diff --git a/bin/tests/system/addzone/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/addzone/tests.sh
index 5350ccf81a..b5ca0f782b 100755
--- a/bin/tests/system/addzone/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/addzone/tests.sh
@@ -695,7 +695,7 @@ echo_i "check that named restarts with multiple added zones ($n)"
 ret=0
 $RNDCCMD 10.53.0.3 addzone "test4.baz" '{ type master; file "e.db"; };' > /dev/null 2>&1 || ret=1
 $RNDCCMD 10.53.0.3 addzone "test5.baz" '{ type master; file "e.db"; };' > /dev/null 2>&1 || ret=1
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl . ns3
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl addzone ns3
 $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/start.pl --noclean --restart --port ${PORT} addzone ns3 || ret=1
 $DIG $DIGOPTS @10.53.0.3 version.bind txt ch > dig.out.test$n || ret=1
 grep "status: NOERROR" dig.out.test$n > /dev/null || ret=1
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/forward/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/forward/tests.sh
index abb3fd5628..aa80f189e6 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/forward/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/forward/tests.sh
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ echo_i "checking for negative caching of forwarder response"
 ret=0
 $DIG $DIGOPTS nonexist. txt @10.53.0.5 > dig.out.f2 || ret=1
 grep "status: NXDOMAIN" dig.out.f2 > /dev/null || ret=1
-$PERL ../stop.pl . ns4 || ret=1
+$PERL ../stop.pl forward ns4 || ret=1
 $DIG $DIGOPTS nonexist. txt @10.53.0.5 > dig.out.f2 || ret=1
 grep "status: NXDOMAIN" dig.out.f2 > /dev/null || ret=1
 $PERL ../start.pl --restart --noclean --port ${PORT} forward ns4 || ret=1
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/inline/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/inline/tests.sh
index bba37e0442..3dd2804e04 100755
--- a/bin/tests/system/inline/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/inline/tests.sh
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ status=`expr $status + $ret`
 n=`expr $n + 1`
 echo_i "stop bump in the wire signer server ($n)"
 ret=0
-$PERL ../stop.pl . ns3 || ret=1
+$PERL ../stop.pl inline ns3 || ret=1
 if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=`expr $status + $ret`
 
@@ -869,7 +869,7 @@ status=`expr $status + $ret`
 n=`expr $n + 1`
 echo_i "stop bump in the wire signer server ($n)"
 ret=0
-$PERL ../stop.pl . ns3 || ret=1
+$PERL ../stop.pl inline ns3 || ret=1
 if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=`expr $status + $ret`
 
@@ -1323,7 +1323,7 @@ done
 if [ $ans != 0 ]; then ret=1; fi
 # Halt rather than stopping the server to prevent the master file from being
 # flushed upon shutdown since we specifically want to avoid it.
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --halt --port ${CONTROLPORT} . ns3
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --halt --port ${CONTROLPORT} inline ns3
 ensure_sigs_only_in_journal delayedkeys ns3/delayedkeys.db.signed
 $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/start.pl --noclean --restart --port ${PORT} inline ns3
 # At this point, the raw zone journal will not have a source serial set.  Upon
@@ -1332,7 +1332,7 @@ $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/start.pl --noclean --restart --port ${PORT} inline ns3
 # return delayedkeys/SOA as the next node to resign, so we restart the server
 # once again; with the raw zone journal now having a source serial set,
 # receive_secure_serial() should refrain from introducing any zone changes.
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --halt --port ${CONTROLPORT} . ns3
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --halt --port ${CONTROLPORT} inline ns3
 ensure_sigs_only_in_journal delayedkeys ns3/delayedkeys.db.signed
 $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/start.pl --noclean --restart --port ${PORT} inline ns3
 # We can now test whether the secure zone journal was correctly processed:
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/legacy/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/legacy/tests.sh
index b5cde50596..5c58dccb97 100755
--- a/bin/tests/system/legacy/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/legacy/tests.sh
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ grep "status: NOERROR" dig.out.test$n > /dev/null && ret=1
 if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=`expr $status + $ret`
 
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl . ns1
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl legacy ns1
 
 copy_setports ns1/named2.conf.in ns1/named.conf
 
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/logfileconfig/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/logfileconfig/tests.sh
index 6d3c9fe1f0..2e198c6a03 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/logfileconfig/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/logfileconfig/tests.sh
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ then
 else
 	echo_i "testing plain file failed (unexpected)"
 	echo_i "exit status: 1"
-	exit 1 
+	exit 1
 fi
 
