diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index ba1fafbb9..d84dd8ff2 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2006-02-09  Thomas Thurman <thomas thurman org uk>
+
+        * src/testboxes.c (test_regions_okay, test_clamping_to_region):
+        add messages to explain that warnings are harmless
+
 Tue Feb  7 00:58:05 2006  Soeren Sandmann  <sandmann@redhat.com>
 
 	* src/compositor.c: Wrap fade code in #ifdef HAVE_COMPOSITE_EXTENSIONS
diff --git a/src/testboxes.c b/src/testboxes.c
index 00e439da8..797474766 100644
--- a/src/testboxes.c
+++ b/src/testboxes.c
@@ -645,6 +645,8 @@ test_regions_okay ()
   /*************************************************************/
   /* Make sure test region 5 has the right spanning rectangles */
   /*************************************************************/  
+  printf ("The next test intentionally causes a warning, "
+          "but it can be ignored.\n");
   region = get_screen_region (5);
   verify_lists_are_equal (region, NULL);
 
@@ -751,6 +753,8 @@ test_clamping_to_region ()
                                            &min_size);
   g_assert (rect.width == 400 && rect.height == 1180);
 
+  printf ("The next test intentionally causes a warning, "
+          "but it can be ignored.\n");
   rect = meta_rect (50, 50, 10000, 10000);
   min_size.width = 600;  min_size.height = 1170;
   meta_rectangle_clamp_to_fit_into_region (region,
@@ -777,6 +781,8 @@ test_clamping_to_region ()
                                            &min_size);
   g_assert (rect.width == 400 && rect.height == 1100);
 
+  printf ("The next test intentionally causes a warning, "
+          "but it can be ignored.\n");
   rect = meta_rect (300, 70, 999999, 999999);
   min_size.width = 100;  min_size.height = 200;
   fixed_directions = FIXED_DIRECTION_Y;