diff --git a/inc/testtooldefs.h b/inc/testtooldefs.h
index 4757982d..1f84f1a9 100644
--- a/inc/testtooldefs.h
+++ b/inc/testtooldefs.h
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ void doko(void);
 void dumpl(LispPTR laddr);
 void dumps(LispPTR laddr);
 void printPC(void);
-int countchar(char *string);
 void dump_bf(Bframe *bf);
 void dump_fx(struct frameex1 *fx_addr68k);
 void dump_stackframe(struct frameex1 *fx_addr68k);
@@ -29,11 +28,9 @@ void dump_CSTK(int before);
 void btv(void);
 int get_framename(struct frameex1 *fx_addr68k);
 FX *get_nextFX(FX *fx);
-int MAKEATOM(char *string);
+LispPTR MAKEATOM(char *string);
 LispPTR *MakeAtom68k(char *string);
 void GETTOPVAL(char *string);
-void S_TOPVAL(char *string);
-int S_MAKEATOM(char *string);
 void all_stack_dump(DLword start, DLword end, DLword silent);
 void dtd_chain(DLword type);
 void Trace_FNCall(int numargs, int atomindex, int arg1, LispPTR *tos);
diff --git a/src/gcarray.c b/src/gcarray.c
index da57fe32..c443eebb 100644
--- a/src/gcarray.c
+++ b/src/gcarray.c
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ LispPTR get_package_atom(const char *char_base, DLword charlen, const char *pack
     packindex = find_package_from_name(packname, packlen);
 
   if (packindex < 0) {
-    printf("getting package index is failed \n");
+    printf("getting package index failed %s:%s\n", packname, char_base);
     return (0xffffffff);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/testtool.c b/src/testtool.c
index a1579aa9..60f25c6c 100644
--- a/src/testtool.c
+++ b/src/testtool.c
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <setjmp.h>
+#include <string.h>
 
 #include "lispemul.h"
 #include "lispmap.h"
@@ -57,7 +58,9 @@
 #include "debug.h"
 #include "dbprint.h"
 #include "tosfns.h"
+#include "array.h"
 
+#include "commondefs.h"
 #include "testtooldefs.h"
 #include "dbgtooldefs.h"
 #include "gcarraydefs.h"
@@ -106,16 +109,17 @@ void print_atomname(LispPTR index)
 /*									*/
 /************************************************************************/
 
-#define PACKAGES_LIMIT 255
-/** GET PACKAGE INDEX from PACKAGE FULL NAME */
 int find_package_from_name(const char *packname, int len) {
   int index;
   PACKAGE *package;
   NEWSTRINGP *namestring;
   DLword len2;
   char *pname;
+  struct arrayheader *pi_array;
 
-  for (index = 1; index <= PACKAGES_LIMIT; index++) {
+  /* assumes the *PACKAGE-FROM-INDEX* array is simple with no offset */
+  pi_array = (struct arrayheader *)Addr68k_from_LADDR(*Package_from_Index_word);
+  for (index = 1; index < pi_array->totalsize; index++) {
     package = (PACKAGE *)Addr68k_from_LADDR(aref1(*Package_from_Index_word, index));
     namestring = (NEWSTRINGP *)Addr68k_from_LADDR(package->NAME);
     pname = (char *)Addr68k_from_LADDR(namestring->base);
@@ -847,18 +851,6 @@ void printPC(void) {
   printf("PC: O%o ", pc);
 }
 
-/***************************/
-int countchar(char *string) {
-  int cnt = 0;
-
-  while (*string != '\0') {
-    string++;
-    cnt++;
-  }
-
-  return (cnt);
-}
-
 void dump_bf(Bframe *bf) {
   DLword *ptr;
   printf("\n*** Basic Frame");
@@ -1024,10 +1016,8 @@ FX *get_nextFX(FX *fx) {
 
 } /* get_nextFX end */
 
-int MAKEATOM(char *string) {
-  int length;
-  length = countchar(string);
-  return (make_atom(string, 0, length, 0));
+LispPTR MAKEATOM(char *string) {
+    return (make_atom(string, 0, strlen(string), 0));
 }
 
 /************************************************************************/
@@ -1040,8 +1030,11 @@ int MAKEATOM(char *string) {
 /************************************************************************/
 
 LispPTR *MakeAtom68k(char *string) {
-  int index;
-  index = make_atom(string, 0, countchar(string), 0);
+  LispPTR index;
+  index = make_atom(string, 0, strlen(string), 0);
+  if (index == 0xffffffff) {
+      error("MakeAtom68k: no such atom found");
+  }
 #ifdef BIGVM
   index = (ATOMS_HI << 16) + (index * 10) + NEWATOM_VALUE_OFFSET;
 #else
@@ -1070,44 +1063,6 @@ void GETTOPVAL(char *string) {
     printf("'%s': no such symbol.\n", string);
 }
 
-/************************************************************************/
-/*									*/
-/*				S _ T O P V A L				*/
-/*									*/
-/*	Given a string that's an atom name minus the initial \,		*/
-/*	print the atom's top-level value.  This is here because		*/
-/*	DBX won't put \'s in strings you type.				*/
-/*									*/
-/************************************************************************/
-
-void S_TOPVAL(char *string) {
-  int index;
-  LispPTR *cell68k;
-  int length;
-  char dummy[256];
-
-  dummy[0] = '\\';
-  for (length = 1; *string != '\0'; length++, string++) { dummy[length] = *string; }
-
-  index = make_atom(dummy, 0, length, 0);
-  cell68k = (LispPTR *)GetVALCELL68k(index);
-  print(*cell68k);
-}
-
-/***************/
-int S_MAKEATOM(char *string) {
-  int index = 0;
-  int length;
-  char dummy[256];
-
-  dummy[0] = '\\';
-  for (length = 1; *string != '\0'; length++, string++) { dummy[length] = *string; }
-
-  index = make_atom(dummy, 0, length, 0);
-  printf("#Atomindex : %d\n", index);
-  return (index);
-}
-
 /****************************************************************************/
 /*     all_stack_dump(start,end)
 */