diff --git a/tests/README.md b/tests/README.md
index 89aef14..a413e16 100644
--- a/tests/README.md
+++ b/tests/README.md
@@ -23,8 +23,7 @@ need not match the order in `$region_highlight`.
 
 Normally, tests fail if `$expected_region_highlight` and `$region_highlight`
 have different numbers of elements.  Tests may set `$expected_mismatch` to an
-explanation string (like `$todo`) to avoid this and mark the cardinality check
-as todo.
+explanation string (like `$todo`) to avoid this and skip the cardinality check.
 
 **Note**: `$region_highlight` uses the same `"$i $j $style"` syntax but
 interprets the indexes differently.
diff --git a/tests/test-highlighting.zsh b/tests/test-highlighting.zsh
index b55324c..7b32dbc 100755
--- a/tests/test-highlighting.zsh
+++ b/tests/test-highlighting.zsh
@@ -171,14 +171,17 @@ run_test_internal() {
     unset desc
   done
 
-  if (( $#expected_region_highlight == $#region_highlight )); then
-    print -r -- "ok $i - cardinality check" "${expected_mismatch:+"# TODO ${(qqq)expected_mismatch}"}"
+  if [[ -n $expected_mismatch ]]; then
+    tap_escape $expected_mismatch; expected_mismatch=$REPLY
+    print "ok $i - cardinality check" "# SKIP $expected_mismatch"
+  elif (( $#expected_region_highlight == $#region_highlight )); then
+    print -r -- "ok $i - cardinality check"
   else
     local details
     details+="have $#expected_region_highlight expectations and $#region_highlight region_highlight entries: "
     details+="«$(typeset_p expected_region_highlight)» «$(typeset_p region_highlight)»"
     tap_escape $details; details=$REPLY
-    print -r -- "not ok $i - cardinality check" "$details" "${expected_mismatch:+"# TODO ${(qqq)expected_mismatch}"}"
+    print -r -- "not ok $i - cardinality check - $details"
   fi
 }