diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index f510956e..464d8141 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-perl5lib = "$(srcdir):$(top_srcdir)/src/lib:$$PERL5LIB"
-
 TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = \
   BZR_HOME="$(abs_builddir)/data"			\
   HYDRA_DBI="dbi:SQLite:db.sqlite"			\
@@ -12,7 +10,7 @@ TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = \
   NIX_STORE_DIR="$(abs_builddir)/nix/store"			\
   NIX_LOG_DIR="$(abs_builddir)/nix/var/log/nix"		\
   NIX_BUILD_HOOK=					\
-  PERL5LIB=$(perl5lib)					\
+  PERL5LIB="$(srcdir):$(top_srcdir)/src/lib:$$PERL5LIB"	\
   PATH=$(abs_top_srcdir)/src/script:$(abs_top_srcdir)/src/c:$$PATH \
   perl -w 
 
@@ -33,7 +31,7 @@ clean :
 check_SCRIPTS = db.sqlite repos
 
 db.sqlite : $(top_srcdir)/src/sql/hydra-sqlite.sql
-	PERL5LIB=$(perl5lib) perl $(top_srcdir)/src/script/hydra-init
+	$(TESTS_ENVIRONMENT) $(top_srcdir)/src/script/hydra-init
 
 repos : dirs git-repo hg-repo svn-repo svn-checkout-repo bzr-repo bzr-checkout-repo