diff --git a/java/org/jlab/coda/jevio/test/HipoTest.java b/java/org/jlab/coda/jevio/test/HipoTest.java
index c229968f..f9e15817 100644
--- a/java/org/jlab/coda/jevio/test/HipoTest.java
+++ b/java/org/jlab/coda/jevio/test/HipoTest.java
@@ -137,12 +137,12 @@ void testTreeEventCreation(int tag, int num) throws IOException {
             EvioNode node = EvioNode.extractEventNode(evioDataBuf, null, 0, 0, 0);
 
 
-            System.out.println("Event:\n" + event.treeToString(""));
+            System.out.println("\n\nEvent (created by tree methods):\n" + event.treeToString(""));
             System.out.println("Event Header:\n" + event.getHeader().toString());
 
             // Take event & write it into buffer
-            System.out.println("Write event to " + writeFileName1 + " as compressed LZ4");
-            EventWriter writer = new EventWriter(writeFileName1, null, "runType", 1, 0L, 0, 0,
+            System.out.println("Write event to " + writeFileName2 + " as compressed LZ4");
+            EventWriter writer = new EventWriter(writeFileName2, null, "runType", 1, 0L, 0, 0,
                     ByteOrder.nativeOrder(), dictionary, true, false, null, 1, 1, 1, 1,
                     CompressionType.RECORD_COMPRESSION_LZ4, 2, 16, 0);
 
@@ -152,28 +152,32 @@ void testTreeEventCreation(int tag, int num) throws IOException {
             // Test double sync
             writer.writeEvent(node, false, false);
 
-            System.out.println("    createObjectEvents: call writer.close()");
+            System.out.println("    call writer.close()");
             writer.close();
 
             // Read event back out of file
-            System.out.println("    createObjectEvents:create EvioReader");
-            EvioReader reader = new EvioReader(writeFileName1);
+            System.out.println("    create EvioReader");
+            EvioReader reader = new EvioReader(writeFileName2);
 
-            System.out.println("    createObjectEvents: have dictionary? " + reader.hasDictionaryXML());
-            String xmlDict = reader.getDictionaryXML();
-            System.out.println("    createObjectEvents: read dictionary ->\n\n" + xmlDict);
+            System.out.println("    have dictionary? " + reader.hasDictionaryXML());
+            if (reader.hasDictionaryXML()) {
+                String xmlDict = reader.getDictionaryXML();
+                System.out.println("    read dictionary ->\n\n" + xmlDict);
+            }
 
-            System.out.println("\n    createObjectEvents: have first event? " + reader.hasFirstEvent());
-            EvioEvent fe = reader.getFirstEvent();
-            System.out.println("    createObjectEvents: read first event ->\n\n" + fe.treeToString(""));
+            System.out.println("\n    have first event? " + reader.hasFirstEvent());
+            if (reader.hasFirstEvent()) {
+                EvioEvent fe = reader.getFirstEvent();
+                System.out.println("    read first event ->\n\n" + fe.treeToString(""));
+            }
 
-            System.out.println("\n    createObjectEvents: try getting ev #1");
+            System.out.println("\n    try getting ev #1");
             EvioEvent ev = reader.parseEvent(1);
-            System.out.println("    createObjectEvents: event ->\n" + ev.treeToString(""));
+            System.out.println("    event ->\n" + ev.treeToString(""));
 
-            System.out.println("\n    createObjectEvents: try getting ev #2");
+            System.out.println("\n    try getting ev #2");
             ev = reader.parseEvent(2);
-            System.out.println("    createObjectEvents: event ->\n" + ev.treeToString(""));
+            System.out.println("    event ->\n" + ev.treeToString(""));
         }
         catch (EvioException e) {
             e.printStackTrace();
@@ -186,7 +190,7 @@ public static void main(String args[]) {
         try {
             HipoTest tester = new HipoTest();
             tester.testCompactEventCreation(1,1);
-            //tester.testTreeEventCreation(1,1);
+            tester.testTreeEventCreation(1,1);
         }
         catch (Exception e) {
             e.printStackTrace();
diff --git a/src/test/Hipo_Test.cpp b/src/test/Hipo_Test.cpp
index 7157535a..daabff27 100644
--- a/src/test/Hipo_Test.cpp
+++ b/src/test/Hipo_Test.cpp
@@ -141,34 +141,39 @@ namespace evio {
                 // Build event (bank of banks) with EventBuilder object
                 std::shared_ptr<EvioEvent> event = createTreeEvent(tag, num);
 
-                std::cout << "Event:\n" << event->treeToString("") << std::endl;
+                std::cout << "\n\nEvent (created by tree methods):\n" << event->treeToString("") << std::endl;
                 std::cout << "Event Header:\n" << event->getHeader()->toString() << std::endl;
 
                 // Take event & write it into buffer
-                std::cout << "Write event to " << writeFileName1 << " as compressed LZ4" << std::endl;
-                EventWriter writer(writeFileName1, "", "runType", 1, 0L, 0, 0,
+                std::cout << "Write event to " << writeFileName2 << " as compressed LZ4" << std::endl;
+                EventWriter writer(writeFileName2, "", "runType", 1, 0L, 0, 0,
                                    ByteOrder::ENDIAN_LOCAL, dictionary, true, false, nullptr, 1, 1, 1, 1,
                                    Compressor::LZ4, 2, 16, 0);
 
                 writer.setFirstEvent(event);
                 writer.writeEvent(event);
-                std::cout << "    createObjectEvents: call writer.close()" << std::endl;
+                std::cout << "    call writer.close()" << std::endl;
                 writer.close();
 
                 // Read event back out of file
-                EvioReader reader(writeFileName1);
+                std::cout << "    create EvioReader" << std::endl;
+                EvioReader reader(writeFileName2);
 
-                std::cout << "    createObjectEvents: have dictionary? " << reader.hasDictionaryXML() << std::endl;
-                std::string xmlDict = reader.getDictionaryXML();
-                std::cout << "    createObjectEvents: read dictionary ->\n\n" << xmlDict << std::endl << std::endl;
+                std::cout << "    have dictionary? " << reader.hasDictionaryXML() << std::endl;
+                if (reader.hasDictionaryXML()) {
+                    std::string xmlDict = reader.getDictionaryXML();
+                    std::cout << "    read dictionary ->\n\n" << xmlDict << std::endl << std::endl;
+                }
 
-                std::cout << "    createObjectEvents: have first event? " << reader.hasFirstEvent() << std::endl;
-                auto fe = reader.getFirstEvent();
-                std::cout << "    createObjectEvents: read first event ->\n\n" << fe->treeToString("") << std::endl << std::endl;
+                std::cout << "    have first event? " << reader.hasFirstEvent() << std::endl;
+                if (reader.hasFirstEvent()) {
+                    auto fe = reader.getFirstEvent();
+                    std::cout << "    read first event ->\n\n" << fe->treeToString("") << std::endl << std::endl;
+                }
 
-                std::cout << "    createObjectEvents: try getting ev #1" << std::endl;
+                std::cout << "    try getting ev #1" << std::endl;
                 auto ev = reader.parseEvent(1);
-                std::cout << "    createObjectEvents: event ->\n" << ev->treeToString("") << std::endl;
+                std::cout << "    event ->\n" << ev->treeToString("") << std::endl;
             }
             catch (EvioException &e) {
                 std::cout << e.what() << std::endl;
@@ -188,7 +193,7 @@ namespace evio {
 int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     auto tester = evio::HipoTester();
     tester.testCompactEventCreation(1,1);
-    //tester.testTreeEventCreation(1,1);
+    tester.testTreeEventCreation(1,1);
     return 0;
 }