diff --git a/collects/meta/props b/collects/meta/props
index 3d24f4c0e9..ccb7f25013 100755
--- a/collects/meta/props
+++ b/collects/meta/props
@@ -1751,10 +1751,10 @@ path/s is either such a string or a list of them.
 "collects/tests/racket/compile.rktl" drdr:command-line #f
 "collects/tests/racket/contmark.rktl" drdr:command-line #f
 "collects/tests/racket/contract-mzlib-test.rktl" responsible (robby) drdr:command-line (racket "-qr" *)
-"collects/tests/racket/contract-opt-tests.rkt" responsible (robby) drdr:command-line (racket "-f" *)
-"collects/tests/racket/contract-stress-argmin.rkt" responsible (robby)
-"collects/tests/racket/contract-stress-take-right.rkt" responsible (robby)
-"collects/tests/racket/contract-test.rktl" responsible (robby) drdr:command-line #f
+"collects/tests/racket/contract-opt-tests.rkt" responsible (robby) drdr:command-line (racket "-qr" *)
+"collects/tests/racket/contract-stress-argmin.rkt" responsible (robby) drdr:command-line (racket "-qr" *)
+"collects/tests/racket/contract-stress-take-right.rkt" responsible (robby) drdr:command-line (racket "-qr" *)
+"collects/tests/racket/contract-test.rktl" responsible (robby) drdr:command-line (racket "-qr" *)
 "collects/tests/racket/control.rktl" drdr:command-line (racket "-f" *)
 "collects/tests/racket/date.rktl" drdr:command-line (racket "-f" *)
 "collects/tests/racket/deep.rktl" drdr:command-line (racket "-f" *)
diff --git a/collects/racket/contract/private/basic-opters.rkt b/collects/racket/contract/private/basic-opters.rkt
index cfb6d10353..9d642ed54e 100644
--- a/collects/racket/contract/private/basic-opters.rkt
+++ b/collects/racket/contract/private/basic-opters.rkt
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
                    (raise-blame-error
                     blame
                     val
-                    "expected <~a>, given: ~e"
+                    "expected <~s>, given: ~e"
                     (contract-name ctc)
                     val))))
      null
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@
                       (raise-blame-error
                        blame
                        val
-                       "expected <~a>, given: ~e"
+                       "expected <~s>, given: ~e"
                        (contract-name ctc)
                        val)))
           (interleave-lifts
diff --git a/collects/racket/contract/private/ds.rkt b/collects/racket/contract/private/ds.rkt
index 068e7f40db..cef628844e 100644
--- a/collects/racket/contract/private/ds.rkt
+++ b/collects/racket/contract/private/ds.rkt
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ it around flattened out.
                     (raise-blame-error
                      blame
                      val
-                     "expected <~a>, got ~e" 'name val))
+                     "expected <~s>, got ~e" 'name val))
                   (cond
                     [(already-there? contract/info val lazy-depth-to-look)
                      val]
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ it around flattened out.
                    (do-selection struct (+ i 1))
                    (wrap-get struct (+ i 1)))]
               [else
-               (error selector-name "expected <~a>, got ~e" 'name struct)]))
+               (error selector-name "expected <~s>, got ~e" 'name struct)]))
           
           (define (lazy-contract-name ctc)
             (do-contract-name 'struct/c
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ it around flattened out.
                                 (raise-blame-error
                                  blame
                                  val
-                                 "expected <~a>, got ~e"
+                                 "expected <~s>, got ~e"
                                  (contract-name ctc)
                                  val)]))
                             lifts
diff --git a/collects/racket/contract/private/misc.rkt b/collects/racket/contract/private/misc.rkt
index edee158e6c..10f7410c0f 100644
--- a/collects/racket/contract/private/misc.rkt
+++ b/collects/racket/contract/private/misc.rkt
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@
               [cdr-p (cdr-proj blame)])
           (λ (v)
             (unless (pair? v)
-              (raise-blame-error blame v "expected <~a>, given: ~e" 'cons v))
+              (raise-blame-error blame v "expected <cons?>, given: ~e" v))
             (combine v (car-p (car v)) (cdr-p (cdr v))))))
       (cond
         [(and (flat-contract? ctc-car) (flat-contract? ctc-cdr))
diff --git a/collects/racket/contract/private/opters.rkt b/collects/racket/contract/private/opters.rkt
index 2301b3fbdd..eb2178fd00 100644
--- a/collects/racket/contract/private/opters.rkt
+++ b/collects/racket/contract/private/opters.rkt
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@
                           (raise-blame-error
                            blame
                            val
-                           "expected <~a>, given: ~e"
+                           "expected <~s>, given: ~e"
                            (contract-name ctc)
                            val)))
               lifts3
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@
                   (raise-blame-error
                    blame
                    val
-                   "expected <~a>, given: ~e"
+                   "expected <~s>, given: ~e"
                    (contract-name ctc)
                    val)))
              lifts3
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@
                        (raise-blame-error
                         blame
                         val
-                        "expected <~a>, given: ~e"
+                        "expected <~s>, given: ~e"
                         (contract-name ctc)
                         val))))
          (append
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@
                        (raise-blame-error
                         blame
                         val
-                        "expected <~a>, given: ~e"
+                        "expected <~s>, given: ~e"
                         (contract-name ctc)
                         val))))        
          (append lifts-hdp lifts-tlp) 
diff --git a/collects/racket/contract/private/prop.rkt b/collects/racket/contract/private/prop.rkt
index 64a122b2cb..b086c4f488 100644
--- a/collects/racket/contract/private/prop.rkt
+++ b/collects/racket/contract/private/prop.rkt
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@
 (define (((first-order-projection name first-order) b) x)
   (if (first-order x)
     x
-    (raise-blame-error b x "expected <~a>, given: ~e" name x)))
+    (raise-blame-error b x "expected <~s>, given: ~e" name x)))
 
 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
 ;;
diff --git a/collects/racket/contract/private/struct.rkt b/collects/racket/contract/private/struct.rkt
index bdad07fd01..010f744163 100644
--- a/collects/racket/contract/private/struct.rkt
+++ b/collects/racket/contract/private/struct.rkt
@@ -36,12 +36,12 @@
                             (append (base-struct/c-immutables ctc) (base-struct/c-mutables ctc)))])
     (λ (val fail [first-order? #f])
       (unless (pred? val)
-        (fail "expected <~a>, got ~e" name val))
+        (fail "expected <~s>, got ~e" name val))
       (when first-order?
         (for ([p (in-list ctc/ref-pairs)])
           (let ([c (car p)] [v ((cdr p) val)])
             (unless (contract-first-order-passes? c v)
-              (fail "expected <~a>, got ~e" (contract-name c) v)))))
+              (fail "expected <~s>, got ~e" (contract-name c) v)))))
       #t)))
 
 (define (struct/c-first-order ctc)