diff --git a/tools/ds_tests/regs/arm7/source/arm7.cpp b/tools/ds_tests/regs/arm7/source/arm7.cpp
index 302e49df1..75dcfd3be 100644
--- a/tools/ds_tests/regs/arm7/source/arm7.cpp
+++ b/tools/ds_tests/regs/arm7/source/arm7.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-default ARM7 core
+once upon a time, this was: default ARM7 core
 
 Copyright (C) 2005
 Michael Noland (joat)
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ distribution.
 #include <maxmod7.h>
 #include "../../regstest.h"
 
+arm7comm_t *arm7comm;
+
 //---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 void VcountHandler() {
 	//---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -42,21 +44,22 @@ void VblankHandler(void) {
 	Wifi_Update();
 }
 
-void pokeMessage(char* msg)
+void pokeMessage(const char* msg)
 {
-	char* cp = msg;
+	const char* cp = msg;
 	int i=0;
 	while(*cp)
 		arm7comm->message[i++] = *cp++;
 	arm7comm->message[i] = 0;
 }
 
-void fail(char* msg, u32 offender=0)
+void fail(const char* msg, u32 offender=0)
 {
 	arm7comm->code = 1;
 	arm7comm->offender = offender;
 	pokeMessage(msg);
 
+	fifoSendValue32(FIFO_USER_01,0);
 	while (1) swiWaitForVBlank();
 }
 
@@ -86,10 +89,11 @@ int main() {
 
 	irqEnable( IRQ_VBLANK | IRQ_VCOUNT | IRQ_NETWORK);   
 
-	
-	while (arm7comm->code != 0xDEADBEEF) 
-		swiWaitForVBlank();
+	//find out where the arm9 wants us to stash our info
+	while(!fifoCheckAddress(FIFO_USER_01)) swiWaitForVBlank();
+	arm7comm = (arm7comm_t*)fifoGetAddress(FIFO_USER_01);
 
+	
 	//spu source reg should only be 27bit
 	//but it is not readable so what does it matter
 	for(int i=0;i<16;i++)
@@ -111,6 +115,7 @@ int main() {
 
 	
 	arm7comm->code = 2;
+	fifoSendValue32(FIFO_USER_01,0);
 	while (1) swiWaitForVBlank();
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/ds_tests/regs/arm9/source/main.cpp b/tools/ds_tests/regs/arm9/source/main.cpp
index 2fc820f8c..67390feb5 100644
--- a/tools/ds_tests/regs/arm9/source/main.cpp
+++ b/tools/ds_tests/regs/arm9/source/main.cpp
@@ -30,16 +30,22 @@ void _myassert(const char *fileName, int lineNumber, const char* conditionString
 	for(;;) swiWaitForVBlank();
 }
 
+arm7comm_t arm7comm;
+
 int main(void) {
 	consoleDemoInit();
 
-	arm7comm->code = 0xDEADBEEF;
+	//tell the arm7 where to store its stuff
+	//(the arm7 needs to know a location in main memory (shared) to store its results)
+	//(it could store its results in shared arm7 memory but we chose to do it this way since)
+	//(I couldn't figure out how to specify storage there for a global in arm7.cpp. any suggestions?)
+	fifoSendAddress(FIFO_USER_01,&arm7comm);
 
 	//fog table entries should not be readable. they should return 0
 	for(int i=0;i<32;i++)
 	{
 		GFX_FOG_TABLE[i] = 0xFF;
-		iprintf("%02X\n",GFX_FOG_TABLE[i]);
+		//iprintf("%02X\n",GFX_FOG_TABLE[i]);
 		myassert(GFX_FOG_TABLE[i] == 0x00,"test whether fog table entries are non-readable");
 	}
 
@@ -77,19 +83,20 @@ int main(void) {
 	//-------------------
 	iprintf("waiting for arm7 test to finish!\n");
 
-	//wait for arm7 test to finish
-	for(;;) {
-		if(arm7comm->code != 0xDEADBEEF) break;
+	for(;;)
+	{
+		if(fifoCheckValue32(FIFO_USER_01))
+			break;
 		swiWaitForVBlank();
 	}
 
-	iprintf("arm7 finish code: %d\n",arm7comm->code);
+	iprintf("arm7 finish code: %d\n",arm7comm.code);
 
-	if(arm7comm->code == 1)
+	if(arm7comm.code == 1)
 	{
 		iprintf("arm7 test failed!\n");
-		iprintf("%s\n",arm7comm->message);
-		iprintf("offending val: 0x%08X\n",arm7comm->offender);
+		iprintf("%s\n",arm7comm.message);
+		iprintf("offending val: 0x%08X\n",arm7comm.offender);
 	}
 	else
 	{
diff --git a/tools/ds_tests/regs/regstest.h b/tools/ds_tests/regs/regstest.h
index c2722db79..daf924758 100644
--- a/tools/ds_tests/regs/regstest.h
+++ b/tools/ds_tests/regs/regstest.h
@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@ typedef struct _arm7comm_t
 	char message[1024];
 } arm7comm_t;
 
-#define arm7comm ( (arm7comm_t*)0x02200000 )
\ No newline at end of file
+//#define arm7comm ( (arm7comm_t*)0x02200000 )
\ No newline at end of file