diff --git a/src/ior.c b/src/ior.c
index 2237cc3..05070b0 100755
--- a/src/ior.c
+++ b/src/ior.c
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ IOR_test_t * ior_run(int argc, char **argv, MPI_Comm world_com, FILE * world_out
 
         /* perform each test */
         for (tptr = tests_head; tptr != NULL; tptr = tptr->next) {
+                aiori_initialize(tptr);
                 totalErrorCount = 0;
                 verbose = tptr->params.verbose;
                 backend = tptr->params.backend;
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@ IOR_test_t * ior_run(int argc, char **argv, MPI_Comm world_com, FILE * world_out
                 TestIoSys(tptr);
                 tptr->results->errors = totalErrorCount;
                 ShowTestEnd(tptr);
+                aiori_finalize(tptr);
         }
 
         PrintLongSummaryAllTests(tests_head);
@@ -123,7 +125,7 @@ int ior_main(int argc, char **argv)
     InitTests(tests_head, mpi_comm_world);
     verbose = tests_head->params.verbose;
 
-    aiori_initialize(tests_head);
+    aiori_initialize(tests_head); // this is quite suspicious, likely an error when multiple tests need to be executed with different backends and options
 
     PrintHeader(argc, argv);
 
diff --git a/src/mdtest.c b/src/mdtest.c
index 5e792a1..f82db1b 100644
--- a/src/mdtest.c
+++ b/src/mdtest.c
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ static void prep_testdir(int j, int dir_iter){
 static void phase_end(){
   if (call_sync){
     if(! backend->sync){
-      FAIL("Error, backend does not provide the sync method, but you requested to use sync.");
+      FAIL("Error, backend does not provide the sync method, but you requested to use sync.\n");
     }
     backend->sync(& param);
   }