diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2f70fc5664..bb07382e1e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ GNUCASH_NANO_VERSION=0
 #src/backend/dbi/gnc-backend-dbi.c:gnc_dbi_load.
 GNUCASH_RESAVE_VERSION=19920
 # Initialize automake -- make sure we have at least version 1.9
-AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.9 dist-bzip2 subdir-objects])
+AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.9 dist-bzip2])
 
 # Parse out the version number
 GNUCASH_VERSION_STRING=AC_PACKAGE_VERSION
diff --git a/src/backend/dbi/test/test-backend-dbi-basic.c b/src/backend/dbi/test/test-backend-dbi-basic.c
index b3203f0bbe..d7e88ebd80 100644
--- a/src/backend/dbi/test/test-backend-dbi-basic.c
+++ b/src/backend/dbi/test/test-backend-dbi-basic.c
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 
 #if LIBDBI_VERSION >= 900
 #define HAVE_LIBDBI_R 1
-static dbi_inst dbi_instance = NULL;
+static dbi_inst dbi_instance;
 #else
 #define HAVE_LIBDBI_R 0
 #endif
@@ -597,11 +597,8 @@ test_suite_gnc_backend_dbi (void)
     dbi_driver driver = NULL;
     GList *drivers = NULL;
     #if HAVE_LIBDBI_R
-    if (dbi_instance == NULL)
-      dbi_initialize_r (NULL, &dbi_instance);
     while ((driver = dbi_driver_list_r (driver, dbi_instance)))
     #else
-    dbi_initialize (NULL);
     while ((driver = dbi_driver_list (driver)))
     #endif
     {