diff --git a/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.in b/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.in
index 414eb1ce3f..e3d921d52d 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.in
+++ b/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.in
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ 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
 CHECKCONF=$TOP/bin/check/named-checkconf
@@ -397,6 +402,9 @@ copy_setports() {
 	-e "s/@DEFAULT_ALGORITHM@/${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 c791007110..4844e6fb4c 100644
--- a/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.win32
+++ b/bin/tests/system/conf.sh.win32
@@ -370,6 +370,9 @@ copy_setports() {
 	-e "s/${atsign}DEFAULT_ALGORITM${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_ALGORITM${atsign}/${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
 }
 
diff --git a/bin/tests/system/run.sh b/bin/tests/system/run.sh
index 0e7632ffbf..c2f0d63bfe 100755
--- a/bin/tests/system/run.sh
+++ b/bin/tests/system/run.sh
@@ -13,9 +13,11 @@
 # Run a system test.
 #
 
-SYSTEMTESTTOP=.
+SYSTEMTESTTOP=$(realpath .)
 . $SYSTEMTESTTOP/conf.sh
 
+export SYSTEMTESTTOP
+
 stopservers=true
 baseport=5300
 
@@ -45,7 +47,7 @@ if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
-systest=$1
+systest=${1%%/}
 shift
 
 if [ ! -d $systest ]; then