diff --git a/lustre/tests/cfg/local.sh b/lustre/tests/cfg/local.sh
index deeb91f598f74bec26e01895ccf802997d18d519..92966b1fb979420a2129a2abd94b9476dac9f424 100644
--- a/lustre/tests/cfg/local.sh
+++ b/lustre/tests/cfg/local.sh
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ MOUNTOPT=""
 [ "x$MDSISIZE" != "x" ] &&
     MKFSOPT=$MKFSOPT" -i $MDSISIZE"
 [ "x$MKFSOPT" != "x" ] &&
-    MKFSOPT="--mkfsoptions=\"$MKFSOPT\""
+    MKFSOPT="--mkfsoptions=\\\"$MKFSOPT\\\""
 [ "x$mdsfailover_HOST" != "x" ] &&
     MOUNTOPT=$MOUNTOPT" --failnode=`h2$NETTYPE $mdsfailover_HOST`"
 [ "x$STRIPE_BYTES" != "x" ] &&
diff --git a/lustre/tests/conf-sanity.sh b/lustre/tests/conf-sanity.sh
index 06f7e8a5bf786c4ebc7dba30254229f58cc88007..8a07c36f54bda9f0758a32067de8a1a7a91b8a7d 100644
--- a/lustre/tests/conf-sanity.sh
+++ b/lustre/tests/conf-sanity.sh
@@ -694,11 +694,12 @@ run_test 17 "Verify failed mds_postsetup won't fail assertion (2936) (should ret
 test_18() {
         [ -f $MDSDEV ] && echo "remove $MDSDEV" && rm -f $MDSDEV
         echo "mount mds with large journal..."
-        OLDMDSSIZE=$MDSSIZE
-        MDSSIZE=2000000
-	#FIXME have to change MDS_MKFS_OPTS
-        gen_config
+        local myMDSSIZE=2000000
+        OLD_MDS_MKFS_OPTS=$MDS_MKFS_OPTS
+
+        MDS_MKFS_OPTS="--mgs --mdt --fsname=$FSNAME --device-size=$myMDSSIZE --param sys.timeout=$TIMEOUT $MDSOPT"
 
+        gen_config
         echo "mount lustre system..."
 	setup
         check_mount || return 41
@@ -706,14 +707,14 @@ test_18() {
         echo "check journal size..."
         FOUNDSIZE=`do_facet mds "debugfs -c -R 'stat <8>' $MDSDEV" | awk '/Size: / { print $NF; exit;}'`
         if [ $FOUNDSIZE -gt $((32 * 1024 * 1024)) ]; then
-                log "Success: mkfs creates large journals"
+                log "Success: mkfs creates large journals. Size: $((FOUNDSIZE >> 20))M"
         else
                 error "expected journal size > 32M, found $((FOUNDSIZE >> 20))M"
         fi
 
         cleanup || return $?
 
-        MDSSIZE=$OLDMDSSIZE
+        MDS_MKFS_OPTS=$OLD_MDS_MKFS_OPTS
         gen_config
 }
 run_test 18 "check mkfs creates large journals"