diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 546f681e..70e265df 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ livecd-rootfs (2.408.19) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
   * Run autopkgtest for SUBPROJECT=minimized
   * When SUBPROJECT environment variable is not set assume it to be ""
 
+  [ Steve Langasek ]
+  * debian/tests/default-bootstraps: minor adjustments to shell syntax,
+    syncing with artful where this originated.
+
  -- Balint Reczey <rbalint@ubuntu.com>  Tue, 03 Oct 2017 17:35:04 +0200
 
 livecd-rootfs (2.408.18) xenial; urgency=medium
diff --git a/debian/tests/default-bootstraps b/debian/tests/default-bootstraps
index 53e5a3bb..433cd327 100755
--- a/debian/tests/default-bootstraps
+++ b/debian/tests/default-bootstraps
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 set -e
 
-if [ -z "$SUITE"]; then
+if [ -z "$SUITE" ]; then
     SUITE=$(lsb_release -c -s)
 fi
 
@@ -67,19 +67,17 @@ live_build_rootfs() {
     if [ -n "$TEMPLATE" ]; then
         cp -a /usr/share/livecd-rootfs/live-build/$TEMPLATE .
     fi
-    (env PROJECT=$PROJECT \
+    env PROJECT=$PROJECT \
          SUBPROJECT=$SUBPROJECT \
          SUITE=$SUITE \
          ARCH=$ARCH \
          lb config
-    )
     mkdir chroot
     # this part needs root rights, but right now the whole script ran as root by autopkgtest
-    (env PROJECT=$PROJECT \
+    env PROJECT=$PROJECT \
          SUBPROJECT=$SUBPROJECT \
          ARCH=$ARCH \
          lb build
-    )
     echo "Build results for project: '$PROJECT' subproject: '$SUBPROJECT' template: '$TEMPLATE' in $PWD"
     du -sh *
     echo ""