diff --git a/README b/README
index 375e07c5..210bded7 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -26,25 +26,26 @@ Preparing system for tests (IRIX and Linux):
       set the environment variable DISABLE_UDF_TEST to 1.
 	
     
-    - create two partitions to use for testing
+    - create one or two partitions to use for testing
         - one TEST partition
             - format as XFS, mount & optionally populate with 
               NON-IMPORTANT stuff
-        - one SCRATCH partition
+        - one SCRATCH partition (optional)
             - leave empty and expect this partition to be clobbered
-              by some tests.
+              by some tests.  If this is not provided, many tests will
+              not be run.
               
         (these must be two DIFFERENT partitions)
               
     - setup your environment
         - setenv TEST_DEV "device containing TEST PARTITION"
         - setenv TEST_DIR "mount point of TEST PARTITION"   
-        - setenv SCRATCH_DEV "device containing SCRATCH PARTITION"
-        - setenv SCRATCH_MNT "mount point for SCRATCH PARTITION"
-        - setenv TAPE_DEV "tape device for testing xfsdump"
-        - setenv RMT_TAPE_DEV "remote tape device for testing xfsdump"
-        - setenv RMT_IRIXTAPE_DEV "remote IRIX tape device for testing xfsdump"
        	- optionally:
+             - setenv SCRATCH_DEV "device containing SCRATCH PARTITION"
+             - setenv SCRATCH_MNT "mount point for SCRATCH PARTITION"
+             - setenv TAPE_DEV "tape device for testing xfsdump"
+             - setenv RMT_TAPE_DEV "remote tape device for testing xfsdump"
+             - setenv RMT_IRIXTAPE_DEV "remote IRIX tape device for testing xfsdump"
 	     - setenv SCRATCH_LOGDEV "device for scratch-fs external log"
              - setenv SCRATCH_RTDEV "device for scratch-fs realtime data"
 	     - setenv TEST_LOGDEV "device for test-fs external log"
diff --git a/check b/check
index 348b68e8..55e90a14 100755
--- a/check
+++ b/check
@@ -160,26 +160,28 @@ MOUNT_OPTIONS -- $FULL_MOUNT_OPTIONS
 
 EOF
 
-umount $SCRATCH_DEV 2>/dev/null
-# call the overridden mkfs - make sure the FS is built
-# the same as we'll create it later.
+if [ ! -z "$SCRATCH_DEV"]; then
+  umount $SCRATCH_DEV 2>/dev/null
+  # call the overridden mkfs - make sure the FS is built
+  # the same as we'll create it later.
 
-if ! _scratch_mkfs $flag >$tmp.err 2>&1
-then
-    echo "our local _scratch_mkfs routine ..."
-    cat $tmp.err
-    echo "check: failed to mkfs \$SCRATCH_DEV using specified options"
-    exit 1
-fi
+  if ! _scratch_mkfs $flag >$tmp.err 2>&1
+  then
+      echo "our local _scratch_mkfs routine ..."
+      cat $tmp.err
+      echo "check: failed to mkfs \$SCRATCH_DEV using specified options"
+      exit 1
+  fi
 
-# call the overridden mount - make sure the FS mounts with
-# the same options that we'll mount with later.
-if ! _scratch_mount >$tmp.err 2>&1
-then
-    echo "our local mount routine ..."
-    cat $tmp.err
-    echo "check: failed to mount \$SCRATCH_DEV using specified options"
-    exit 1
+  # call the overridden mount - make sure the FS mounts with
+  # the same options that we'll mount with later.
+  if ! _scratch_mount >$tmp.err 2>&1
+  then
+      echo "our local mount routine ..."
+      cat $tmp.err
+      echo "check: failed to mount \$SCRATCH_DEV using specified options"
+      exit 1
+  fi
 fi
 
 seq="check"