diff --git a/tests/benchmark_utf16.cpp b/tests/benchmark_utf16.cpp
index 80f7cbacafeb4..3d152e7b31947 100644
--- a/tests/benchmark_utf16.cpp
+++ b/tests/benchmark_utf16.cpp
@@ -63,8 +63,5 @@ int main() {
   }
   double t3 = emscripten_get_now();
   printf("OK. Time: %f (%f).\n", t, t3-t2);
-
-#ifdef REPORT_RESULT
-  REPORT_RESULT(0);
-#endif
+  return 0;
 }
diff --git a/tests/benchmark_utf8.cpp b/tests/benchmark_utf8.cpp
index 6088feb63439a..6b541fabbe1b0 100644
--- a/tests/benchmark_utf8.cpp
+++ b/tests/benchmark_utf8.cpp
@@ -64,8 +64,5 @@ int main() {
   }
   double t3 = emscripten_get_now();
   printf("OK. Time: %f (%f).\n", t, t3-t2);
-
-#ifdef REPORT_RESULT
-  REPORT_RESULT(0);
-#endif
+  return 0;
 }
diff --git a/tests/runner.py b/tests/runner.py
index 4d127a60d9d51..f5215c26025a2 100755
--- a/tests/runner.py
+++ b/tests/runner.py
@@ -17,8 +17,9 @@
 
 # XXX Use EMTEST_ALL_ENGINES=1 in the env to test all engines!
 
-from subprocess import PIPE, STDOUT
+from enum import Enum
 from functools import wraps
+from subprocess import PIPE, STDOUT
 import argparse
 import atexit
 import contextlib
@@ -1239,6 +1240,18 @@ def log_request(code=0, size=0):
   httpd.serve_forever() # test runner will kill us
 
 
+class Reporting(Enum):
+  """When running browser tests we normally automatically include support
+  code for reporting results back to the browser.  This enum allows tests
+  to decide what type of support code they need/want.
+  """
+  NONE = 0
+  # Include the JS helpers for reporting results
+  JS_ONLY = 1
+  # Include C/C++ reporting code (REPORT_RESULT mactros) as well as JS helpers
+  FULL = 2
+
+
 class BrowserCore(RunnerCore):
   # note how many tests hang / do not send an output. if many of these
   # happen, likely something is broken and it is best to abort the test
@@ -1476,26 +1489,42 @@ def reftest(self, expected, manually_trigger=False):
       }
 ''' % (reporting.read(), basename, int(manually_trigger)))
 
-  def compile_btest(self, args, reporting=True):
-    # add in support for reporting results. this adds an include a header so testcases can
+  def compile_btest(self, args, reporting=Reporting.FULL):
+    # Inject support code for reporting results. This adds an include a header so testcases can
     # use REPORT_RESULT, and also adds a cpp file to be compiled alongside the testcase, which
     # contains the implementation of REPORT_RESULT (we can't just include that implementation in
     # the header as there may be multiple files being compiled here).
     args += ['-s', 'IN_TEST_HARNESS=1']
-    if reporting:
+    if reporting != Reporting.NONE:
+      # For basic reporting we inject JS helper funtions to report result back to server.
       args += ['-DEMTEST_PORT_NUMBER=%d' % self.port,
-               '-I', path_from_root('tests'),
-               '-include', path_from_root('tests', 'report_result.h'),
-               path_from_root('tests', 'report_result.cpp'),
                '--pre-js', path_from_root('tests', 'browser_reporting.js')]
+      if reporting == Reporting.FULL:
+        # If C reporting (i.e. REPORT_RESULT macro) is required
+        # also compile in report_result.cpp and forice-include report_result.h
+        args += ['-I', path_from_root('tests'),
+                 '-include', path_from_root('tests', 'report_result.h'),
+                 path_from_root('tests', 'report_result.cpp')]
     self.run_process([EMCC] + self.get_emcc_args() + args)
 
+  def btest_exit(self, filename, expected, *args, **kwargs):
+      """Special case of btest that reports its result solely via exiting
+      with a give result code.
+
+      In this case we set EXIT_RUNTIME and we don't need to provide the
+      REPORT_RESULT macro to the C code.
+      """
+      self.set_setting('EXIT_RUNTIME')
+      kwargs['reporting'] = Reporting.JS_ONLY
+      kwargs['expected'] = 'exit:%s' % expected
+      return self.btest(filename, *args, **kwargs)
+
   def btest(self, filename, expected=None, reference=None, force_c=False,
             reference_slack=0, manual_reference=False, post_build=None,
             args=None, message='.', also_proxied=False,
             url_suffix='', timeout=None, also_asmjs=False,
             manually_trigger_reftest=False, extra_tries=1,
-            reporting=True):
+            reporting=Reporting.FULL):
     assert expected or reference, 'a btest must either expect an output, or have a reference image'
     if args is None:
       args = []
@@ -1519,7 +1548,7 @@ def btest(self, filename, expected=None, reference=None, force_c=False,
     args = [filepath, '-o', outfile] + args
     # print('all args:', args)
     try_delete(outfile)
-    self.compile_btest(args, reporting)
+    self.compile_btest(args, reporting=reporting)
     self.assertExists(outfile)
     if post_build:
       post_build()
diff --git a/tests/test_browser.py b/tests/test_browser.py
index 025c2a0f40080..92167749e8f26 100644
--- a/tests/test_browser.py
+++ b/tests/test_browser.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 from http.server import BaseHTTPRequestHandler, HTTPServer
 from urllib.request import urlopen
 
