diff --git a/src/zauth.c b/src/zauth.c
index 030827cda..f568a73ca 100644
--- a/src/zauth.c
+++ b/src/zauth.c
@@ -595,20 +595,7 @@ zauth_test (bool verbose)
 
     //  @selftest
 
-    // Note: If your selftest reads SCMed fixture data, please keep it in
-    // src/selftest-ro; if your test creates filesystem objects, please
-    // do so under src/selftest-rw. They are defined below along with a
-    // usecase for the variables (assert) to make compilers happy.
-    const char *SELFTEST_DIR_RO = "src/selftest-ro";
     const char *SELFTEST_DIR_RW = "src/selftest-rw";
-    assert (SELFTEST_DIR_RO);
-    assert (SELFTEST_DIR_RW);
-    // Uncomment these to use C++ strings in C++ selftest code:
-    //std::string str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO = std::string(SELFTEST_DIR_RO);
-    //std::string str_SELFTEST_DIR_RW = std::string(SELFTEST_DIR_RW);
-    //assert ( (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO != "") );
-    //assert ( (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RW != "") );
-    // NOTE that for "char*" context you need (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO + "/myfilename").c_str()
 
     const char *testbasedir  = ".test_zauth";
     const char *testpassfile = "password-file";
diff --git a/src/zcert.c b/src/zcert.c
index afc26cf16..d920fef5c 100644
--- a/src/zcert.c
+++ b/src/zcert.c
@@ -462,20 +462,7 @@ zcert_test (bool verbose)
     printf (" * zcert: ");
     //  @selftest
 
-    // Note: If your selftest reads SCMed fixture data, please keep it in
-    // src/selftest-ro; if your test creates filesystem objects, please
-    // do so under src/selftest-rw. They are defined below along with a
-    // usecase for the variables (assert) to make compilers happy.
-    const char *SELFTEST_DIR_RO = "src/selftest-ro";
     const char *SELFTEST_DIR_RW = "src/selftest-rw";
-    assert (SELFTEST_DIR_RO);
-    assert (SELFTEST_DIR_RW);
-    // Uncomment these to use C++ strings in C++ selftest code:
-    //std::string str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO = std::string(SELFTEST_DIR_RO);
-    //std::string str_SELFTEST_DIR_RW = std::string(SELFTEST_DIR_RW);
-    //assert ( (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO != "") );
-    //assert ( (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RW != "") );
-    // NOTE that for "char*" context you need (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO + "/myfilename").c_str()
 
     const char *testbasedir  = ".test_zcert";
     const char *testfile = "mycert.txt";
diff --git a/src/zcertstore.c b/src/zcertstore.c
index aa19a9a4e..2362e5b5b 100644
--- a/src/zcertstore.c
+++ b/src/zcertstore.c
@@ -317,20 +317,7 @@ zcertstore_test (bool verbose)
 
     //  @selftest
 
-    // Note: If your selftest reads SCMed fixture data, please keep it in
-    // src/selftest-ro; if your test creates filesystem objects, please
-    // do so under src/selftest-rw. They are defined below along with a
-    // usecase for the variables (assert) to make compilers happy.
-    const char *SELFTEST_DIR_RO = "src/selftest-ro";
     const char *SELFTEST_DIR_RW = "src/selftest-rw";
-    assert (SELFTEST_DIR_RO);
-    assert (SELFTEST_DIR_RW);
-    // Uncomment these to use C++ strings in C++ selftest code:
-    //std::string str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO = std::string(SELFTEST_DIR_RO);
-    //std::string str_SELFTEST_DIR_RW = std::string(SELFTEST_DIR_RW);
-    //assert ( (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO != "") );
-    //assert ( (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RW != "") );
-    // NOTE that for "char*" context you need (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO + "/myfilename").c_str()
 
     const char *testbasedir  = ".test_zcertstore";
     const char *testfile = "mycert.txt";
diff --git a/src/zconfig.c b/src/zconfig.c
index 930d1995e..537550d05 100644
--- a/src/zconfig.c
+++ b/src/zconfig.c
@@ -947,20 +947,7 @@ zconfig_test (bool verbose)
 
