diff --git a/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.in b/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.in
index cedabbee8c..fb87c8e6bb 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.in
+++ b/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.in
@@ -427,6 +427,7 @@ copy_setports() {
 export ARPANAME
 export BIGKEY
 export CHECKZONE
+export CYGWIN
 export DESCRIPTION
 export DIG
 export FEATURETEST
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.win32 b/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.win32
index 8ac41ff827..97628663e1 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.win32
+++ b/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.win32
@@ -405,6 +405,7 @@ copy_setports() {
 export ARPANAME
 export BIGKEY
 export CHECKZONE
+export CYGWIN
 export DESCRIPTION
 export DIG
 export FEATURETEST
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/runall.sh b/bin/tests/system/runall.sh
index 52721c34c4..3246457919 100755
--- a/bin/tests/system/runall.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/runall.sh
@@ -79,9 +79,9 @@ if [ "$NOPARALLEL" = "" ]; then
         # used for the build. So we create a special makefile for the purpose
         # of parallel execution of system tests, and use that.
         $SHELL parallel.sh > parallel.mk
-        make -f parallel.mk -j $numproc check || status=$?
-	$SHELL ./runsequential.sh -r || status=$?
-	$SHELL ./testsummary.sh
+        make -f parallel.mk -j $numproc check
+        $SHELL ./runsequential.sh -r
+        $SHELL ./testsummary.sh || status=1
     fi
 else
     # the NOPARALLEL environment variable indicates that tests must be