diff --git a/src/testdir/test49.in b/src/testdir/test49.in
index 22191b2..bd6cb4c 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test49.in
+++ b/src/testdir/test49.in
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 STARTTEST
 :so small.vim
 :se nocp nomore viminfo+=nviminfo
+:lang mess C
 :so test49.vim
 GGGGGGGGGGGGGG"rp:.-,$w! test.out
 :"
diff --git a/src/testdir/test55.in b/src/testdir/test55.in
index 2243762..7d0008e 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test55.in
+++ b/src/testdir/test55.in
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@
 :try
 :  let n = d[1500]
 :catch
-:  $put =v:exception[:14] . v:exception[-4:-1]
+:  $put =substitute(v:exception, '\v(.{14}).*( \d{4}).*', '\1\2', '')
 :endtry
 :" lookup each items
 :for i in range(1500)
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index dc7a05a..02e108e 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -667,6 +667,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    254,
+/**/
     253,
 /**/
     252,