 # Now try directory, expect failure
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ else
 	echo_i "skipping pipe test (unable to create pipe)"
 fi
 
-# Now try symlink file to plain file, expect success 
+# Now try symlink file to plain file, expect success
 n=`expr $n + 1`
 echo_i "testing symlink to plain file as log file (named -g) ($n)"
 # Assume success
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ fi
 # files while controlling the stop/start of the server.
 # Have to stop the stock server because it uses "-g"
 #
-$PERL ../../stop.pl .. ns1
+$PERL ../../stop.pl logfileconfig ns1
 
 $myNAMED > /dev/null 2>&1
 
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ then
 else
 	echo_i "testing plain file failed (unexpected)"
 	echo_i "exit status: 1"
-	exit 1 
+	exit 1
 fi
 
 # Now try directory, expect failure
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ else
 	echo_i "skipping pipe test (unable to create pipe)"
 fi
 
-# Now try symlink file to plain file, expect success 
+# Now try symlink file to plain file, expect success
 n=`expr $n + 1`
 echo_i "testing symlink to plain file as log file ($n)"
 # Assume success
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ n=`expr $n + 1`
 echo_i "testing default logfile using named -L file ($n)"
 # Now stop the server again and test the -L option
 rm -f $DLFILE
-$PERL ../../stop.pl .. ns1
+$PERL ../../stop.pl logfileconfig ns1
 if ! test -f $PIDFILE; then
 	copy_setports $PLAINCONF named.conf
 	$myNAMED -L $DLFILE > /dev/null 2>&1
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ if test ${t:-1000} -gt 5
 then
         echo_i "testing explicit versions failed: cleanup of old entries took too long ($t secs)"
 	status=`expr $status + 1`
-fi 
+fi
 if ! grep "status: NOERROR" dig.out.test$n > /dev/null
 then
 	echo_i "testing explicit versions failed: DiG lookup failed"
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ if test ${t:-1000} -gt 5
 then
         echo_i "testing timestamped versions failed: cleanup of old entries took too long ($t secs)"
 	status=`expr $status + 1`
-fi 
+fi
 if ! grep "status: NOERROR" dig.out.test$n > /dev/null
 then
 	echo_i "testing timestamped versions failed: DiG lookup failed"
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ if test ${t:-1000} -gt 5
 then
         echo_i "testing unlimited versions failed: took too long ($t secs)"
 	status=`expr $status + 1`
-fi 
+fi
 if ! grep "status: NOERROR" dig.out.test$n > /dev/null
 then
 	echo_i "testing unlimited versions failed: DiG lookup failed"
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/mirror/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/mirror/tests.sh
index 324cca0586..4ffcd25698 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/mirror/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/mirror/tests.sh
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ status=`expr $status + $ret`
 n=`expr $n + 1`
 echo_i "checking that loading a correctly signed mirror zone from disk succeeds ($n)"
 ret=0
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} . ns3
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} mirror ns3
 cat ns2/verify-load.db.good.signed > ns3/verify-load.db.mirror
 nextpart ns3/named.run > /dev/null
 $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/start.pl --noclean --restart --port ${PORT} mirror ns3
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ status=`expr $status + $ret`
 n=`expr $n + 1`
 echo_i "checking that loading a journal for an incorrectly signed mirror zone fails ($n)"
 ret=0
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} . ns3
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} mirror ns3
 cp ns3/verify-journal.db.mirror ns3/verify-ixfr.db.mirror
 cp ns3/verify-journal.db.bad.mirror.jnl ns3/verify-ixfr.db.mirror.jnl
 nextpart ns3/named.run > /dev/null
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ status=`expr $status + $ret`
 n=`expr $n + 1`
 echo_i "checking that loading a journal for a correctly signed mirror zone succeeds ($n)"
 ret=0
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} . ns3
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} mirror ns3
 cp ns3/verify-journal.db.mirror ns3/verify-ixfr.db.mirror
 cp ns3/verify-journal.db.good.mirror.jnl ns3/verify-ixfr.db.mirror.jnl
 nextpart ns3/named.run > /dev/null
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ mv ns2/named.conf.modified ns2/named.conf
 $RNDCCMD 10.53.0.2 reconfig > /dev/null 2>&1
 # Stop ns3, update the timestamp of the zone file to one far in the past, then
 # restart ns3.
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} . ns3
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} mirror ns3
 touch -t 200001010000 ns3/initially-unavailable.db.mirror
 nextpart ns3/named.run > /dev/null
 $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/start.pl --noclean --restart --port ${PORT} mirror ns3
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/mkeys/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/mkeys/tests.sh
index 080879af4c..e8c2923c20 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/mkeys/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/mkeys/tests.sh
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=`expr $status + $ret`
 
