diff --git a/tests/salvage/salvage_smoke_suite.sh b/tests/salvage/salvage_smoke_suite.sh
index ff1d694..379daf0 100755
--- a/tests/salvage/salvage_smoke_suite.sh
+++ b/tests/salvage/salvage_smoke_suite.sh
@@ -137,7 +137,11 @@ relative_from_netware_path() {
 }
 
 resolve_case_path() {
-    local root=$1 rel=$2 current=$root old_ifs=$IFS part entry found
+    local root rel current old_ifs part entry found
+    root=$1
+    rel=$2
+    current=$root
+    old_ifs=$IFS
     rel=${rel#/}
     IFS=/
     for part in $rel; do
@@ -266,6 +270,8 @@ if prepare_paths; then
     clean_stale_artifacts
 else
     fail_check "could not prepare expected salvage paths"
+    finish_report
+    exit 1
 fi
 
 run_ncp_create_delete "NCP create/delete #1"