diff --git a/utils/backup.sh b/utils/backup.sh
index 752c4e41e0ff1d254cd6f19c8f7a4738e8dac534..36e920b7c8ae6846955a431a75b1020faca988d8 100755
--- a/utils/backup.sh
+++ b/utils/backup.sh
@@ -24,10 +24,11 @@
 
 # Dump a database with all procedures, permissions, structure and data
 
-
 if [ -z "$UTILSPATH" ]; then
 	UTILSPATH="$(realpath $(dirname $0))"
 	export UTILSPATH
+	MAINPATH="$(dirname $UTILSPATH)"
+	export MAINPATH
 fi
 # The directory which the dump is to be stored to. Do not change it here. Use
 # the --backupdir=./my/dir/ option or an environment variable instead.
diff --git a/utils/load_settings.sh b/utils/load_settings.sh
index 16f55451f2852c1428c53c66f86cb022d7b473f7..a46db58d2c4c3d1e4a87d1f2b831f77bc6163b1b 100644
--- a/utils/load_settings.sh
+++ b/utils/load_settings.sh
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@
 # - .config (in the current directory)
 # - The file given in ENV_FILE.
 
+if [ "$MAINPATH" ]; then
+    pushd "$MAINPATH" > /dev/null
+    pushed=1
+fi
+
 if [[ -r "config.defaults" ]] ; then
     source "config.defaults"
 fi
@@ -38,6 +43,10 @@ if [[ -z "$MYSQL_CMD" ]] ; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
+if [ $pushed ]; then
+    popd > /dev/null
+fi
+
 export MYSQL_CMD
 export MYSQLDUMP_CMD
 export MYSQLADMIN_CMD
diff --git a/utils/make_db b/utils/make_db
index c8b9ae9e7c4945302aeecccaf0c2440d47dde7f4..86856863f76e5db50fa830cacc725556d6e122d5 100755
--- a/utils/make_db
+++ b/utils/make_db
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ INSTALL_SQL_FILE="db_2_0.sql"
 if [ -z "$UTILSPATH" ]; then
 	UTILSPATH="$(realpath $(dirname $0))"
 	export UTILSPATH
+	MAINPATH="$(dirname $UTILSPATH)"
+	export MAINPATH
 fi
 
 source $UTILSPATH/load_settings.sh
diff --git a/utils/update_sql_procedures.sh b/utils/update_sql_procedures.sh
index e363a7def525dc602cd5830156dc36b91b2baf4e..2b78ab8cca5b1d337fa03d9ab3bb2e2e120a3be0 100755
--- a/utils/update_sql_procedures.sh
+++ b/utils/update_sql_procedures.sh
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 if [ -z "$UTILSPATH" ]; then
     UTILSPATH=$(realpath "$(dirname $0)")
     export UTILSPATH
+	MAINPATH="$(dirname $UTILSPATH)"
+	export MAINPATH
 fi
 
 source $UTILSPATH/helpers.sh