 echo_i "reinitialize trust anchors, add second key to bind.keys"
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} . ns2
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} mkeys ns2
 rm -f ns2/managed-keys.bind*
 keyfile_to_managed_keys ns1/$original ns1/$standby1 > ns2/managed.conf
 nextpart ns2/named.run > /dev/null
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=`expr $status + $ret`
 
 echo_i "reinitialize trust anchors, revert to one key in bind.keys"
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} . ns2
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} mkeys ns2
 rm -f ns2/managed-keys.bind*
 mv ns2/managed1.conf ns2/managed.conf
 nextpart ns2/named.run > /dev/null
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ rm -f ns1/root.db.signed.jnl
 mkeys_reconfig_on 1
 
 echo_i "reinitialize trust anchors"
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} . ns2
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} mkeys ns2
 rm -f ns2/managed-keys.bind*
 nextpart ns2/named.run > /dev/null
 $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/start.pl --noclean --restart --port ${PORT} mkeys ns2
@@ -572,7 +572,7 @@ ret=0
 mkeys_refresh_on 2
 mkeys_status_on 2 > rndc.out.$n 2>&1
 t1=`grep 'next refresh:' rndc.out.$n`
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} . ns1
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} mkeys ns1
 rm -f ns1/root.db.signed.jnl
 cp ns1/root.db ns1/root.db.signed
 nextpart ns1/named.run > /dev/null
@@ -606,7 +606,7 @@ ret=0
 mkeys_refresh_on 2
 mkeys_status_on 2 > rndc.out.$n 2>&1
 t1=`grep 'next refresh:' rndc.out.$n`
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} . ns1
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} mkeys ns1
 rm -f ns1/root.db.signed.jnl
 cat ns1/K*.key >> ns1/root.db.signed
 nextpart ns1/named.run > /dev/null
@@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ ret=0
 # ensure key refresh retry will be scheduled to one actual hour after the first
 # key refresh failure instead of just a few seconds, in order to prevent races
 # between the next scheduled key refresh time and startup time of restarted ns5.
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} . ns5
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} mkeys ns5
 nextpart ns5/named.run > /dev/null
 $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/start.pl --noclean --restart --port ${PORT} mkeys ns5
 wait_for_log "Returned from key fetch in keyfetch_done()" ns5/named.run
@@ -722,7 +722,7 @@ status=`expr $status + $ret`
 n=`expr $n + 1`
 echo_i "check key refreshes are resumed after root servers become available ($n)"
 ret=0
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} . ns5
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} mkeys ns5
 # Prevent previous check from affecting this one
 rm -f ns5/managed-keys.bind*
 # named2.args adds "-T mkeytimers=2/20/40" to named1.args as we need to wait for
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/notify/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/notify/tests.sh
index 9c104bdde1..c3032d033a 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/notify/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/notify/tests.sh
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ digcomp dig.out.ns2.test$n dig.out.ns3.test$n || ret=1
 status=`expr $ret + $status`
 
 echo_i "stopping master and restarting with example4 then waiting up to 45 seconds"
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl . ns2
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl notify ns2
 
 rm -f ns2/example.db
 cp -f ns2/example4.db ns2/example.db
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/nsupdate/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/nsupdate/tests.sh
index 14ea2a23a4..9762a0f891 100755
--- a/bin/tests/system/nsupdate/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/nsupdate/tests.sh
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ server 10.53.0.1 ${PORT}
 update add updated4.example.nil. 600 A 10.10.10.3
 send
 END
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} . ns1
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} nsupdate ns1
 # Removing the journal file and restarting the server means
 # that the data served by the new server process are exactly
 # those dumped to the master file by "rndc stop".
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/nzd2nzf/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/nzd2nzf/tests.sh
index 0e400415cb..ea013af48d 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/nzd2nzf/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/nzd2nzf/tests.sh
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=`expr $status + $ret`
 
