant, should always initialize
-            //shiftPoint.InitialiseTo(Gaussian.PointMass(0));
-            //shift.InitialiseTo(Gaussian.PointMass(1));
 
             using (ForEachBlock rowBlock = Variable.ForEach(rows))
             {
@@ -3767,7 +3761,7 @@ public void ChainWithTransitionParameterTest()
             Console.WriteLine("shift = {0}", shiftActual1);
 
             int maxIter = 100;
-            if (false)
+            if (!engine.ShowProgress)
             {
                 for (int iter = 1; iter < maxIter; iter++)
                 {
@@ -3817,11 +3811,6 @@ public void ChainWithTransitionParameterTest2()
             VariableArray<double> observation = Variable.Array<double>(rows).Named("observations");
             Variable<double> shift = Variable.GaussianFromMeanAndVariance(0, 1).Named("shift");
             Variable<double> shift2 = Variable.GaussianFromMeanAndVariance(0, 1).Named("shift2");
-            //Variable<double> shiftPoint = Variable<double>.Factor(PointEstimator.Forward<double>, shift).Named("shiftPoint");
-            //Variable<double> shift2Point = Variable<double>.Factor(PointEstimator.Forward<double>, shift2).Named("shift2Point");
-            // when using PointEstimator.Forward with Secant, should always initialize
-            shift.InitialiseTo(Gaussian.PointMass(0));
-            shift2.InitialiseTo(Gaussian.PointMass(0));
 
             using (ForEachBlock rowBlock = Variable.ForEach(rows))
             {
@@ -3850,6 +3839,7 @@ public void ChainWithTransitionParameterTest2()
             observation.ObservedValue = observationValues;
 
             InferenceEngine engine = new InferenceEngine();
+            engine.ShowProgress = false;
             //engine.Compiler.GivePriorityTo(typeof(VariablePointOp_Secant));
             engine.OptimiseForVariables = new List<IVariable>() { states, shift, shift2 };
             engine.NumberOfIterations = 3;
@@ -3867,8 +3857,8 @@ public void ChainWithTransitionParameterTest2()
             Gaussian shift2Actual1 = engine.Infer<Gaussian>(shift2);
             Console.WriteLine("shift = {0}, shift2 = {1}", shiftActual1, shift2Actual1);
 
-            int maxIter = 100;
-            if (false)
+            int maxIter = engine.Compiler.OptimiseInferenceCode ? 100 : 200;
+            if (!engine.ShowProgress)
             {
                 for (int iter = 1; iter < maxIter; iter++)
                 {
@@ -3978,14 +3968,14 @@ public void ChainWithTransitionParameterTest3()
             //const double shiftMeanExpected = 0.767681001959026;
             const double shiftMeanExpected = 0.746576051928051;
             int maxIter = 100;
-            if (false)
+            if (!engine.ShowProgress)
             {
                 for (int iter = 1; iter < maxIter; iter++)
                 {
                     engine.NumberOfIterations = iter;
                     var shiftTemp = engine.Infer<Gaussian>(shift);
                     var precisionTemp = engine.Infer<Gamma>(precision);
-                    Debug.WriteLine("{0} shift={1} prec={2}", iter, shiftTemp.GetMean(), precisionTemp.GetMean());
+                    Console.WriteLine("{0} shift={1} prec={2}", iter, shiftTemp.GetMean(), precisionTemp.GetMean());
                     //if (shiftTemp.GetMean() == shiftMeanExpected)
                     //    throw new Exception("converged at iter " + iter);
                 }