diff --git a/run_tests.sh b/run_tests.sh
index 680f79e..e359caf 100755
--- a/run_tests.sh
+++ b/run_tests.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
   esac
 }
 
-noseargs="tempest"
+noseargs=""
 just_pep8=0
 
 export NOSE_WITH_OPENSTACK=1
@@ -37,13 +37,22 @@
   process_option $arg
 done
 
+
+# only add tempest default if we don't specify a test
+if [[ "x$noseargs" =~ "tempest" ]]; then
+  noseargs="$noseargs"
+else
+  noseargs="$noseargs tempest"
+fi
+
+
 function run_tests {
   $NOSETESTS
 }
 
 function run_pep8 {
   echo "Running pep8 ..."
-  PEP8_EXCLUDE="etc,include,tools"
+  PEP8_EXCLUDE="etc,include,tools,*venv"
   PEP8_OPTIONS="--exclude=$PEP8_EXCLUDE --repeat"
   PEP8_INCLUDE="."
   pep8 $PEP8_OPTIONS $PEP8_INCLUDE
diff --git a/tempest/tests/compute/servers/test_server_metadata.py b/tempest/tests/compute/servers/test_server_metadata.py
index f59b609..4022dad 100644
--- a/tempest/tests/compute/servers/test_server_metadata.py
+++ b/tempest/tests/compute/servers/test_server_metadata.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 from nose.plugins.attrib import attr
 
 from tempest.common.utils.data_utils import rand_name
+from tempest import exceptions
 from tempest.tests.compute.base import BaseComputeTest
 
 
@@ -69,7 +70,6 @@
         resp, resp_metadata = self.client.list_server_metadata(self.server_id)
         self.assertEqual(resp_metadata, req_metadata)
 
-    @attr(type='negative')
     def test_server_create_metadata_key_too_long(self):
         """
         Attempt to start a server with a meta-data key that is > 255 characters
@@ -79,14 +79,10 @@
             key = "k" * sz
             meta = {key: 'data1'}
             name = rand_name('server')
-            try:
-                resp, server = self.client.create_server(name, self.image_ref,
-                                                         self.flavor_ref,
-                                                         meta=meta)
-            except:
-                pass
-            else:
-                self.fail('Metadata should have been too long')
+            self.assertRaises(exceptions.OverLimit,
+                              self.client.create_server, name, self.image_ref,
+                              self.flavor_ref, meta=meta)
+
         # no teardown - all creates should fail
 
     def test_update_server_metadata(self):
diff --git a/tempest/tests/compute/test_live_block_migration.py b/tempest/tests/compute/test_live_block_migration.py
index ae8b774..92c2cf6 100644
--- a/tempest/tests/compute/test_live_block_migration.py
+++ b/tempest/tests/compute/test_live_block_migration.py
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
         random_name = ''.join(
             random.choice(string.ascii_uppercase) for x in range(20))
 
-        self.assertFalse(random_name in self._get_compute_hostnames())
+        self.assertNotIn(random_name, self._get_compute_hostnames())
 
         return random_name
 
@@ -105,22 +105,15 @@
                      'Block Live migration not available')
     def test_001_live_block_migration(self):
         """Live block migrate an instance to another host"""
-
         if len(self._get_compute_hostnames()) < 2:
             raise nose.SkipTest(
                 "Less than 2 compute nodes, skipping migration test.")
-
         server_id = self._get_an_active_server()
-
         actual_host = self._get_host_for_server(server_id)
-
         target_host = self._get_host_other_than(actual_host)
-
         self._migrate_server_to(server_id, target_host)
-
         self.servers_client.wait_for_server_status(server_id, 'ACTIVE')
-
-        self.assertTrue(target_host == self._get_host_for_server(server_id))
+        self.assertEquals(target_host, self._get_host_for_server(server_id))
 
     @attr(type='positive', bug='lp1051881')
     @unittest.skip('Until bug 1051881 is dealt with.')
@@ -130,12 +123,10 @@
         """Migrating to an invalid host should not change the status"""
 
         server_id = self._get_an_active_server()
-
         target_host = self._get_non_existing_host_name()
 
         with self.assertRaises(exceptions.BadRequest) as cm:
             self._migrate_server_to(server_id, target_host)
-
         self.assertEquals('ACTIVE', self._get_server_status(server_id))
 
     @classmethod