diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 0f1c913..94416cd 100755
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-SUBDIRS = . test
+SUBDIRS = . 
 
 bin_PROGRAMS = ior mdtest
 if USE_CAPS
@@ -9,20 +9,21 @@ noinst_HEADERS = ior.h utilities.h parse_options.h aiori.h iordef.h ior-internal
 
 lib_LIBRARIES = libaiori.a
 libaiori_a_SOURCES = ior.c mdtest.c utilities.c parse_options.c ior-output.c option.c
+libaiori_a_LIBADD =
 
 extraSOURCES = aiori.c aiori-DUMMY.c
 extraLDADD =
 extraLDFLAGS =
 extraCPPFLAGS =
 
-ior_SOURCES = ior-main.c ior.c utilities.c parse_options.c ior-output.c option.c
+ior_SOURCES = ior-main.c
 ior_LDFLAGS =
-ior_LDADD =
+ior_LDADD = libaiori.a
 ior_CPPFLAGS =
 
-mdtest_SOURCES = mdtest-main.c mdtest.c utilities.c option.c
+mdtest_SOURCES = mdtest-main.c
 mdtest_LDFLAGS =
-mdtest_LDADD =
+mdtest_LDADD = libaiori.a
 mdtest_CPPFLAGS =
 
 if USE_HDFS_AIORI
@@ -75,7 +76,6 @@ extraLDADD    += -laws4c
 extraLDADD    += -laws4c_extra
 endif
 
-
 ior_SOURCES += $(extraSOURCES)
 ior_LDFLAGS += $(extraLDFLAGS)
 ior_LDADD += $(extraLDADD)
@@ -95,3 +95,14 @@ MDTEST_LDADD    = $(mdtest_LDADD)
 MDTEST_CPPFLAGS = $(mdtest_CPPFLAGS)
 
 libaiori_a_SOURCES += $(extraSOURCES)
+#libaiori_a_LIBADD += $(extraLDFLAGS) $(extraLDADD)
+
+
+
+TESTS = testlib
+bin_PROGRAMS += testlib
+
+testlib_SOURCES = ./test/lib.c
+testlib_LDFLAGS =
+testlib_LDADD = libaiori.a $(extraLDADD)
+testlib_CPPFLAGS =
diff --git a/src/test/Makefile.am b/src/test/Makefile.am
deleted file mode 100644
index 751423f..0000000
--- a/src/test/Makefile.am
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-TESTS = testlib
-bin_PROGRAMS = testlib
-
-testlib_SOURCES = lib.c
-testlib_LDFLAGS =
-testlib_LDADD = ../libaiori.a
-testlib_CPPFLAGS =
diff --git a/src/utilities.c b/src/utilities.c
index acc6a85..d0357a1 100755
--- a/src/utilities.c
+++ b/src/utilities.c
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ void SetHints(MPI_Info * mpiHints, char *hintsFileName)
         }
 
         /* get hints from hints file */
-        if (strcmp(hintsFileName, "") != 0) {
+        if (hintsFileName != NULL && strcmp(hintsFileName, "") != 0) {
 
                 /* open the hint file */
                 fd = fopen(hintsFileName, "r");