diff --git a/tests/commands/list_buckets.sh b/tests/commands/list_buckets.sh
index 2157d38a..b4cab7c7 100644
--- a/tests/commands/list_buckets.sh
+++ b/tests/commands/list_buckets.sh
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ list_buckets() {
     bucket_name=$(echo "$line" | awk '{print $NF}')
     bucket_array+=("${bucket_name%/}")
   done <<< "$buckets"
+
+  echo "${bucket_array[*]}"
   return 0
 }
 
@@ -86,6 +88,8 @@ list_buckets_with_user() {
     bucket_name=$(echo "$line" | awk '{print $NF}')
     bucket_array+=("${bucket_name%/}")
   done <<< "$buckets"
+
+  echo "${bucket_array[*]}"
   return 0
 }
 
@@ -111,6 +115,7 @@ list_buckets_s3api() {
   names=$(jq -r '.Buckets[].Name' <<<"$modified_output")
   IFS=$'\n' read -rd '' -a bucket_array <<<"$names"
 
+  echo "${bucket_array[*]}"
   return 0
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/util/util_list_buckets.sh b/tests/drivers/list_buckets/list_buckets.sh
similarity index 65%
rename from tests/util/util_list_buckets.sh
rename to tests/drivers/list_buckets/list_buckets.sh
index eb78a1e0..561b7519 100644
--- a/tests/util/util_list_buckets.sh
+++ b/tests/drivers/list_buckets/list_buckets.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-# Copyright 2024 Versity Software
+# Copyright 2026 Versity Software
 # This file is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0
 # (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
 # with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
@@ -19,17 +19,15 @@ list_and_check_buckets_with_user() {
     log 2 "'list_and_check_buckets' requires client, two bucket names, id, key"
     return 1
   fi
-  if ! list_buckets_with_user "$1" "$4" "$5"; then
-    log 2 "error listing buckets"
+  if ! response=$(list_buckets_with_user "$1" "$4" "$5" 2>&1); then
+    log 2 "error listing buckets: $response"
     return 1
   fi
+  read -r -a bucket_array <<< "$response"
 
   local bucket_one_found=false
   local bucket_two_found=false
-  if [ -z "$bucket_array" ]; then
-    log 2 "bucket_array parameter not exported"
-    return 1
-  fi
+
   log 5 "bucket array: ${bucket_array[*]}"
   for bucket in "${bucket_array[@]}"; do
     if [ "$bucket" == "$2" ] || [ "$bucket" == "s3://$2" ]; then
@@ -59,28 +57,3 @@ list_and_check_buckets() {
   fi
   return 0
 }
-
-list_and_check_buckets_omit_without_permission() {
-  if [ $# -ne 4 ]; then
-    log 2 "'list_and_check_buckets_with_user' requires username, password, non-visible bucket, visible bucket"
-    return 1
-  fi
-  if ! list_buckets_with_user "s3api" "$1" "$2"; then
-    log 2 "error listing buckets with user '$1'"
-    return 1
-  fi
-  bucket_found=false
-  for bucket in "${bucket_array[@]}"; do
-    if [ "$bucket" == "$3" ]; then
-      log 2 "bucket '$3' shouldn't show up in user '$1' bucket list"
-      return 1
-    elif [ "$bucket" == "$4" ]; then
-      bucket_found=true
-    fi
-  done
-  if [ $bucket_found == false ]; then
-    log 2 "user-owned bucket '$4' not found in user list"
-    return 1
-  fi
-  return 0
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/drivers/list_buckets/list_buckets_s3api.sh b/tests/drivers/list_buckets/list_buckets_s3api.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a97f8f1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/drivers/list_buckets/list_buckets_s3api.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# Copyright 2024 Versity Software
+# This file is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0
+# (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+# with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#   http:#www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+# software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+# "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+# KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+# specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+list_and_check_buckets_omit_without_permission() {
+  if [ $# -ne 4 ]; then
+    log 2 "'list_and_check_buckets_with_user' requires username, password, non-visible bucket, visible bucket"
+    return 1
+  fi
+  if ! response=$(list_buckets_with_user "s3api" "$1" "$2" 2>&1); then
+    log 2 "error listing buckets with user '$1': $response"
+    return 1
+  fi
+  read -r -a bucket_array <<< "$response"
+
+  bucket_found=false
+  for bucket in "${bucket_array[@]}"; do
+    if [ "$bucket" == "$3" ]; then
+      log 2 "bucket '$3' shouldn't show up in user '$1' bucket list"
+      return 1
+    elif [ "$bucket" == "$4" ]; then
+      bucket_found=true
+    fi
+  done
+  if [ $bucket_found == false ]; then
+    log 2 "user-owned bucket '$4' not found in user list"
+    return 1
+  fi
+  return 0
+}
diff --git a/tests/test_common.sh b/tests/test_common.sh
index a4bf7afb..c582e1e9 100644
--- a/tests/test_common.sh
+++ b/tests/test_common.sh
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ source ./tests/commands/put_public_access_block.sh
 source ./tests/drivers/create_bucket/create_bucket_rest.sh
 source ./tests/drivers/file.sh
 source ./tests/drivers/params.sh
-source ./tests/util/util_list_buckets.sh
 source ./tests/util/util_object.sh
 source ./tests/util/util_policy.sh
 source ./tests/util/util_presigned_url.sh
diff --git a/tests/test_rest_bucket.sh b/tests/test_rest_bucket.sh
index 32563fc7..872395b3 100755
--- a/tests/test_rest_bucket.sh
+++ b/tests/test_rest_bucket.sh
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ source ./tests/drivers/put_bucket_ownership_controls/put_bucket_ownership_contro
 source ./tests/drivers/put_bucket_tagging/put_bucket_tagging_rest.sh
 source ./tests/logger.sh
 source ./tests/setup.sh
-source ./tests/util/util_list_buckets.sh
 source ./tests/util/util_lock_config.sh
 source ./tests/util/util_public_access_block.sh
 source ./tests/util/util_rest.sh
diff --git a/tests/test_user_common.sh b/tests/test_user_common.sh
index 367bdec4..55bacc2a 100755
--- a/tests/test_user_common.sh
+++ b/tests/test_user_common.sh
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 
 source ./tests/setup.sh
 source ./tests/drivers/create_bucket/create_bucket_rest.sh
-source ./tests/util/util_list_buckets.sh
 source ./tests/util/util_object.sh
 source ./tests/util/util_users.sh
 source ./tests/commands/list_buckets.sh