--- a/src/testdir/test_clientserver.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_clientserver.vim
@@ -6,22 +6,12 @@ endif
 
 source shared.vim
 
-let s:where = 0
-func Abort(id)
-  call assert_report('Test timed out at ' . s:where)
-  call FinishTesting()
-endfunc
-
 func Test_client_server()
   let cmd = GetVimCommand()
   if cmd == ''
     return
   endif
 
-  " Some of these commands may hang when failing.
-  call timer_start(10000, 'Abort')
-
-  let s:where = 1
   let name = 'XVIMTEST'
   let cmd .= ' --servername ' . name
   let g:job = job_start(cmd, {'stoponexit': 'kill', 'out_io': 'null'})
@@ -30,62 +20,53 @@ func Test_client_server()
     call assert_report('Cannot run the Vim server')
     return
   endif
-  let s:where = 2
 
   " Takes a short while for the server to be active.
   call WaitFor('serverlist() =~ "' . name . '"')
   call assert_match(name, serverlist())
-  let s:where = 3
 
   call remote_foreground(name)
-  let s:where = 4
 
   call remote_send(name, ":let testvar = 'yes'\<CR>")
-  let s:where = 5
-  call WaitFor('remote_expr("' . name . '", "testvar") == "yes"')
-  let s:where = 6
-  call assert_equal('yes', remote_expr(name, "testvar"))
-  let s:where = 7
+  call WaitFor('remote_expr("' . name . '", "testvar", "", 1) == "yes"')
+  call assert_equal('yes', remote_expr(name, "testvar", "", 2))
 
   if has('unix') && has('gui') && !has('gui_running')
     " Running in a terminal and the GUI is avaiable: Tell the server to open
     " the GUI and check that the remote command still works.
     " Need to wait for the GUI to start up, otherwise the send hangs in trying
     " to send to the terminal window.
-    call remote_send(name, ":gui -f\<CR>")
-    let s:where = 8
-    sleep 500m
+    if has('gui_athena') || has('gui_motif')
+      " For those GUIs, ignore the 'failed to create input context' error.
+      call remote_send(name, ":call test_ignore_error('E285') | gui -f\<CR>")
+    else
+      call remote_send(name, ":gui -f\<CR>")
+    endif
+    " Wait for the server to be up and answering requests.
+    call WaitFor('remote_expr("' . name . '", "v:version", "", 1) != ""')
+
     call remote_send(name, ":let testvar = 'maybe'\<CR>")
-    let s:where = 9
-    call WaitFor('remote_expr("' . name . '", "testvar") == "maybe"')
-    let s:where = 10
-    call assert_equal('maybe', remote_expr(name, "testvar"))
-    let s:where = 11
+    call WaitFor('remote_expr("' . name . '", "testvar", "", 1) == "maybe"')
+    call assert_equal('maybe', remote_expr(name, "testvar", "", 2))
   endif
 
   call assert_fails('call remote_send("XXX", ":let testvar = ''yes''\<CR>")', 'E241')
-  let s:where = 12
 
   " Expression evaluated locally.
   if v:servername == ''
     call remote_startserver('MYSELF')
-    let s:where = 13
-    call assert_equal('MYSELF', v:servername)
+    " May get MYSELF1 when running the test again.
+    call assert_match('MYSELF', v:servername)
   endif
   let g:testvar = 'myself'
   call assert_equal('myself', remote_expr(v:servername, 'testvar'))
-  let s:where = 14
 
   call remote_send(name, ":call server2client(expand('<client>'), 'got it')\<CR>", 'g:myserverid')
-  let s:where = 15
-  call assert_equal('got it', remote_read(g:myserverid))
-  let s:where = 16
+  call assert_equal('got it', remote_read(g:myserverid, 2))
 
   call remote_send(name, ":call server2client(expand('<client>'), 'another')\<CR>", 'g:myserverid')
-  let s:where = 151
   let peek_result = 'nothing'
   let r = remote_peek(g:myserverid, 'peek_result')
-  let s:where = 161
   " unpredictable whether the result is already avaialble.
   if r > 0
     call assert_equal('another', peek_result)
@@ -96,16 +77,11 @@ func Test_client_server()
   endif
   let g:peek_result = 'empty'
   call WaitFor('remote_peek(g:myserverid, "g:peek_result") > 0')
-  let s:where = 171
   call assert_equal('another', g:peek_result)
-  let s:where = 181
-  call assert_equal('another', remote_read(g:myserverid))
-  let s:where = 191
+  call assert_equal('another', remote_read(g:myserverid, 2))
 
   call remote_send(name, ":qa!\<CR>")
-  let s:where = 17
   call WaitFor('job_status(g:job) == "dead"')
-  let s:where = 18
   if job_status(g:job) != 'dead'
     call assert_report('Server did not exit')
     call job_stop(g:job, 'kill')