Before: function! TestCallback(buffer, output) return [{ \ 'lnum': 2, \ 'col': 3, \ 'text': a:output[0], \}] endfunction function! TestCallback2(buffer, output) return [{ \ 'lnum': 3, \ 'col': 4, \ 'text': a:output[0], \}] endfunction " Running the command in another subshell seems to help here. call ale#linter#Define('foobar', { \ 'name': 'testlinter', \ 'callback': 'TestCallback', \ 'executable': 'echo', \ 'command': '/bin/sh -c ''echo foo bar''', \}) After: let g:ale_buffer_info = {} delfunction TestCallback delfunction TestCallback2 call ale#linter#Reset() Given foobar (Some imaginary filetype): foo bar baz Execute(Linters should run with the default options): AssertEqual 'foobar', &filetype call ale#Lint() call ale#engine#WaitForJobs(2000) AssertEqual [{ \ 'bufnr': bufnr('%'), \ 'lnum': 2, \ 'vcol': 0, \ 'col': 3, \ 'text': 'foo bar', \ 'type': 'E', \ 'nr': -1, \ 'pattern': '', \ 'valid': 1, \ }], getloclist(0) Execute(Previous errors should be removed when linters change): call ale#Lint() call ale#engine#WaitForJobs(2000) call ale#linter#Reset() call ale#linter#Define('foobar', { \ 'name': 'testlinter2', \ 'callback': 'TestCallback2', \ 'executable': 'echo', \ 'command': '/bin/sh -c ''echo baz boz''', \}) call ale#Lint() call ale#engine#WaitForJobs(2000) AssertEqual [{ \ 'bufnr': bufnr('%'), \ 'lnum': 3, \ 'vcol': 0, \ 'col': 4, \ 'text': 'baz boz', \ 'type': 'E', \ 'nr': -1, \ 'pattern': '', \ 'valid': 1, \ }], getloclist(0)