 echo_i "stopping ns1"
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl . ns1
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl nzd2nzf ns1
 
 n=`expr $n + 1`
 echo_i "dumping _default.nzd to _default.nzf ($n)"
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/rpz/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/rpz/tests.sh
index 7e5c96660f..84537e472d 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/rpz/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/rpz/tests.sh
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ for mode in native dnsrps; do
       continue
     fi
     echo_i "attempting to configure servers with DNSRPS..."
-    $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl .
+    $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl rpz
     $SHELL ./setup.sh -N -D $DEBUG
     for server in ns*; do
       resetstats $server
@@ -741,7 +741,7 @@ EOF
 
   # restart the main test RPZ server to see if that creates a core file
   if test -z "$HAVE_CORE"; then
-    $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl . ns3
+    $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl rpz ns3
     restart 3
     HAVE_CORE=`find ns* -name '*core*' -print`
     test -z "$HAVE_CORE" || setret "found $HAVE_CORE; memory leak?"
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/rpzrecurse/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/rpzrecurse/tests.sh
index 5ed78ae5b4..2e1813622d 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/rpzrecurse/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/rpzrecurse/tests.sh
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ run_server() {
     TESTNAME=$1
 
     echo_i "stopping resolver"
-    $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl . ns2
+    $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl rpzrecurse ns2
 
     sleep 1
 
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ for mode in native dnsrps; do
       continue
     fi
     echo_i "attempting to configure servers with DNSRPS..."
-    $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl .
+    $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl rpzrecurse
     $SHELL ./setup.sh -N -D $DEBUG
     sed -n 's/^## //p' dnsrps.conf | cat_i
     if grep '^#fail' dnsrps.conf >/dev/null; then
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/sfcache/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/sfcache/tests.sh
index c4386c6e93..ac45cd537a 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/sfcache/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/sfcache/tests.sh
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ if [ $ret != 0 ]; then echo_i "failed"; fi
 status=`expr $status + $ret`
 
 echo_i "disabling server to force non-dnssec SERVFAIL"
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} . ns2
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl --use-rndc --port ${CONTROLPORT} sfcache ns2
 awk '/SERVFAIL/ { next; out=1 } /Zone/ { out=0 } { if (out) print }' ns5/named_dump.db
 echo_i "checking SERVFAIL is cached ($n)"
 ret=0
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/start.pl b/bin/tests/system/start.pl
index 0af13cd3ad..49a6665d2f 100755
--- a/bin/tests/system/start.pl
+++ b/bin/tests/system/start.pl
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ foreach my $name(@ans) {
 # Subroutines
 
 sub read_ns_port {
-	my $server = shift;
+	my ( $server ) = @_;
 	my $port = $queryport;
 	my $options = "";
 
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ sub read_ns_port {
 }
 
 sub check_ns_port {
-	my $server = shift;
+	my ( $server ) = @_;
 	my $options = "";
 	my $port = read_ns_port($server);
 
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ sub check_ns_port {
 			print "I:$test:server sockets not available\n";
 			print "I:$test:failed\n";
 
-			system("$PERL $topdir/stop.pl $testdir"); # Is this the correct behavior?
+			system("$PERL $topdir/stop.pl $test"); # Is this the correct behavior?
 
 			exit 1;
 		}
@@ -187,9 +187,7 @@ sub check_ns_port {
 }
 
 sub start_server {
-	my $server = shift;
-	my $command = shift;
-	my $pid_file = shift;
+	my ( $server, $command, $pid_file ) = @_;
 
 	chdir "$testdir/$server" or die "unable to chdir \"$testdir/$server\" ($OS_ERROR)\n";
 
@@ -206,7 +204,7 @@ sub start_server {
 			print "I:$test:Couldn't start server $command (pid=$child)\n";
 			print "I:$test:failed\n";
 			system "kill -9 $child" if ("$child" ne "");
-			system "$PERL $topdir/stop.pl $testdir";
+			system "$PERL $topdir/stop.pl $test";
 			exit 1;
 		}
 		sleep 0.1;
@@ -217,8 +215,7 @@ sub start_server {
 }
 
 sub construct_ns_command {
-	my $server = shift;
-	my $options = shift;
+	my ( $server, $options ) = @_;
 
 	my $command;
 
