diff --git a/test/add-test.py b/test/add-test.py
index 71b9c710..af7a4822 100755
--- a/test/add-test.py
+++ b/test/add-test.py
@@ -1,14 +1,16 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
-""" Trivial helper program to bytecompile and run an uncompile
+""" Trivial helper program to byte compile and run an uncompyle6 on the bytecode file.
 """
 import os, sys, py_compile
 from xdis.version_info import version_tuple_to_str, PYTHON_VERSION_TRIPLE
 
-assert (2 <= len(sys.argv) <= 4)
-version = sys.version[0:3]
-vers = sys.version_info[:2]
+if len(sys.argv) < 2:
+    print("Usage: add-test.py [--run] *python-source*... [optimize-level]")
+    sys.exit(1)
+
 if sys.argv[1] in ("--run", "-r"):
     suffix = "_run"
+    assert sys.argv >= 3
     py_source = sys.argv[2:]
     i = 2
 else:
@@ -17,7 +19,10 @@ else:
     i = 1
 try:
     optimize = int(sys.argv[-1])
+    assert sys.argv >= i + 2
     py_source = sys.argv[i:-1]
+    i = 2
+
 except:
     optimize = 2
 
@@ -31,8 +36,7 @@ for path in py_source:
         bytecode = "bytecode_%s%s/%s.pyc" % (version, suffix, short)
 
     print("byte-compiling %s to %s" % (path, bytecode))
-    py_compile.compile(path, bytecode, optimize=optimize)
-    if vers > (3, 1):
+    if PYTHON_VERSION_TRIPLE >= (3, 2):
         py_compile.compile(path, bytecode, optimize=optimize)
     else:
         py_compile.compile(path, bytecode)