diff --git a/vlib/v/compiler_errors_test.v b/vlib/v/compiler_errors_test.v
index 24a6cb58895689..c5b8e1a5fe59d0 100644
--- a/vlib/v/compiler_errors_test.v
+++ b/vlib/v/compiler_errors_test.v
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import os
-import rand
 import term
 import v.util.diff
 import v.util.vtest
@@ -409,10 +408,10 @@ fn chunka(s []u8, chunk_size int) string {
 
 fn diff_content(expected string, found string) {
 	println(term.bold(term.yellow('diff: ')))
-	if diff_cmd := diff.find_working_diff_command() {
-		println(diff.color_compare_strings(diff_cmd, rand.ulid(), expected, found))
+	if diff_ := diff.compare_text(expected, found) {
+		println(diff_)
 	} else {
-		println('>>>> could not find a working diff command; dumping bytes instead...')
+		println('>>>> `${err}`; dumping bytes instead...')
 		println('expected bytes:\n${chunka(expected.bytes(), 25)}')
 		println('   found bytes:\n${chunka(found.bytes(), 25)}')
 		println('============')
diff --git a/vlib/v/slow_tests/inout/compiler_test.v b/vlib/v/slow_tests/inout/compiler_test.v
index dac54a02ad9db1..ffdc32c9092189 100644
--- a/vlib/v/slow_tests/inout/compiler_test.v
+++ b/vlib/v/slow_tests/inout/compiler_test.v
@@ -95,16 +95,17 @@ fn test_all() {
 		}
 		if expected != found {
 			println(term.red('FAIL'))
-			println(term.header('expected:', '-'))
-			println(expected)
-			println(term.header('found:', '-'))
-			println(found)
-			if diff_cmd != '' {
+			if diff_ := diff.compare_text(expected, found) {
 				println(term.header('difference:', '-'))
-				println(diff.color_compare_strings(diff_cmd, rand.ulid(), expected, found))
+				println(diff_)
 			} else {
-				println(term.h_divider('-'))
+				println(err)
+				println(term.header('expected:', '-'))
+				println(expected)
+				println(term.header('found:', '-'))
+				println(found)
 			}
+			println(term.h_divider('-'))
 			total_errors++
 		} else {
 			println(term.green('OK'))