diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4b3940e28..001fa58dc 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1641,7 +1641,7 @@ tests/test-chat-template: tests/test-chat-template.cpp \
 	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(filter-out %.h $<,$^) $(call GET_OBJ_FILE, $<) -o $@ $(LDFLAGS)
 
 tests/test-cli: tests/test-cli.cpp \
-	$(OBJ_ALL)
+	$(OBJ_ALL) | llama-cli
 	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -c $< -o $(call GET_OBJ_FILE, $<)
 	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(filter-out %.h $<,$^) $(call GET_OBJ_FILE, $<) -o $@ $(LDFLAGS)
 
diff --git a/tests/test-cli.cpp b/tests/test-cli.cpp
index 8be29c6f8..de249a921 100644
--- a/tests/test-cli.cpp
+++ b/tests/test-cli.cpp
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ int main(int argc, char ** argv) {
     std::string cli_bin = argc == 2 ? argv[1] : "./llama-cli";
 
     try {
-        std::system("mkdir out/");
+        if (std::system("mkdir -p out/") != 0)
+            throw std::runtime_error("Failed to create out/ directory.");
 
         {
             auto p = run(cli_bin + " --help");
@@ -74,6 +75,8 @@ int main(int argc, char ** argv) {
             assert_equals(" hello was a big, red ball. He", p.out);
             assert_equals("", p.err);
         }
+
+        return 0;
     } catch (const std::exception & ex) {
         std::cerr << "[test-cli] Error: " << ex.what() << std::endl;
         return 1;