diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.cygwin-x86 b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.cygwin-x86
index e537a3869..c2c4bbf16 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.cygwin-x86
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.cygwin-x86
@@ -13,7 +13,11 @@ include $(CONFIG)/os/CONFIG.Common.UnixCommon
 OS_CLASS = cygwin32
 ARCH_CLASS = x86
 
-#  Definitions used when COMMANDLINE_LIBRARY is READLINE
+# Link libraries controlled by COMMANDLINE_LIBRARY
+# The Cygwin version 1.7.15 needs readline and ncursesw,
+# older ones may need readline and curses.
+LDLIBS_READLINE_NCURSESW = -lreadline -lncursesw
+LDLIBS_READLINE_CURSES = -lreadline -lcurses
 LDLIBS_READLINE = -lreadline
 
 POSIX_CPPFLAGS = -D_POSIX_THREADS -D_POSIX_TIMERS
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG_SITE.Common.cygwin-x86 b/configure/os/CONFIG_SITE.Common.cygwin-x86
index 1f410b318..8e14db31c 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG_SITE.Common.cygwin-x86
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG_SITE.Common.cygwin-x86
@@ -5,7 +5,22 @@
 # Site Specific definitions for cygwin-x86 target
 # Only the local epics system manager should modify this file
 
-# If readline is installed uncomment the following line
-# to add command-line editing and history support
-COMMANDLINE_LIBRARY = READLINE
+# Currently the Cygwin build only works without shared libraries.
+SHARED_LIBRARIES = NO
+STATIC_BUILD = YES
+
+# Depending on your version of Cygwin you'll want one of the following
+# lines to enable command-line editing and history in iocsh.  If you're
+# not sure which, start with the top one and work downwards until the
+# build doesn't fail to link the readline library.  If none of them work,
+# comment them all out to build without readline support.
+
+# Needs -lncursesw (Cygwin 1.7):
+COMMANDLINE_LIBRARY = READLINE_NCURSESW
+
+# Needs -lcurses (older versions)
+#COMMANDLINE_LIBRARY = READLINE_CURSES
+
+# No other libraries needed
+#COMMANDLINE_LIBRARY = READLINE
 
diff --git a/src/libCom/test/epicsMessageQueueTest.cpp b/src/libCom/test/epicsMessageQueueTest.cpp
index c3c86e20a..8069709e4 100644
--- a/src/libCom/test/epicsMessageQueueTest.cpp
+++ b/src/libCom/test/epicsMessageQueueTest.cpp
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ receiver(void *arg)
         expectmsg[sender-1] = 1;
     while (!testExit) {
         cbuf[0] = '\0';
-        len = q->receive(cbuf, sizeof cbuf, 2.0);
+        len = q->receive(cbuf, sizeof cbuf, 5.0);
         if (len < 0 && !testExit) {
             testDiag("receiver() received unexpected timeout");
             ++errors;
@@ -108,7 +108,8 @@ receiver(void *arg)
         if (expectmsg[sender-1] > 1)
             testDiag("Sender %d -- %d messages", sender, expectmsg[sender-1]-1);
     }
-    testOk1(errors == 0);
+    if (!testOk1(errors == 0))
+        testDiag("error count was %d", errors);
     epicsEventSignal(finished);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/std/filters/test/tsTest.c b/src/std/filters/test/tsTest.c
index 86b8b680e..42895ac00 100644
--- a/src/std/filters/test/tsTest.c
+++ b/src/std/filters/test/tsTest.c
@@ -103,8 +103,9 @@ MAIN(tsTest)
 
     pfl2 = dbChannelRunPreChain(pch, &fl1);
     epicsTimeGetCurrent(&now);
-    testOk(epicsTimeDiffInSeconds(&pfl2->time, &stamp) > 0. &&
-           epicsTimeDiffInSeconds(&now, &pfl2->time) > 0., "ts filter sets time stamp to \"now\"");
+    testOk(epicsTimeDiffInSeconds(&pfl2->time, &stamp) >= 0 &&
+        epicsTimeDiffInSeconds(&now, &pfl2->time) >= 0,
+        "ts filter sets time stamp to \"now\"");
 
     dbChannelDelete(pch);
     dbFreeBase(pdbbase);