diff --git a/apps/files_external/tests/env/start-smb-windows.sh b/apps/files_external/tests/env/start-smb-windows.sh
index 9453b4eb3e..a23c879dd9 100755
--- a/apps/files_external/tests/env/start-smb-windows.sh
+++ b/apps/files_external/tests/env/start-smb-windows.sh
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ user=smb-test
 password=!owncloud123
 host=WIN-9GTFAS08C15
 
-if ! "$thisFolder"/env/wait-for-connection ${host} 445 0; then
+if ! "$thisFolder"/env/wait-for-connection ${host} 445; then
     echo "[ERROR] Server not reachable" >&2
     exit 1
 fi
diff --git a/autotest-external.sh b/autotest-external.sh
index 86fb796627..6128f68136 100755
--- a/autotest-external.sh
+++ b/autotest-external.sh
@@ -193,7 +193,8 @@ EOF
 		echo "name: $name"
 
 		# execute start file
-		if ./$FILES_EXTERNAL_BACKEND_ENV_PATH/$startFile; then
+		./$FILES_EXTERNAL_BACKEND_ENV_PATH/$startFile
+		if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
 			# getting backend to test from filename
 			# it's the part between the dots startSomething.TestToRun.sh
 			testToRun=`echo $startFile | cut -d '-' -f 2`
@@ -209,6 +210,8 @@ EOF
 				"$PHPUNIT" --configuration phpunit-autotest-external.xml --log-junit "autotest-external-results-$1-$name.xml" "$FILES_EXTERNAL_BACKEND_PATH/$testToRun.php"
 				RESULT=$?
 			fi
+		else
+		    DOEXIT=1
 		fi
 
 		# calculate stop file
@@ -218,6 +221,10 @@ EOF
 			# execute stop file if existant
 			./$FILES_EXTERNAL_BACKEND_ENV_PATH/$stopFile
 		fi
+		if [ "$DOEXIT" ]; then
+		    echo "Error during start file execution ... terminating"
+		    exit $DOEXIT
+		fi
 	done;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/phpunit-autotest-external.xml b/tests/phpunit-autotest-external.xml
index b9402bfa57..31d2e395a0 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit-autotest-external.xml
+++ b/tests/phpunit-autotest-external.xml
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
 <phpunit bootstrap="bootstrap.php"
-		 strict="true"
 		 verbose="true"
 		 timeoutForSmallTests="900"
 		 timeoutForMediumTests="900"