diff --git a/tests/merge/merge.sh b/tests/merge/merge.sh
--- a/tests/merge/merge.sh
+++ b/tests/merge/merge.sh
@@ -93,17 +93,17 @@ merge_init()
   CONFLICT1DIR=conflict1
   CONFLICT2DIR=conflict2
   mkdir ${CONFLICT1DIR}
   mkdir ${CONFLICT2DIR}
   # in the upgrade mode (dbm->sql), make sure our test databases
   # are dbm databases.
   if [ "${TEST_MODE}" = "UPGRADE_DB" ]; then
 	save=${NSS_DEFAULT_DB_TYPE}
-	NSS_DEFAULT_DB_TYPE= ; export NSS_DEFAULT_DB_TYPE
+	NSS_DEFAULT_DB_TYPE=dbm ; export NSS_DEFAULT_DB_TYPE
   fi
 
   certutil -N -d ${CONFLICT1DIR} -f ${R_PWFILE}
   certutil -N -d ${CONFLICT2DIR} -f ${R_PWFILE}
   certutil -A -n Alice -t ,, -i ${R_CADIR}/TestUser41.cert -d ${CONFLICT1DIR}
   # modify CONFLICTDIR potentially corrupting the database
   certutil -A -n "Alice #1" -t C,, -i ${R_CADIR}/TestUser42.cert -d ${CONFLICT1DIR} -f ${R_PWFILE}
   certutil -M -n "Alice #1" -t ,, -d ${CONFLICT1DIR} -f ${R_PWFILE}
diff --git a/tests/all.sh b/tests/all.sh
--- a/tests/all.sh
+++ b/tests/all.sh
@@ -106,16 +106,18 @@
 RUN_FIPS=""
 
 ############################## run_tests ###############################
 # run test suites defined in TESTS variable, skip scripts defined in
 # TESTS_SKIP variable
 ########################################################################
 run_tests()
 {
+    echo "Running test cycle: ${TEST_MODE} ----------------------"
+    echo "List of tests that will be executed: ${TESTS}"
     for TEST in ${TESTS}
     do
         # NOTE: the spaces are important. If you don't include
         # the spaces, then turning off ssl_gtests will also turn off ssl
         # tests.
         echo " ${TESTS_SKIP} " | grep " ${TEST} " > /dev/null
         if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
             continue
@@ -167,18 +169,19 @@ run_cycle_pkix()
     export NSS_ENABLE_PKIX_VERIFY
 
     TESTS="${ALL_TESTS}"
     TESTS_SKIP="cipher dbtests sdr crmf smime merge multinit"
 
     NSS_SSL_TESTS=`echo "${NSS_SSL_TESTS}" | sed -e "s/normal//g" -e "s/fips//g" -e "s/_//g"`
     export -n NSS_SSL_RUN
 
-    # use the default format
+    # use the default format. (unset for the shell, export -n for binaries)
     export -n NSS_DEFAULT_DB_TYPE
+    unset NSS_DEFAULT_DB_TYPE
 
     run_tests
 }
 
 ######################### run_cycle_upgrade_db #########################
 # upgrades certificate database to shareable format and run test suites
 # with those databases
 ########################################################################