     //  @selftest
 
-    // Note: If your selftest reads SCMed fixture data, please keep it in
-    // src/selftest-ro; if your test creates filesystem objects, please
-    // do so under src/selftest-rw. They are defined below along with a
-    // usecase for the variables (assert) to make compilers happy.
-    const char *SELFTEST_DIR_RO = "src/selftest-ro";
     const char *SELFTEST_DIR_RW = "src/selftest-rw";
-    assert (SELFTEST_DIR_RO);
-    assert (SELFTEST_DIR_RW);
-    // Uncomment these to use C++ strings in C++ selftest code:
-    //std::string str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO = std::string(SELFTEST_DIR_RO);
-    //std::string str_SELFTEST_DIR_RW = std::string(SELFTEST_DIR_RW);
-    //assert ( (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO != "") );
-    //assert ( (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RW != "") );
-    // NOTE that for "char*" context you need (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO + "/myfilename").c_str()
 
     const char *testbasedir  = ".test_zconfig";
     const char *testfile = "test.cfg";
diff --git a/src/zdir.c b/src/zdir.c
index 76eaf2512..7dbe20ef5 100644
--- a/src/zdir.c
+++ b/src/zdir.c
@@ -931,20 +931,7 @@ zdir_test (bool verbose)
 
     //  @selftest
 
-    // Note: If your selftest reads SCMed fixture data, please keep it in
-    // src/selftest-ro; if your test creates filesystem objects, please
-    // do so under src/selftest-rw. They are defined below along with a
-    // usecase for the variables (assert) to make compilers happy.
-    const char *SELFTEST_DIR_RO = "src/selftest-ro";
     const char *SELFTEST_DIR_RW = "src/selftest-rw";
-    assert (SELFTEST_DIR_RO);
-    assert (SELFTEST_DIR_RW);
-    // Uncomment these to use C++ strings in C++ selftest code:
-    //std::string str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO = std::string(SELFTEST_DIR_RO);
-    //std::string str_SELFTEST_DIR_RW = std::string(SELFTEST_DIR_RW);
-    //assert ( (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO != "") );
-    //assert ( (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RW != "") );
-    // NOTE that for "char*" context you need (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO + "/myfilename").c_str()
 
     const char *testbasedir  = "zdir-test-dir";
     const char *testfile1 = "initial_file";
diff --git a/src/zdir_patch.c b/src/zdir_patch.c
index 3a5968d44..3b0ae9bc6 100644
--- a/src/zdir_patch.c
+++ b/src/zdir_patch.c
@@ -194,20 +194,7 @@ zdir_patch_test (bool verbose)
 
     //  @selftest
 
-    // Note: If your selftest reads SCMed fixture data, please keep it in
-    // src/selftest-ro; if your test creates filesystem objects, please
-    // do so under src/selftest-rw. They are defined below along with a
-    // usecase for the variables (assert) to make compilers happy.
-    const char *SELFTEST_DIR_RO = "src/selftest-ro";
     const char *SELFTEST_DIR_RW = "src/selftest-rw";
-    assert (SELFTEST_DIR_RO);
-    assert (SELFTEST_DIR_RW);
-    // Uncomment these to use C++ strings in C++ selftest code:
-    //std::string str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO = std::string(SELFTEST_DIR_RO);
-    //std::string str_SELFTEST_DIR_RW = std::string(SELFTEST_DIR_RW);
-    //assert ( (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO != "") );
-    //assert ( (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RW != "") );
-    // NOTE that for "char*" context you need (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO + "/myfilename").c_str()
 
     const char *testfile = "bilbo";
     const char *prefix   = "/";
diff --git a/src/zfile.c b/src/zfile.c
index 124fd32fb..5ed6e4abd 100644
--- a/src/zfile.c
+++ b/src/zfile.c
@@ -622,20 +622,7 @@ zfile_test (bool verbose)
 
