diff --git a/testdefs.sh b/testdefs.sh
index 28ca2703..47083871 100644
--- a/testdefs.sh
+++ b/testdefs.sh
@@ -67,10 +67,10 @@ extract_stdout_keyvalue_optional() {
    if [ -n "$_line" ]; then
       _value="${_line#*$_delim}"
       _return=0
-   fi
-   if [ -n "$_var" ]; then
-      eval $_var="\$_value"
-      eval tfw_log "$_var=\$(shellarg "\${$_var}")"
+      if [ -n "$_var" ]; then
+         eval $_var="\$_value"
+         eval tfw_log "$_var=\$(shellarg "\${$_var}")"
+      fi
    fi
    return $_return
 }
@@ -743,15 +743,15 @@ create_identities() {
       # If the DID and/or NAME is already specified in the variables, then use
       # them, otherwise extract the DID and NAME automatically generated by
       # servald.
-      if [ -n "${!didvar}" -o -n "${!namevar}" ]; then
+      if [ -n "${!didvar+x}" -o -n "${!namevar+x}" ]; then
          executeOk_servald keyring set did "${servald_options[@]}" "${!sidvar}" "${!didvar}" "${!namevar}"
          eval "$didvar=\${!didvar}"
          eval "$namevar=\${!namevar}"
          tfw_log "$didvar=$(shellarg "${!didvar}")"
          tfw_log "$namevar=$(shellarg "${!namevar}")"
       else
-         extract_stdout_keyvalue_optional $didvar did "$rexp_did" && tfw_log "$didvar=$(shellarg "${!didvar}")"
-         extract_stdout_keyvalue_optional $namevar name ".*" && tfw_log "$namevar=$(shellarg "${!namevar}")"
+         extract_stdout_keyvalue_optional $didvar did "$rexp_did"
+         extract_stdout_keyvalue_optional $namevar name ".*"
       fi
    done
    for ((i = 1; i <= N; ++i)); do