diff --git a/gdb/testsuite/ChangeLog b/gdb/testsuite/ChangeLog
index f3d212c3dda..671164cf450 100644
--- a/gdb/testsuite/ChangeLog
+++ b/gdb/testsuite/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2018-07-28  Andrew Burgess  <andrew.burgess@embecosm.com>
+
+	* gdb.trace/tspeed.exp: Only call gdb_load_shlib after gdb has
+	started.
+	* lib/gdb.exp (gdb_load_shlib): Call perror if GDB is not running.
+
 2018-07-28  Tom de Vries  <tdevries@suse.de>
 
 	* gdb.base/vla-optimized-out-o3-strict.exp: New file.
diff --git a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.trace/tspeed.exp b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.trace/tspeed.exp
index ecd36d2d9bd..47a82502a00 100644
--- a/gdb/testsuite/gdb.trace/tspeed.exp
+++ b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.trace/tspeed.exp
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ standard_testfile
 set executable $testfile
 
 set ipalib [get_in_proc_agent]
-gdb_load_shlib $ipalib
 
 if { [gdb_compile "$srcdir/$subdir/$srcfile" $binfile \
 	  executable [concat {debug nowarnings c} shlib=$ipalib]] != "" } {
@@ -41,6 +40,7 @@ proc prepare_for_trace_test {} {
     global executable
 
     clean_restart $executable
+    gdb_load_shlib $ipalib
 
     runto_main
 
@@ -126,6 +126,8 @@ proc gdb_trace_collection_test {} {
 }
 
 clean_restart $executable
+gdb_load_shlib $ipalib
+
 runto_main
 
 if { ![gdb_target_supports_trace] } then {
diff --git a/gdb/testsuite/lib/gdb.exp b/gdb/testsuite/lib/gdb.exp
index aef580b04d3..3e2f755e5b7 100644
--- a/gdb/testsuite/lib/gdb.exp
+++ b/gdb/testsuite/lib/gdb.exp
@@ -4483,6 +4483,12 @@ proc gdb_remote_download {dest fromfile {tofile {}}} {
 # Copy the listed library to the target.
 
 proc gdb_load_shlib { file } {
+    global gdb_spawn_id
+
+    if ![info exists gdb_spawn_id] {
+	perror "gdb_load_shlib: GDB is not running"
+    }
+
     set dest [gdb_remote_download target [shlib_target_file $file]]
 
     if {[is_remote target]} {