diff --git a/make_db b/make_db
index c4f653f6ba5cc8ad9707443c5e0e99eb9e0c613f..1d1e7d79f1a631a49316e9f0e22f76302c66ad54 100755
--- a/make_db
+++ b/make_db
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ function _execute_tests () {
 # options: [--fresh]
 function _install_unit_test_database () {
     DATABASE_NAME=$UNITTEST_DATABASE
-    if _db_exists "$SQL" "$DATABASE_NAME"; then
+    if _db_exists "$DATABASE_NAME"; then
         if [[ "$1" == "--fresh" ]] ; then
             drop "$DATABASE_NAME" ;
         else
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ function _install_unit_test_database () {
 
 # install test framework MyTAP if not installed
 function _setup_mytap() {
-    if _db_exists "$SQL" "tap" ; then
+    if _db_exists "tap" ; then
         echo MyTAB framework is already installed [OK]
         return 0
     fi
@@ -201,9 +201,9 @@ function drop() {
 
 
 # Returns 0 or non-zero, depending on whether the database exists already.
-# Optional parameters: [SQL [DATABASE_NAME]]
+# Optional parameter: [DATABASE_NAME]
 function _db_exists() {
-    ${1-${SQL}} -D "${2-${DATABASE_NAME}}" -e "show tables;" > /dev/null 2>&1 \
+    $SQL -D "${1-${DATABASE_NAME}}" -e "show tables;" > /dev/null 2>&1 \
         && return 0 || return 1
 }