Index: root.in
===================================================================
--- root.in	(revision 45841)
+++ root.in	(working copy)
@@ -1723,7 +1723,7 @@
 
 # Test Parrot core.
 test_core: test_prep
-	$(PERL) t/harness $(EXTRA_TEST_ARGS)
+	$(PARROT) t/harness.pir $(EXTRA_TEST_ARGS)
 
 # Test the NQP compiler
 nqp_test : test_prep compilers/nqp/nqp.pbc
@@ -1734,13 +1734,13 @@
 	$(PERL) t/harness $(EXTRA_TEST_ARGS) --archive --send-to-smolder
 
 smolder_coretest : corevm
-	$(PERL) t/harness $(EXTRA_TEST_ARGS) --core-tests --archive --send-to-smolder
+	$(PARROT) t/harness.pir $(EXTRA_TEST_ARGS) --core-tests --archive --send-to-smolder
 
 smoke : smolder_test
 
 # "core tests" -- test basic functionality but not ancillaries
 coretest : corevm
-	$(PERL) t/harness $(EXTRA_TEST_ARGS) --core-tests
+	$(PARROT) t/harness.pir $(EXTRA_TEST_ARGS) --core-tests
 
 # automake compatibility
 check : test
@@ -1813,35 +1813,35 @@
 
 # Test that need to be compiled by the C-compiler
 src_tests :
-	$(PERL) t/harness $(SRC_TEST_FILES)
+	$(PARROT) t/harness.pir $(SRC_TEST_FILES)
 
 # Command line and various environments
 run_tests :
-	$(PERL) t/harness $(RUN_TEST_FILES)
+	$(PARROT) t/harness.pir $(RUN_TEST_FILES)
 
 # Test the Perl5 Modules in the Parrot distribution
 perl_tests :
-	$(PERL) t/harness $(PERL_TEST_FILES)
+	$(PARROT) t/harness.pir $(PERL_TEST_FILES)
 
 codetest :
-	$(PERL) t/harness $(EXTRA_TEST_ARGS) --code-tests
+	$(PARROT) t/harness.pir $(EXTRA_TEST_ARGS) --code-tests
 
 # Test pdd07_codingstd
 codingstd_tests :
-	$(PERL) t/harness $(CODINGSTD_TEST_FILES)
+	$(PARROT) t/harness.pir $(CODINGSTD_TEST_FILES)
 
 # Run standard test suite with warnings enabled.
 warnings_tests:
 	$(PERL) t/harness $(EXTRA_TEST_ARGS) -w $(RUNCORE_TEST_FILES)
 
 buildtools_tests : corevm
-	$(PERL) t/harness $(BUILDTOOLS_TEST_FILES)
+	$(PARROT) t/harness.pir $(BUILDTOOLS_TEST_FILES)
 
 manifest_tests :
-	$(PERL) t/harness $(MANIFEST_TEST_FILES)
+	$(PARROT) t/harness.pir $(MANIFEST_TEST_FILES)
 
 examples_tests :
-	$(PERL) t/harness $(EXAMPLES_TEST_FILES)
+	$(PARROT) t/harness.pir $(EXAMPLES_TEST_FILES)
 
 # benchmark tests
 benchmark_tests : test_prep
@@ -1853,15 +1853,15 @@
 
 # distro tests
 distro_tests : test_prep
-	$(PERL) t/harness $(DISTRO_TEST_FILES)
+	$(PARROT) t/harness.pir $(DISTRO_TEST_FILES)
 
 # configure tests
 configure_tests :
-	$(PERL) t/harness $(CONFIGURE_TEST_FILES)
+	$(PARROT) t/harness.pir $(CONFIGURE_TEST_FILES)
 
 # library tests - tests run by make test but not by make fulltest or make cover
 library_tests : test_prep
-	$(PERL) t/harness $(EXTRA_TEST_ARGS) $(LIBRARY_TEST_FILES)
+	$(PARROT) t/harness.pir $(EXTRA_TEST_ARGS) $(LIBRARY_TEST_FILES)
 
 ###############################################################################
 #