diff --git a/utils/make_db b/utils/make_db
index 007b72bd2d9ff9d6a10d06c1c6ce202c733d3bd8..93a62ea2b9e6776a73b8298cbce1a54aa76e0f68 100755
--- a/utils/make_db
+++ b/utils/make_db
@@ -56,7 +56,10 @@ function _execute_tests () {
     for tfile in $TESTS ; do
         echo "Running $tfile"
         echo "----- $tfile -----" >> .TEST_RESULTS
-        cat $tfile | $MYSQL_CMD -D $UNITTEST_DATABASE $(get_db_args_nodb) --disable-pager --batch --raw --skip-column-names --unbuffered >> .TEST_RESULTS 2>&1
+        < $tfile $MYSQL_CMD \
+          -D $UNITTEST_DATABASE $(get_db_args_nodb) --disable-pager \
+          --batch --raw --skip-column-names --unbuffered \
+          >> .TEST_RESULTS 2>&1
     done;
 
     popd
@@ -70,7 +73,7 @@ function _execute_tests () {
 # optional parameter: [--fresh] for installing a fresh data base. Otherwise an existing one would be reused.
 function _install_unit_test_database () {
     DATABASE_NAME=$UNITTEST_DATABASE
-    if [[ "$1" == "--fresh" ]] ; then
+    if [[ $1 = "--fresh" ]] ; then
         if _db_exists "$DATABASE_NAME"; then
             drop "$DATABASE_NAME" ;
         fi
@@ -144,7 +147,7 @@ function grant() {
             echo
             read -p "Please repeat the password: " -s password2
             echo
-            [[ "$password" == "$password2" ]] && {
+            [[ "$password" = "$password2" ]] && {
                 DATABASE_USER_PW="$password"
                 break
             }
@@ -152,10 +155,10 @@ function grant() {
         done
     fi
 
-    if [[ "$1" == "--strict" ]] ; then
+    if [[ $1 = "--strict" ]] ; then
         for host in ${DATABASE_USER_HOST_LIST//,/ } ; do
             CMD="SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.user WHERE user='${DATABASE_USER}' AND host='${host}';"
-            [[ $($MYSQL_CMD $(get_mysql_args_nodb) -s -N -e "$CMD") == 0 ]] || {
+            [[ $($MYSQL_CMD $(get_mysql_args_nodb) -s -N -e "$CMD") = 0 ]] || {
                 echo "The user '${DATABASE_USER}@${host}' is already in the database."
                 echo "Please use another user or delete it, e.g. with"
                 echo "'mysql -u ${MYSQL_USER} -p -e \"DROP USER ${DATABASE_USER}@${host};\"'"