diff --git a/config.defaults b/config.defaults
index bd669cb2cc724a74e3dd81fc708a96dfdd6a4ebe..79e84f48a6a60f45de027a5df278ac51bfe55804 100644
--- a/config.defaults
+++ b/config.defaults
@@ -23,13 +23,14 @@
 
 # # Commands
 # The MySQL client program.
-MYSQL_CMD=$(command -v mysql)
+MYSQL_CMD=$(command -v mysql || echo "mysql not found!" >&2)
 # The mysqladmin program which comes with the MySQL client.
-MYSQLADMIN_CMD=$(command -v mysqladmin)
+MYSQLADMIN_CMD=$(command -v mysqladmin || echo "mysqladmin not found!" >&2)
 # The mysqldump program which comes with the MySQL client.
-MYSQLDUMP_CMD=$(command -v mysqldump)
+MYSQLDUMP_CMD=$(command -v mysqldump || echo "mysqldump not found!" >&2)
 # The mysql_config_editor program which is used to store the credentials.
-MYSQL_CONFIG_EDITOR_CMD=$(command -v mysql_config_editor)
+MYSQL_CONFIG_EDITOR_CMD=$(command -v mysql_config_editor \
+                              || echo "mysql_config_editor not found!" >&2)
 
 # # MySQL Connection
 # The host of the MySQL server.
diff --git a/utils/load_settings.sh b/utils/load_settings.sh
index 9e8d1b7ced203a179c8ffb05d62bc10c0bcad190..85d06adb26a729f9401c7130e5af543445fa5cd1 100644
--- a/utils/load_settings.sh
+++ b/utils/load_settings.sh
@@ -19,13 +19,19 @@
 # along with this program. If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 # Load setting from different files, in this order:
-# - config.defaults
-# - .config
+# - config.defaults (in the current directory)
+# - .config (in the current directory)
 # - The file given in ENV_FILE.
 
-[[ -n "config.defaults" ]] && source "config.defaults"
-[[ -n ".config" ]] && source ".config"
-[[ -n "$ENV_FILE" ]] && source "$ENV_FILE"
+if [[ -r "config.defaults" ]] ; then
+    source "config.defaults"
+fi
+if [[ -r ".config" ]] ; then
+    source ".config"
+fi
+if [[ -n "$ENV_FILE" ]] ; then
+    source "$ENV_FILE"
+fi
 
 export MYSQL_CMD
 export MYSQLDUMP_CMD
diff --git a/utils/make_db b/utils/make_db
index 652b391c2506522c1f67413dc10950f9f37497b6..c8b9ae9e7c4945302aeecccaf0c2440d47dde7f4 100755
--- a/utils/make_db
+++ b/utils/make_db
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 #
 # ** end header
 
+set -e
+
 INSTALL_SQL_FILE="db_2_0.sql"
 
 if [ -z "$UTILSPATH" ]; then
@@ -29,8 +31,6 @@ if [ -z "$UTILSPATH" ]; then
 	export UTILSPATH
 fi
 
-set -e
-
 source $UTILSPATH/load_settings.sh
 source $UTILSPATH/helpers.sh