@@ -290,8 +287,7 @@ sub construct_ns_command {
 }
 
 sub start_ns_server {
-	my $server = shift;
-	my $options = shift;
+	my ( $server, $options ) = @_;
 
 	my $cleanup_files;
 	my $command;
@@ -311,8 +307,7 @@ sub start_ns_server {
 }
 
 sub construct_ans_command {
-	my $server = shift;
-	my $options = shift;
+	my ( $server, $options ) = @_;
 
 	my $command;
 	my $n;
@@ -348,8 +343,7 @@ sub construct_ans_command {
 }
 
 sub start_ans_server {
-	my $server = shift;   # masks the global variable
-	my $options = shift;  # masks the global variable
+	my ( $server, $options ) = @_;
 
 	my $cleanup_files;
 	my $command;
@@ -367,7 +361,7 @@ sub start_ans_server {
 }
 
 sub verify_ns_server {
-	my $server = shift;
+	my ( $server ) = @_;
 
 	my $tries = 0;
 
@@ -390,7 +384,7 @@ sub verify_ns_server {
 			print "I:$test:server $server seems to have not started\n";
 			print "I:$test:failed\n";
 
-			system("$PERL $topdir/stop.pl $testdir");
+			system("$PERL $topdir/stop.pl $test");
 
 			exit 1;
 		}
@@ -425,7 +419,7 @@ sub verify_ns_server {
 			print "I:$test:no response from $server\n";
 			print "I:$test:failed\n";
 
-			system("$PERL $topdir/stop.pl $testdir");
+			system("$PERL $topdir/stop.pl $test");
 
 			exit 1;
 		}
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/stop.sh b/bin/tests/system/stop.sh
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index a2ae614d89..878f6aba23
--- a/bin/tests/system/stop.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/stop.sh
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@
 # See the COPYRIGHT file distributed with this work for additional
 # information regarding copyright ownership.
 
-. ./conf.sh
-$PERL ./stop.pl "$@"
+SYSTEMTESTTOP="$(realpath "$(dirname "$0")")"
+# shellcheck source=conf.sh
+. "$SYSTEMTESTTOP/conf.sh"
+export SYSTEMTESTTOP
 
+$PERL "$SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl" "$@"
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/stub/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/stub/tests.sh
index ed3d62e492..730cd40603 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/stub/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/stub/tests.sh
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ digcomp knowngood.dig.out.rec dig.out.ns3 || ret=1
 
 [ $pass = 1 ] && {
 	echo_i "stopping stub server"
-	$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl . ns3
+	$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl stub ns3
 
 	echo_i "re-starting stub server"
 	$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/start.pl --noclean --restart --port ${PORT} stub ns3
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/unknown/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/unknown/tests.sh
index 7c3a244da2..190b84020d 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/unknown/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/unknown/tests.sh
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ $DIFF -s large.out dig.out > /dev/null || { ret=1 ; echo_i "$DIFF failed"; }
 status=`expr $status + $ret`
 
 echo_i "stop and restart slave"
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl . ns2
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl unknown ns2
 $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/start.pl --noclean --restart --port ${PORT} unknown ns2
 
 echo_i "checking large unknown record loading on slave"
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ $DIFF large.out dig.out > /dev/null || { ret=1 ; echo_i "$DIFF failed"; }
 status=`expr $status + $ret`
 
 echo_i "stop and restart inline slave"
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl . ns3
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl unknown ns3
 $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/start.pl --noclean --restart --port ${PORT} unknown ns3
 
 echo_i "checking large unknown record loading on inline slave"
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/xfer/tests.sh b/bin/tests/system/xfer/tests.sh
index cb1cd3ea00..12e761f6a5 100755
--- a/bin/tests/system/xfer/tests.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/xfer/tests.sh
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ echo_i "test mapped zone with out of zone data ($n)"
 tmp=0
 $DIG -p ${PORT} txt mapped @10.53.0.3 > dig.out.1.$n
 grep "status: NOERROR," dig.out.1.$n > /dev/null || tmp=1
-$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl . ns3
+$PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/stop.pl xfer ns3
 $PERL $SYSTEMTESTTOP/start.pl --noclean --restart --port ${PORT} xfer ns3
 $DIG -p ${PORT} txt mapped @10.53.0.3 > dig.out.2.$n
 grep "status: NOERROR," dig.out.2.$n > /dev/null || tmp=1