     //  @selftest
 
-    // Note: If your selftest reads SCMed fixture data, please keep it in
-    // src/selftest-ro; if your test creates filesystem objects, please
-    // do so under src/selftest-rw. They are defined below along with a
-    // usecase for the variables (assert) to make compilers happy.
-    const char *SELFTEST_DIR_RO = "src/selftest-ro";
     const char *SELFTEST_DIR_RW = "src/selftest-rw";
-    assert (SELFTEST_DIR_RO);
-    assert (SELFTEST_DIR_RW);
-    // Uncomment these to use C++ strings in C++ selftest code:
-    //std::string str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO = std::string(SELFTEST_DIR_RO);
-    //std::string str_SELFTEST_DIR_RW = std::string(SELFTEST_DIR_RW);
-    //assert ( (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO != "") );
-    //assert ( (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RW != "") );
-    // NOTE that for "char*" context you need (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO + "/myfilename").c_str()
 
     const char *testbasedir  = "this";
     const char *testsubdir  = "is/a/test";
diff --git a/src/zproxy.c b/src/zproxy.c
index a265d404b..de29e6b32 100644
--- a/src/zproxy.c
+++ b/src/zproxy.c
@@ -485,20 +485,7 @@ zproxy_test (bool verbose)
 
     //  @selftest
 
-    // Note: If your selftest reads SCMed fixture data, please keep it in
-    // src/selftest-ro; if your test creates filesystem objects, please
-    // do so under src/selftest-rw. They are defined below along with a
-    // usecase for the variables (assert) to make compilers happy.
-    const char *SELFTEST_DIR_RO = "src/selftest-ro";
     const char *SELFTEST_DIR_RW = "src/selftest-rw";
-    assert (SELFTEST_DIR_RO);
-    assert (SELFTEST_DIR_RW);
-    // Uncomment these to use C++ strings in C++ selftest code:
-    //std::string str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO = std::string(SELFTEST_DIR_RO);
-    //std::string str_SELFTEST_DIR_RW = std::string(SELFTEST_DIR_RW);
-    //assert ( (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO != "") );
-    //assert ( (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RW != "") );
-    // NOTE that for "char*" context you need (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO + "/myfilename").c_str()
 
     const char *testbasedir  = ".test_zproxy";
     const char *testpassfile = "password-file";
diff --git a/src/zsys.c b/src/zsys.c
index c1a68feb7..89b46755a 100644
--- a/src/zsys.c
+++ b/src/zsys.c
@@ -1995,20 +1995,7 @@ zsys_test (bool verbose)
     //  Check capabilities without using the return value
     int rc = zsys_has_curve ();
 
-    // Note: If your selftest reads SCMed fixture data, please keep it in
-    // src/selftest-ro; if your test creates filesystem objects, please
-    // do so under src/selftest-rw. They are defined below along with a
-    // usecase for the variables (assert) to make compilers happy.
-    const char *SELFTEST_DIR_RO = "src/selftest-ro";
     const char *SELFTEST_DIR_RW = "src/selftest-rw";
-    assert (SELFTEST_DIR_RO);
-    assert (SELFTEST_DIR_RW);
-    // Uncomment these to use C++ strings in C++ selftest code:
-    //std::string str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO = std::string(SELFTEST_DIR_RO);
-    //std::string str_SELFTEST_DIR_RW = std::string(SELFTEST_DIR_RW);
-    //assert ( (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO != "") );
-    //assert ( (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RW != "") );
-    // NOTE that for "char*" context you need (str_SELFTEST_DIR_RO + "/myfilename").c_str()
 
     if (verbose) {
         char *hostname = zsys_hostname ();