diff --git a/src/tests/cal.t b/src/tests/cal.t
index 1d0f0b176..3b22cdd35 100755
--- a/src/tests/cal.t
+++ b/src/tests/cal.t
@@ -58,18 +58,18 @@ if ( $day <= 9)
 # task cal   and   task cal y
 my $output = qx{../task rc:cal.rc rc._forcecolor:on cal};
 like   ($output, qr/\[36m$day/,      'Current day is highlighted');
-like   ($output, qr/$month.* $year/, 'Current month and year are displayed');
+like   ($output, qr/$month\w+?\s+?$year/, 'Current month and year are displayed');
 qx{../task rc:cal.rc add zero};
 unlike ($output, qr/\[41m\d+/,       'No overdue tasks are present');
 unlike ($output, qr/\[43m\d+/,       'No due tasks are present');
 $output = qx{../task rc:cal.rc rc.weekstart:Sunday cal};
-like   ($output, qr/Su Mo Tu/,     'Week starts on Sunday');
+like   ($output, qr/Su Mo Tu/,     'Week starts on Sunday'); 
 $output = qx{../task rc:cal.rc rc.weekstart:Monday cal};
-like   ($output, qr/Fr Sa Su/,     'Week starts on Monday');
+like   ($output, qr/Fr Sa Su/,     'Week starts on Monday'); 
 $output = qx{../task rc:cal.rc cal y};
-like   ($output, qr/$month.* $year/,         'Current month and year are displayed');
-like   ($output, qr/$prevmonth.* $nextyear/, 'Month and year one year ahead are displayed');
-unlike ($output, qr/$month.* $nextyear/,     'Current month and year ahead are not displayed');
+like   ($output, qr/$month\w+?\s+?$year/,         'Current month and year are displayed');
+like   ($output, qr/$prevmonth\w+?\s+?$nextyear/, 'Month and year one year ahead are displayed');
+unlike ($output, qr/$month\w+?\s+?$nextyear/,     'Current month and year ahead are not displayed');
 
 # task cal due   and   task cal due y
 qx{../task rc:cal.rc add due:20190515 one};
@@ -78,9 +78,9 @@ $output = qx{../task rc:cal.rc rc._forcecolor:on cal due};
 unlike ($output, qr/April 2019/,   'April 2019 is not displayed');
 like   ($output, qr/May 2019/,     'May 2019 is displayed');
 unlike ($output, qr/January 2020/, 'January 2020 is not displayed');
-like   ($output, qr/\[43m15/,      'Task 1 is color-coded due');
+like   ($output, qr/43m15/,      'Task 1 is color-coded due');
 $output = qx{../task rc:cal.rc rc._forcecolor:on cal due y};
-like   ($output, qr/\[43m23/,      'Task 2 is color-coded due');
+like   ($output, qr/43m23/,      'Task 2 is color-coded due');
 like   ($output, qr/April 2020/,   'April 2020 is displayed');
 unlike ($output, qr/May 2020/,     'May 2020 is not displayed');
 qx{../task rc:cal.rc ls};
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ qx{../task rc:cal.rc del 1-3};
 qx{../task rc:cal.rc add due:20080408 three};
 $output = qx{../task rc:cal.rc rc._forcecolor:on cal due};
 like   ($output, qr/April 2008/,  'April 2008 is displayed');
-like   ($output, qr/\[41m 8/,     'Task 3 is color-coded overdue');
+like   ($output, qr/41m 8/,     'Task 3 is color-coded overdue');
 
 # task cal 2016
 $output = qx{../task rc:cal.rc rc.weekstart:Monday cal 2016};