diff --git a/examples/wave/var-propagation-speed.py b/examples/wave/var-propagation-speed.py
index 1120a623c20948d178c9b411d738513a066fdfc4..5fb31617a2787de8f8334f709cf49f7a75f7d709 100644
--- a/examples/wave/var-propagation-speed.py
+++ b/examples/wave/var-propagation-speed.py
@@ -110,9 +110,9 @@ def main(write_output=True, order=4):
 
             step += 1
 
-            print(step, event.t, norm(u=event.state_component[0]),
-                    time()-t_last_step)
             if step % 10 == 0:
+                print(f"step: {step} t: {time()-t_last_step} "
+                      f"L2: {norm(u=event.state_component[0])}")
                 vis.write_vtk_file("fld-var-propogation-speed-%04d.vtu" % step,
                         [
                             ("u", event.state_component[0]),
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ def main(write_output=True, order=4):
                             ("c", c_eval),
                             ])
             t_last_step = time()
+            assert norm(u=event.state_component[0]) < 1
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/examples/wave/wave-min-mpi.py b/examples/wave/wave-min-mpi.py
index 877809a669e66e2285b8641d63fabb83ed29a31b..29f59dfff8342227638c6bdc503f7ad79d3251ed 100644
--- a/examples/wave/wave-min-mpi.py
+++ b/examples/wave/wave-min-mpi.py
@@ -128,9 +128,10 @@ def main(write_output=True, order=4):
 
             step += 1
 
-            print(step, event.t, norm(u=event.state_component[0]),
-                    time()-t_last_step)
             if step % 10 == 0:
+                if comm.rank == 0:
+                    print(f"step: {step} t: {time()-t_last_step} "
+                          f"L2: {norm(u=event.state_component[0])}")
                 vis.write_parallel_vtk_file(
                         comm,
                         f"fld-wave-min-mpi-{{rank:03d}}-{step:04d}.vtu",
@@ -139,6 +140,7 @@ def main(write_output=True, order=4):
                             ("v", event.state_component[1:]),
                             ])
             t_last_step = time()
+            assert norm(u=event.state_component[0]) < 1
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/examples/wave/wave-min.py b/examples/wave/wave-min.py
index 7e307e4720081adebff8c1bc16f40949c775b788..bd306b0fbed822cf428504912b8e024965888150 100644
--- a/examples/wave/wave-min.py
+++ b/examples/wave/wave-min.py
@@ -110,15 +110,16 @@ def main(write_output=True, order=4):
 
             step += 1
 
-            print(step, event.t, norm(u=event.state_component[0]),
-                    time()-t_last_step)
             if step % 10 == 0:
+                print(f"step: {step} t: {time()-t_last_step} "
+                      f"L2: {norm(u=event.state_component[0])}")
                 vis.write_vtk_file("fld-wave-min-%04d.vtu" % step,
                         [
                             ("u", event.state_component[0]),
                             ("v", event.state_component[1:]),
                             ])
             t_last_step = time()
+            assert norm(u=event.state_component[0]) < 1
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/examples/wave/wave-op-mpi.py b/examples/wave/wave-op-mpi.py
index b3d887ed33df0ba5c1852647ab8e5ed64ee62797..b6806b9d3375c4a2319366643bf9de431cf6c5e1 100644
--- a/examples/wave/wave-op-mpi.py
+++ b/examples/wave/wave-op-mpi.py
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ def main():
 
     if dim == 2:
         # no deep meaning here, just a fudge factor
-        dt = 0.75/(nel_1d*order**2)
+        dt = 0.7/(nel_1d*order**2)
     elif dim == 3:
         # no deep meaning here, just a fudge factor
         dt = 0.45/(nel_1d*order**2)
@@ -181,7 +181,9 @@ def main():
         fields = rk4_step(fields, t, dt, rhs)
 
         if istep % 10 == 0:
-            print(istep, t, op.norm(dcoll, fields[0], p=2))
+            if comm.rank == 0:
+                print(f"step: {istep} t: {t} L2: {op.norm(dcoll, fields[0], 2)} "
+                      f"sol max: {op.nodal_max(dcoll, 'vol', fields[0])}")
             vis.write_parallel_vtk_file(
                     comm,
                     f"fld-wave-eager-mpi-{{rank:03d}}-{istep:04d}.vtu",
@@ -193,6 +195,8 @@ def main():
         t += dt
         istep += 1
 
+        assert op.norm(dcoll, fields[0], 2) < 1
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()
diff --git a/examples/wave/wave-op-var-velocity.py b/examples/wave/wave-op-var-velocity.py
index 5ac1233d34e59f6fc7073307c4adb2ff3bb2c494..77b9daf6aa870b810766394480b0c6f8fe8c6ec8 100644
--- a/examples/wave/wave-op-var-velocity.py
+++ b/examples/wave/wave-op-var-velocity.py
@@ -189,7 +189,8 @@ def main():
         fields = rk4_step(fields, t, dt, rhs)
 
         if istep % 10 == 0:
-            print(istep, t, op.norm(dcoll, fields[0], p=2))
+            print(f"step: {istep} t: {t} L2: {op.norm(dcoll, fields[0], 2)} "
+                  f"sol max: {op.nodal_max(dcoll, 'vol', fields[0])}")
             vis.write_vtk_file("fld-wave-eager-var-velocity-%04d.vtu" % istep,
                     [
                         ("c", c),
@@ -200,6 +201,8 @@ def main():
         t += dt
         istep += 1
 
+        assert op.norm(dcoll, fields[0], 2) < 1
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()
diff --git a/examples/wave/wave-op.py b/examples/wave/wave-op.py
index d482f72f02cdf4fc7c0798bb67a62a23d1550593..f8ef5785bb88b7b1b31adc0e4f81a4938d2187f7 100644
--- a/examples/wave/wave-op.py
+++ b/examples/wave/wave-op.py
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ def main():
 
     if dim == 2:
         # no deep meaning here, just a fudge factor
-        dt = 0.75/(nel_1d*order**2)
+        dt = 0.7/(nel_1d*order**2)
     elif dim == 3:
         # no deep meaning here, just a fudge factor
         dt = 0.45/(nel_1d*order**2)
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ def main():
 
         if istep % 10 == 0:
             print(f"step: {istep} t: {t} L2: {op.norm(dcoll, fields[0], 2)} "
-                    f"sol max: {op.nodal_max(dcoll, 'vol', fields[0])}")
+                  f"sol max: {op.nodal_max(dcoll, 'vol', fields[0])}")
             vis.write_vtk_file("fld-wave-eager-%04d.vtu" % istep,
                     [
                         ("u", fields[0]),
@@ -168,6 +168,8 @@ def main():
         t += dt
         istep += 1
 
+        assert op.norm(dcoll, fields[0], 2) < 1
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()