diff --git a/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.in b/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.in
index f81228a24c..320f7dc391 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.in
+++ b/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.in
@@ -15,10 +15,17 @@
 #
 
 # Find the top of the BIND9 tree.
-TOP=${SYSTEMTESTTOP:=.}/../../..
+TOP=@abs_top_builddir@
 
-# Make it absolute so that it continues to work after we cd.
-TOP=`cd $TOP && pwd`
+# Default algorithm for testing
+DEFAULT_ALGORITHM=ECDSAP256SHA256
+DEFAULT_ALGORITHM_NUMBER=13
+DEFAULT_BITS=256
+
+# must be different from DEFAULT_ALGORITHM
+ALTERNATIVE_ALGORITHM=RSASHA256
+ALTERNATIVE_ALGORITHM_NUMBER=8
+ALTERNATIVE_BITS=1280
 
 ARPANAME=$TOP/bin/tools/arpaname
 CDS=$TOP/bin/dnssec/dnssec-cds
@@ -338,7 +345,14 @@ copy_setports() {
         -e "s/@EXTRAPORT6@/${EXTRAPORT6}/g" \
         -e "s/@EXTRAPORT7@/${EXTRAPORT7}/g" \
         -e "s/@EXTRAPORT8@/${EXTRAPORT8}/g" \
-        -e "s/@CONTROLPORT@/${CONTROLPORT}/g" $1 > $2
+        -e "s/@CONTROLPORT@/${CONTROLPORT}/g" \
+	-e "s/@DEFAULT_ALGORITHM@/${DEFAULT_ALGORITHM}/g" \
+	-e "s/@DEFAULT_ALGORITHM_NUMBER@/${DEFAULT_ALGORITHM_NUMBER}/g" \
+	-e "s/@DEFAULT_BITS@/${DEFAULT_BITS}/g" \
+	-e "s/@ALTERNATIVE_ALGORITHM@/${ALTERNATIVE_ALGORITHM}/g" \
+	-e "s/@ALTERNATIVE_ALGORITHM_NUMBER@/${ALTERNATIVE_ALGORITHM_NUMBER}/g" \
+	-e "s/@ALTERNATIVE_BITS@/${ALTERNATIVE_BITS}/g" \
+	$1 > $2
 }
 
 #
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.win32 b/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.win32
index 66baa3ee84..81958593ba 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.win32
+++ b/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.win32
@@ -26,6 +26,16 @@ TOP=`cd $TOP && pwd`
 # Visual Studio build configurations are Release and Debug
 VSCONF=Debug
 
+# Default algorithm for testing
+DEFAULT_ALGORITHM=ECDSAP256SHA256
+DEFAULT_ALGORITHM_NUMBER=13
+DEFAULT_BITS=256
+
+# must be different from DEFAULT_ALGORITHM
+ALTERNATIVE_ALGORITHM=RSASHA256
+ALTERNATIVE_ALGORITHM_NUMBER=8
+ALTERNATIVE_BITS=1280
+
 ARPANAME=$TOP/Build/$VSCONF/arpaname@EXEEXT@
 CHECKCONF=$TOP/Build/$VSCONF/named-checkconf@EXEEXT@
 CHECKDS="$PYTHON `cygpath -w $TOP/bin/python/dnssec-checkds.py`"
@@ -115,7 +125,7 @@ PARALLELDIRS="allow_query catz rpzrecurse serve-stale"
 SUBDIRS="$SEQUENTIALDIRS $PARALLELDIRS"
 
 # missing: chain integrity
-# extra: dname ednscompliance forward 
+# extra: dname ednscompliance forward
 
 #Things that are different on Windows
 KILL="/bin/kill -f"
@@ -125,7 +135,7 @@ DOS2UNIX=dos2unix
 TP=
 
 # Configure is launched from native environment, but tests are run in Cygwin -
-# so any detection is unreliable. 
+# so any detection is unreliable.
 SHELL="/bin/bash -o igncr"
 CURL=/usr/bin/curl
 XMLLINT=/usr/bin/xmllint
@@ -309,7 +319,14 @@ copy_setports() {
         -e "s/${atsign}EXTRAPORT6${atsign}/${EXTRAPORT6}/g" \
         -e "s/${atsign}EXTRAPORT7${atsign}/${EXTRAPORT7}/g" \
         -e "s/${atsign}EXTRAPORT8${atsign}/${EXTRAPORT8}/g" \
-        -e "s/${atsign}CONTROLPORT${atsign}/${CONTROLPORT}/g" $1 > $2
+        -e "s/${atsign}CONTROLPORT${atsign}/${CONTROLPORT}/g" \
+	-e "s/${atsign}DEFAULT_ALGORITHM${atsign}/${DEFAULT_ALGORITHM}/g" \
+	-e "s/${atsign}DEFAULT_ALGORITHM_NUMBER${atsign}/${DEFAULT_ALGORITHM_NUMBER}/g" \
+	-e "s/${atsign}DEFAULT_BITS${atsign}/${DEFAULT_BITS}/g" \
+	-e "s/${atsign}ALTERNATIVE_ALGORITHM${atsign}/${ALTERNATIVE_ALGORITHM}/g" \
+	-e "s/${atsign}ALTERNATIVE_ALGORITHM_NUMBER${atsign}/${ALTERNATIVE_ALGORITHM_NUMBER}/g" \
+	-e "s/${atsign}ALTERNATIVE_BITS${atsign}/${ALTERNATIVE_BITS}/g" \
+	$1 > $2
 }
 
 #