-from runner import BrowserCore, RunnerCore, path_from_root, has_browser, EMTEST_BROWSER
+from runner import BrowserCore, RunnerCore, path_from_root, has_browser, EMTEST_BROWSER, Reporting
 from runner import create_test_file, parameterized, ensure_dir
 from tools import building
 from tools import shared
@@ -1283,7 +1283,7 @@ def test_emscripten_get_now(self):
       self.btest('emscripten_get_now.cpp', '1', args=args)
 
   def test_write_file_in_environment_web(self):
-    self.btest('write_file.cpp', '0', args=['-s', 'ENVIRONMENT=web', '-Os', '--closure', '1'])
+    self.btest_exit('write_file.c', 0, args=['-s', 'ENVIRONMENT=web', '-Os', '--closure', '1'])
 
   @unittest.skip('Skipping due to https://github.com/emscripten-core/emscripten/issues/2770')
   def test_fflush(self):
@@ -2412,14 +2412,14 @@ def test_runtime_misuse(self):
 
         print('mem init, so async, call too early')
         create_test_file('post.js', post_prep + post_test + post_hook)
-        self.btest(filename, expected='600', args=['--post-js', 'post.js', '--memory-init-file', '1', '-s', 'EXIT_RUNTIME=1'] + extra_args + mode, reporting=False)
+        self.btest(filename, expected='600', args=['--post-js', 'post.js', '--memory-init-file', '1', '-s', 'EXIT_RUNTIME=1'] + extra_args + mode, reporting=Reporting.NONE)
         print('sync startup, call too late')
         create_test_file('post.js', post_prep + 'Module.postRun.push(function() { ' + post_test + ' });' + post_hook)
-        self.btest(filename, expected=str(second_code), args=['--post-js', 'post.js', '-s', 'EXIT_RUNTIME=1'] + extra_args + mode, reporting=False)
+        self.btest(filename, expected=str(second_code), args=['--post-js', 'post.js', '-s', 'EXIT_RUNTIME=1'] + extra_args + mode, reporting=Reporting.NONE)
 
         print('sync, runtime still alive, so all good')
         create_test_file('post.js', post_prep + 'expected_ok = true; Module.postRun.push(function() { ' + post_test + ' });' + post_hook)
-        self.btest(filename, expected='606', args=['--post-js', 'post.js'] + extra_args + mode, reporting=False)
+        self.btest(filename, expected='606', args=['--post-js', 'post.js'] + extra_args + mode, reporting=Reporting.NONE)
 
   def test_cwrap_early(self):
     self.btest(os.path.join('browser', 'cwrap_early.cpp'), args=['-O2', '-s', 'ASSERTIONS=1', '--pre-js', path_from_root('tests', 'browser', 'cwrap_early.js'), '-s', 'EXTRA_EXPORTED_RUNTIME_METHODS=["cwrap"]'], expected='0')
@@ -3806,7 +3806,7 @@ def test_pthread_iostream(self):
 
   @requires_threads
   def test_pthread_unistd_io_bigint(self):
-    self.btest(path_from_root('tests', 'unistd', 'io.c'), expected='0', args=['-s', 'USE_PTHREADS', '-s', 'PROXY_TO_PTHREAD', '-s', 'WASM_BIGINT'])
+    self.btest_exit(path_from_root('tests', 'unistd', 'io.c'), 0, args=['-s', 'USE_PTHREADS', '-s', 'PROXY_TO_PTHREAD', '-s', 'WASM_BIGINT'])
 
