diff --git a/test/lib/event/subsystem/Makefile b/test/lib/event/subsystem/Makefile
index 30d199d96..554fece31 100644
--- a/test/lib/event/subsystem/Makefile
+++ b/test/lib/event/subsystem/Makefile
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ SPDK_ROOT_DIR := $(abspath $(CURDIR)/../../../..)
 include $(SPDK_ROOT_DIR)/mk/spdk.common.mk
 include $(SPDK_ROOT_DIR)/mk/spdk.app.mk
 
+CFLAGS += -I$(SPDK_ROOT_DIR)/test
 CFLAGS += -I$(SPDK_ROOT_DIR)/lib/event
 APP = subsystem_ut
 C_SRCS := subsystem_ut.c
diff --git a/test/lib/event/subsystem/subsystem_ut.c b/test/lib/event/subsystem/subsystem_ut.c
index 00360138a..427e3aae2 100644
--- a/test/lib/event/subsystem/subsystem_ut.c
+++ b/test/lib/event/subsystem/subsystem_ut.c
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 
 #include "spdk/stdinc.h"
 
-#include <CUnit/Basic.h>
+#include "spdk_cunit.h"
 
 #include "subsystem.c"
 
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ subsystem_sort_test_depends_on_single(void)
 	i = 4;
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(subsystem, &g_subsystems, tailq) {
 		snprintf(subsystem_name, sizeof(subsystem_name), "subsystem%d", i);
+		SPDK_CU_ASSERT_FATAL(i > 0);
 		i--;
 		CU_ASSERT(strcmp(subsystem_name, subsystem->name) == 0);
 	}