diff --git a/test/lib/inittest.sh b/test/lib/inittest.sh
index dcc1304d0..b75eddc58 100644
--- a/test/lib/inittest.sh
+++ b/test/lib/inittest.sh
@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@ find "$TESTOLDPWD/lib" ! \( -name '*.sh' -o -name '*.[cdo]' \
 DM_DEFAULT_NAME_MANGLING_MODE=none
 DM_DEV_DIR="$TESTDIR/dev"
 LVM_SYSTEM_DIR="$TESTDIR/etc"
+# abort on the internal dm errors in the tests (allowing test user override)
+DM_ABORT_ON_INTERNAL_ERRORS=${DM_ABORT_ON_INTERNAL_ERRORS:-1}
+
+export DM_DEFAULT_NAME_MANGLING_MODE DM_DEV_DIR LVM_SYSTEM_DIR DM_ABORT_ON_INTERNAL_ERRORS
+
 mkdir "$LVM_SYSTEM_DIR" "$DM_DEV_DIR"
 if test -n "$LVM_TEST_DEVDIR" ; then
 	test -d "$LVM_TEST_DEVDIR" || die "Test device directory LVM_TEST_DEVDIR=\"$LVM_TEST_DEVDIR\" is not valid."
@@ -85,14 +90,11 @@ else
 	mknod "$DM_DEV_DIR/testnull" c 1 3 || die "mknod failed"
 	echo >"$DM_DEV_DIR/testnull" || \
 		die "Filesystem does support devices in $DM_DEV_DIR (mounted with nodev?)"
-	mkdir "$DM_DEV_DIR/mapper"
+	# dmsetup makes here needed control entry if still missing
+	dmsetup version || \
+		die "Dmsetup in $DM_DEV_DIR can't report version?"
 fi
 
-# abort on the internal dm errors in the tests (allowing test user override)
-DM_ABORT_ON_INTERNAL_ERRORS=${DM_ABORT_ON_INTERNAL_ERRORS:-1}
-
-export DM_DEFAULT_NAME_MANGLING_MODE DM_DEV_DIR LVM_SYSTEM_DIR DM_ABORT_ON_INTERNAL_ERRORS
-
 echo "$TESTNAME" >TESTNAME
 
 echo "Kernel is $(uname -a)"