diff --git a/pkg/engine/lifeycletest/pulumi_test.go b/pkg/engine/lifeycletest/pulumi_test.go
index ab868010e..6da095255 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/lifeycletest/pulumi_test.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/lifeycletest/pulumi_test.go
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ func TestSingleResourceDiffUnavailable(t *testing.T) {
 			for _, e := range events {
 				if e.Type == DiagEvent {
 					p := e.Payload().(DiagEventPayload)
-					if p.URN == resURN && p.Severity == diag.Warning && p.Message == "diff unavailable" {
+					if p.URN == resURN && p.Severity == diag.Warning && p.Message == "<{%reset%}>diff unavailable<{%reset%}>\n" {
 						found = true
 						break
 					}
diff --git a/pkg/engine/lifeycletest/test_plan.go b/pkg/engine/lifeycletest/test_plan.go
index faa6f7216..77bd2ce19 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/lifeycletest/test_plan.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/lifeycletest/test_plan.go
@@ -96,12 +96,12 @@ func (op TestOp) RunWithContext(
 	_, res := op(info, ctx, opts, dryRun)
 	contract.IgnoreClose(journal)
 
-	if dryRun {
-		return nil, res
-	}
 	if validate != nil {
 		res = validate(project, target, journal.Entries(), firedEvents, res)
 	}
+	if dryRun {
+		return nil, res
+	}
 
 	snap := journal.Snap(target.Snapshot)
 	if res == nil && snap != nil {
@@ -210,7 +210,8 @@ func (p *TestPlan) Run(t *testing.T, snapshot *deploy.Snapshot) *deploy.Snapshot
 		if !step.SkipPreview {
 			previewSnap := CloneSnapshot(t, snap)
 			previewTarget := p.GetTarget(previewSnap)
-			_, res := step.Op.Run(project, previewTarget, p.Options, true, p.BackendClient, step.Validate)
+			// Don't run validate on the preview step
+			_, res := step.Op.Run(project, previewTarget, p.Options, true, p.BackendClient, nil)
 			if step.ExpectFailure {
 				assertIsErrorOrBailResult(t, res)
 				continue