diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 7d7b5a9bb..774db098f 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -284,10 +284,6 @@ class Command(object):
                 newlines.append(line)
             output = "\n".join(newlines)
 
-        # Make sure all test output has trailing newline, simplifies diffing
-        if not output.endswith("\n"):
-            output += "\n"
-
         # Strip the test directory out of the saved output
         search = '"%s/' % utils.TOPDIR
         if search in output:
diff --git a/tests/utils.py b/tests/utils.py
index ae50aa91b..5c813f625 100644
--- a/tests/utils.py
+++ b/tests/utils.py
@@ -219,13 +219,32 @@ def test_create(testconn, xml, define_func="defineXML"):
 
 
 def diff_compare(actual_out, filename=None, expect_out=None):
-    """Compare passed string output to contents of filename"""
+    """
+    Test suite helper for comparing two strings
+
+    If filename is passed, but the file doesn't exist, we write actual_out
+    to it. This makes it easy to populate output for new testcases
+
+    If the --regenerate-output pytest flag was passed, we re-write every
+    specified filename.
+
+    @actual_out: Output we generated
+    @filename: filename where expected good test output is stored
+    @expect_out: expected string to compare against
+    """
+    # Make sure all test output has trailing newline, simplifies diffing
+    if not actual_out.endswith("\n"):
+        actual_out += "\n"
+
     if not expect_out:
         if not os.path.exists(filename) or TESTCONFIG.regenerate_output:
             open(filename, "w").write(actual_out)
         expect_out = open(filename).read()
 
-    diff = xmlutil.diff(expect_out.rstrip(), actual_out.rstrip(),
+    if not expect_out.endswith("\n"):
+        expect_out += "\n"
+
+    diff = xmlutil.diff(expect_out, actual_out,
             filename or '', "Generated output")
     if diff:
         raise AssertionError("Conversion outputs did not match.\n%s" % diff)