diff --git a/src/test/compile-fail/spawn-non-nil-fn.rs b/src/test/compile-fail/spawn-non-nil-fn.rs
index 4d869bba2399d..bcadeeaeb0db1 100644
--- a/src/test/compile-fail/spawn-non-nil-fn.rs
+++ b/src/test/compile-fail/spawn-non-nil-fn.rs
@@ -5,5 +5,5 @@ fn f(int x) -> int {
 }
 
 fn main() {
-  spawn f(10);
+  auto taskf = spawn f(10);
 }
diff --git a/src/test/run-fail/linked-failure.rs b/src/test/run-fail/linked-failure.rs
index 419fa0f3fd460..a739777578a83 100644
--- a/src/test/run-fail/linked-failure.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-fail/linked-failure.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ fn child() {
 
 io fn main() {
   let port[int] p = port();
-  spawn child();
+  auto child_task = spawn child();
   let int x;
   x <- p;
 }
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/acyclic-unwind.rs b/src/test/run-pass/acyclic-unwind.rs
index 38de90826a587..19b90fd9b5e5e 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/acyclic-unwind.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/acyclic-unwind.rs
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ io fn f(chan[int] c)
 
 io fn main() {
   let port[int] p = port();
-  spawn f(chan(p));
+  auto task_f = spawn f(chan(p));
   let int i;
 
   // synchronize on event from child.
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/basic-1.rs b/src/test/run-pass/basic-1.rs
index bdd7ee256413a..e42eb39c7819f 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/basic-1.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/basic-1.rs
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ io fn a(chan[int] c) {
 
 io fn main() {
     let port[int] p = port();
-    spawn a(chan(p));
-    spawn b(chan(p));
+    auto task_a = spawn a(chan(p));
+    auto task_b = spawn b(chan(p));
     let int n = 0;
     n <- p;
     n <- p;
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/basic-2.rs b/src/test/run-pass/basic-2.rs
index 975a0d4b896bb..d35691e314759 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/basic-2.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/basic-2.rs
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ io fn a(chan[int] c) {
 
 io fn main() {
     let port[int] p = port();
-    spawn a(chan(p));
-    spawn b(chan(p));
+    auto task_a = spawn a(chan(p));
+    auto task_b = spawn b(chan(p));
     let int n = 0;
     n <- p;
     n <- p;
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/basic.rs b/src/test/run-pass/basic.rs
index 95e4bff89e477..22fc1a355eb7e 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/basic.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/basic.rs
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ io fn main() {
     let int n = 2 + 3 * 7;
     let str s = "hello there";
     let port[int] p = port();
-    spawn a(chan(p));
-    spawn b(chan(p));
+    auto task_a = spawn a(chan(p));
+    auto task_b = spawn b(chan(p));
     let int x = 10;
     x = g(n,s);
     log x;
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/comm.rs b/src/test/run-pass/comm.rs
index 129b3bdc18e3c..10441f89bbe28 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/comm.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/comm.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 io fn main() {
   let port[int] p = port();
-  spawn child(chan(p));
+  auto child_task = spawn child(chan(p));
   let int y;
   y <- p;
   log "received";
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/lazychan.rs b/src/test/run-pass/lazychan.rs
index 9d560bd916a2e..db02ad115859d 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/lazychan.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/lazychan.rs
@@ -5,13 +5,13 @@ io fn main() {
   auto c = chan(p);
   let int y;
 
-  spawn child(c);
+  auto task1 = spawn child(c);
   y <- p;
   log "received 1";
   log y;
   check (y == 10);
 
-  spawn child(c);
+  auto task2 = spawn child(c);
   y <- p;
   log "received 2";
   log y;
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/spawn-fn.rs b/src/test/run-pass/spawn-fn.rs
index 894a8321528ef..5250e2ab5614d 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/spawn-fn.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/spawn-fn.rs
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ fn x(str s, int n) {
 }
 
 fn main() {
-  spawn x("hello from first spawned fn", 65);
-  spawn x("hello from second spawned fn", 66);
-  spawn x("hello from third spawned fn", 67);
+  auto task1 = spawn x("hello from first spawned fn", 65);
+  auto task2 = spawn x("hello from second spawned fn", 66);
+  auto task3 = spawn x("hello from third spawned fn", 67);
   let int i = 30;
   while (i > 0) {
     i = i - 1;
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/spawn.rs b/src/test/run-pass/spawn.rs
index 765d4c9e25af0..57f14adffb8a4 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/spawn.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/spawn.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // -*- rust -*-
 
 fn main() {
-  spawn child(10);
+  auto child_task = spawn child(10);
 }
 
 fn child(int i) {
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/task-comm-0.rs b/src/test/run-pass/task-comm-0.rs
index 28294422b5c22..23eb110f7c130 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/task-comm-0.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/task-comm-0.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ io fn test05_start(chan[int] ch) {
 io fn test05() {
     let port[int] po = port();
     let chan[int] ch = chan(po);
-    spawn test05_start(chan(po));
+    auto task5 = spawn test05_start(chan(po));
     let int value <- po;
     value <- po;
     value <- po;
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/task-comm.rs b/src/test/run-pass/task-comm.rs
index 3c5d321689fd9..1a9645952c71d 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/task-comm.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/task-comm.rs
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ fn test04() {
     let int i = 4;
     while (i > 0) {
         i = i - 1;
-        spawn thread test04_start();
+        auto task_i = spawn thread test04_start();
     }
     log "Finishing up.";
 }
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ io fn test05_start(chan[int] ch) {
 io fn test05() {
     let port[int] po = port();
     let chan[int] ch = chan(po);
-    spawn thread test05_start(ch);
+    auto task5 = spawn thread test05_start(ch);
     let int value <- po;
     value <- po;
     value <- po;
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/task-life-0.rs b/src/test/run-pass/task-life-0.rs
index f15792fbcf77f..2a05264c9fcf8 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/task-life-0.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/task-life-0.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 fn main() -> () {
-    spawn child("Hello");
+    auto child_task = spawn child("Hello");
 }
 
 fn child(str s) {
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/threads.rs b/src/test/run-pass/threads.rs
index aa6e763fd0edb..2e74ab847ebb8 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/threads.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/threads.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 fn main() {
   let int i = 10;
   while (i > 0) {
-    spawn thread "child" child(i);
+    auto child_task = spawn thread "child" child(i);
     i = i - 1;
   }
   log "main thread exiting";