   # Test that the main thread is able to use pthread_set/getspecific.
   @requires_threads
@@ -4133,10 +4133,10 @@ def test_wasm_locate_file(self):
     self.run_browser('test.html', '', '/report_result?0')
 
   def test_utf8_textdecoder(self):
-    self.btest('benchmark_utf8.cpp', expected='0', args=['--embed-file', path_from_root('tests/utf8_corpus.txt') + '@/utf8_corpus.txt', '-s', 'EXTRA_EXPORTED_RUNTIME_METHODS=["UTF8ToString"]'])
+    self.btest_exit('benchmark_utf8.cpp', 0, args=['--embed-file', path_from_root('tests/utf8_corpus.txt') + '@/utf8_corpus.txt', '-s', 'EXTRA_EXPORTED_RUNTIME_METHODS=["UTF8ToString"]'])
 
   def test_utf16_textdecoder(self):
-    self.btest('benchmark_utf16.cpp', expected='0', args=['--embed-file', path_from_root('tests/utf16_corpus.txt') + '@/utf16_corpus.txt', '-s', 'EXTRA_EXPORTED_RUNTIME_METHODS=["UTF16ToString","stringToUTF16","lengthBytesUTF16"]'])
+    self.btest_exit('benchmark_utf16.cpp', 0, args=['--embed-file', path_from_root('tests/utf16_corpus.txt') + '@/utf16_corpus.txt', '-s', 'EXTRA_EXPORTED_RUNTIME_METHODS=["UTF16ToString","stringToUTF16","lengthBytesUTF16"]'])
 
   def test_TextDecoder(self):
     self.btest('browser_test_hello_world.c', '0', args=['-s', 'TEXTDECODER=0'])
@@ -4443,18 +4443,18 @@ def test_asmfs_dirent_test_readdir_empty(self):
   @requires_asmfs
   @requires_threads
   def test_asmfs_unistd_close(self):
-    self.btest('unistd/close.c', expected='0', args=['-s', 'ASMFS=1', '-s', 'WASM=0', '-s', 'USE_PTHREADS=1', '-s', 'FETCH_DEBUG=1'])
+    self.btest_exit(path_from_root('tests', 'unistd', 'close.c'), 0, args=['-s', 'ASMFS=1', '-s', 'WASM=0', '-s', 'USE_PTHREADS=1', '-s', 'FETCH_DEBUG=1'])
 
   @requires_asmfs
   @requires_threads
   def test_asmfs_unistd_access(self):
-    self.btest('unistd/access.c', expected='0', args=['-s', 'ASMFS=1', '-s', 'WASM=0', '-s', 'USE_PTHREADS=1', '-s', 'FETCH_DEBUG=1'])
+    self.btest_exit(path_from_root('tests', 'unistd', 'access.c'), 0, args=['-s', 'ASMFS=1', '-s', 'WASM=0', '-s', 'USE_PTHREADS=1', '-s', 'FETCH_DEBUG=1'])
 
   @requires_asmfs
   @requires_threads
   def test_asmfs_unistd_unlink(self):
     # TODO: Once symlinks are supported, remove -DNO_SYMLINK=1
-    self.btest('unistd/unlink.c', expected='0', args=['-s', 'ASMFS=1', '-s', 'WASM=0', '-s', 'USE_PTHREADS=1', '-s', 'FETCH_DEBUG=1', '-DNO_SYMLINK=1'])
+    self.btest_exit(path_from_root('tests', 'unistd', 'unlink.c'), 0, args=['-s', 'ASMFS=1', '-s', 'WASM=0', '-s', 'USE_PTHREADS=1', '-s', 'FETCH_DEBUG=1', '-DNO_SYMLINK=1'])
 
   @requires_asmfs
   @requires_threads
diff --git a/tests/unistd/access.c b/tests/unistd/access.c
index a3691ea4fa045..e8a2d7f13c216 100644
--- a/tests/unistd/access.c
+++ b/tests/unistd/access.c
@@ -75,9 +75,5 @@ int main() {
   );
 #endif
 
-#ifdef REPORT_RESULT
-  REPORT_RESULT(0);
-#endif
-
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/tests/unistd/close.c b/tests/unistd/close.c
index dcc80add1bbbd..05ecf12d625d9 100644
--- a/tests/unistd/close.c
+++ b/tests/unistd/close.c
@@ -42,8 +42,5 @@ int main() {
   assert(errno == EBADF);
   errno = 0;
 
-#ifdef REPORT_RESULT
-  REPORT_RESULT(0);
-#endif
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/tests/unistd/unlink.c b/tests/unistd/unlink.c
index eb51f1221a578..d63cca44cd3b3 100644
--- a/tests/unistd/unlink.c
+++ b/tests/unistd/unlink.c
@@ -187,8 +187,5 @@ int main() {
   setup();
   test();
 
-#ifdef REPORT_RESULT
-  REPORT_RESULT(0);
-#endif
   return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/tests/write_file.cpp b/tests/write_file.c
similarity index 73%
rename from tests/write_file.cpp
rename to tests/write_file.c
index 2bee9b716fdcf..a59f27e350ec2 100644
--- a/tests/write_file.cpp
+++ b/tests/write_file.c
@@ -9,8 +9,5 @@ int main() {
 	char str[256] = {};
 	fgets(str, 255, handle);
 	printf("%s\n", str);
-#ifdef REPORT_RESULT
-	REPORT_RESULT(strcmp(str, "hello from file!"));
-#endif
-	return 0;
+	return strcmp(str, "hello from file!");
 }