diff --git a/tempest/cli/__init__.py b/tempest/cli/__init__.py
index b34d516..08f585a 100644
--- a/tempest/cli/__init__.py
+++ b/tempest/cli/__init__.py
@@ -134,6 +134,11 @@
             for field in field_names:
                 self.assertIn(field, item)
 
+    def assertFirstLineStartsWith(self, lines, beginning):
+        self.assertTrue(lines[0].startswith(beginning),
+                        msg=('Beginning of first line has invalid content: %s'
+                             % lines[:3]))
+
 
 class CommandFailed(subprocess.CalledProcessError):
     # adds output attribute for python2.6
diff --git a/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_cinder.py b/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_cinder.py
index e9ce87b..21acae8 100644
--- a/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_cinder.py
+++ b/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_cinder.py
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@
     def test_admin_help(self):
         help_text = self.cinder('help')
         lines = help_text.split('\n')
-        self.assertTrue(lines[0].startswith('usage: cinder'))
+        self.assertFirstLineStartsWith(lines, 'usage: cinder')
 
         commands = []
         cmds_start = lines.index('Positional arguments:')
diff --git a/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_glance.py b/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_glance.py
index 3d58451..d02c60b 100644
--- a/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_glance.py
+++ b/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_glance.py
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
     def test_glance_help(self):
         help_text = self.glance('help')
         lines = help_text.split('\n')
-        self.assertTrue(lines[0].startswith('usage: glance'))
+        self.assertFirstLineStartsWith(lines, 'usage: glance')
 
         commands = []
         cmds_start = lines.index('Positional arguments:')
diff --git a/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_keystone.py b/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_keystone.py
index 4c7982b..1e8009f 100644
--- a/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_keystone.py
+++ b/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_keystone.py
@@ -46,7 +46,9 @@
         out = self.keystone('catalog')
         catalog = self.parser.details_multiple(out, with_label=True)
         for svc in catalog:
-            self.assertTrue(svc['__label'].startswith('Service:'))
+            self.assertTrue(svc['__label'].startswith('Service:'),
+                            msg=('Invalid beginning of service block: %s' %
+                                 svc['__label']))
 
     def test_admin_endpoint_list(self):
         out = self.keystone('endpoint-list')
@@ -94,7 +96,7 @@
     def test_admin_help(self):
         help_text = self.keystone('help')
         lines = help_text.split('\n')
-        self.assertTrue(lines[0].startswith('usage: keystone'))
+        self.assertFirstLineStartsWith(lines, 'usage: keystone')
 
         commands = []
         cmds_start = lines.index('Positional arguments:')
diff --git a/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_neutron.py b/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_neutron.py
index 7b8340d..ae3a1a7 100644
--- a/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_neutron.py
+++ b/tempest/cli/simple_read_only/test_neutron.py
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@
     def test_neutron_help(self):
         help_text = self.neutron('help')
         lines = help_text.split('\n')
-        self.assertTrue(lines[0].startswith('usage: neutron'))
+        self.assertFirstLineStartsWith(lines, 'usage: neutron')
 
         commands = []
         cmds_start = lines.index('Commands for API v2.0:')