diff --git a/src/tools/xce-build.sh b/src/tools/xce-build.sh
index 9b5dffca..4ed966ec 100755
--- a/src/tools/xce-build.sh
+++ b/src/tools/xce-build.sh
@@ -387,7 +387,13 @@ case "$COMPONENT" in
         meson compile -C "$BUILD_DIR" "${MESON_COMPILE_JOB_OPTS[@]}" apiserver xcecli
         if [ "$RUN_TESTS" = 1 ]; then
             echo "=== Running frontend Go unit tests ==="
-            cd frontend/apiserver && CGO_ENABLED=0 go test "${GO_TEST_JOB_OPTS[@]}" ./store/... ./utils/... ./controllers/... ./backend/... -count=1 && cd ../xcecli && CGO_ENABLED=0 go test "${GO_TEST_JOB_OPTS[@]}" ./... -count=1
+            # bug-1895: one command per suite, each in a subshell. As a single
+            # `cd a && go test && cd ../b && go test` list, a failing apiserver
+            # `go test` only short-circuited the list -- set -e ignores every
+            # command of an && list but the last -- so the build reported
+            # success and skipped the xcecli tests.
+            (cd frontend/apiserver && CGO_ENABLED=0 go test "${GO_TEST_JOB_OPTS[@]}" ./store/... ./utils/... ./controllers/... ./backend/... -count=1)
+            (cd frontend/xcecli && CGO_ENABLED=0 go test "${GO_TEST_JOB_OPTS[@]}" ./... -count=1)
         fi
         ;;
     xcecli)
@@ -396,7 +402,7 @@ case "$COMPONENT" in
         meson compile -C "$BUILD_DIR" "${MESON_COMPILE_JOB_OPTS[@]}" xcecli
         if [ "$RUN_TESTS" = 1 ]; then
             echo "=== Running xcecli Go unit tests ==="
-            cd frontend/xcecli && CGO_ENABLED=0 go test "${GO_TEST_JOB_OPTS[@]}" ./... -count=1
+            (cd frontend/xcecli && CGO_ENABLED=0 go test "${GO_TEST_JOB_OPTS[@]}" ./... -count=1)
         fi
         ;;
     xceadmin)
@@ -434,7 +440,13 @@ case "$COMPONENT" in
             echo "=== Running scheduler test (manual) ==="
             "./$BUILD_DIR/scheduler/testsuite/sched_test"
             echo "=== Running frontend Go unit tests ==="
-            cd frontend/apiserver && CGO_ENABLED=0 go test "${GO_TEST_JOB_OPTS[@]}" ./store/... ./utils/... ./controllers/... ./backend/... -count=1 && cd ../xcecli && CGO_ENABLED=0 go test "${GO_TEST_JOB_OPTS[@]}" ./... -count=1
+            # bug-1895: one command per suite, each in a subshell. As a single
+            # `cd a && go test && cd ../b && go test` list, a failing apiserver
+            # `go test` only short-circuited the list -- set -e ignores every
+            # command of an && list but the last -- so the build reported
+            # success and skipped the xcecli tests.
+            (cd frontend/apiserver && CGO_ENABLED=0 go test "${GO_TEST_JOB_OPTS[@]}" ./store/... ./utils/... ./controllers/... ./backend/... -count=1)
+            (cd frontend/xcecli && CGO_ENABLED=0 go test "${GO_TEST_JOB_OPTS[@]}" ./... -count=1)
         fi
         ;;
     *)