diff --git a/mssql/docker-first-run.sh b/mssql/docker-first-run.sh
index f1d5245..4abbe85 100755
--- a/mssql/docker-first-run.sh
+++ b/mssql/docker-first-run.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh -v
+set -e
 
 # https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/linux/quickstart-install-connect-docker?view=sql-server-2017
 
diff --git a/mssql/test-mssql-multi-db.sh b/mssql/test-mssql-multi-db.sh
index b40e41d..28ee4a4 100755
--- a/mssql/test-mssql-multi-db.sh
+++ b/mssql/test-mssql-multi-db.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/bash
+set -e
 
 echo "=================="
 echo "mssql multidb"
diff --git a/mssql/test-mssql.sh b/mssql/test-mssql.sh
index 1f5073a..698cbde 100755
--- a/mssql/test-mssql.sh
+++ b/mssql/test-mssql.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/bash
+set -e
 
 echo "=================="
 echo "mssql"
diff --git a/mysql/docker-first-run.sh b/mysql/docker-first-run.sh
index 9d332ae..102c4d1 100755
--- a/mysql/docker-first-run.sh
+++ b/mysql/docker-first-run.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh -v
+set -e
 docker pull mysql:latest
 docker run --name sse-mysql -e MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=omgroot -p 3306:3306 -d mysql:latest
 sleep 25 # wait for container to come up
diff --git a/mysql/run-mysql.sh b/mysql/run-mysql.sh
index b7508dc..f96e9fa 100755
--- a/mysql/run-mysql.sh
+++ b/mysql/run-mysql.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
+set -e
 cd ..
 
 export schemaexplorer_driver=mysql
diff --git a/mysql/setup-once.sh b/mysql/setup-once.sh
index afbaca0..c4330c5 100755
--- a/mysql/setup-once.sh
+++ b/mysql/setup-once.sh
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 #!/bin/sh
+set -e
 docker exec -i sse-mysql mysql -pomgroot < setup-user.sql
diff --git a/mysql/setup.sh b/mysql/setup.sh
index fca06a7..daf723d 100755
--- a/mysql/setup.sh
+++ b/mysql/setup.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
+set -e
 docker exec sse-mysql mysql -pomgroot -e "drop database if exists ssetest;"
 docker exec sse-mysql mysql -pomgroot -e "create database ssetest;"
 docker exec -i sse-mysql mysql -pomgroot ssetest < test-db.sql
diff --git a/mysql/test-mysql.sh b/mysql/test-mysql.sh
index 366512e..805bc5b 100755
--- a/mysql/test-mysql.sh
+++ b/mysql/test-mysql.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
+set -e
 
 echo "=================="
 echo "mysql"
diff --git a/pg/docker-start.sh b/pg/docker-start.sh
index 471386c..8095c38 100755
--- a/pg/docker-start.sh
+++ b/pg/docker-start.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh -v
+set -e
 # https://hackernoon.com/dont-install-postgres-docker-pull-postgres-bee20e200198
 mkdir -p $HOME/docker/volumes/postgres
 docker run --rm   --name pg-docker -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres -d -p 5432:5432 -v $HOME/docker/volumes/postgres:/var/lib/postgresql/data  postgres:9.6
diff --git a/pg/run-pg-multi-db.sh b/pg/run-pg-multi-db.sh
index bce1e0a..4576081 100755
--- a/pg/run-pg-multi-db.sh
+++ b/pg/run-pg-multi-db.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
+set -e
 cd ..
 
 export schemaexplorer_driver=pg
diff --git a/pg/run-pg.sh b/pg/run-pg.sh
index ce0949f..428c6dd 100755
--- a/pg/run-pg.sh
+++ b/pg/run-pg.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
+set -e
 cd ..
 
 export schemaexplorer_driver=pg
diff --git a/pg/setup-me.sh b/pg/setup-me.sh
index 6b62cad..30fff23 100755
--- a/pg/setup-me.sh
+++ b/pg/setup-me.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh -v
+set -e
 sudo -u postgres createuser $USER
 sudo -u postgres createdb $USER
 sudo -u postgres psql -c "alter user $USER with superuser;" # https://stackoverflow.com/a/10757486/10245
diff --git a/pg/setup-ssetest.sh b/pg/setup-ssetest.sh
index 9fe1a0f..fbbd546 100755
--- a/pg/setup-ssetest.sh
+++ b/pg/setup-ssetest.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
+set -e
 usr=ssetestusr
 db=ssetest
 # config for pg in docker as per dev-setup.sh
diff --git a/pg/test-pg-multi-db.sh b/pg/test-pg-multi-db.sh
index d5fc792..cb5fa99 100755
--- a/pg/test-pg-multi-db.sh
+++ b/pg/test-pg-multi-db.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
+set -e
 
 echo "=================="
 echo "postgres multi-db"
diff --git a/pg/test-pg.sh b/pg/test-pg.sh
index ba73cae..56aceae 100755
--- a/pg/test-pg.sh
+++ b/pg/test-pg.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
+set -e
 
 echo "=================="
 echo "postgres"
diff --git a/sqlite/run-sqlite-env.sh b/sqlite/run-sqlite-env.sh
index c07a1b3..43884a4 100755
--- a/sqlite/run-sqlite-env.sh
+++ b/sqlite/run-sqlite-env.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
+set -e
 # relative path hack with pwd, otherwise not resolved.
 # create db first with sqlite/setup.sh
 cd ..
diff --git a/sqlite/run-sqlite-flags.sh b/sqlite/run-sqlite-flags.sh
index c2abf2f..980b918 100755
--- a/sqlite/run-sqlite-flags.sh
+++ b/sqlite/run-sqlite-flags.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
+set -e
 # relative path hack with pwd, otherwise not resolved.
 # create db first with sqlite/setup.sh
 cd ..
diff --git a/sqlite/run-sqlite-test.sh b/sqlite/run-sqlite-test.sh
index f6a4592..12bf190 100755
--- a/sqlite/run-sqlite-test.sh
+++ b/sqlite/run-sqlite-test.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
+set -e
 # relative path hack with pwd, otherwise not resolved.
 # create db first with sqlite/setup.sh
 cd ..
diff --git a/sqlite/setup.sh b/sqlite/setup.sh
index a8ee964..97e979d 100755
--- a/sqlite/setup.sh
+++ b/sqlite/setup.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
+set -e
 if [ -d db ]; then
   # echo 'removing old test db'
   rm -rf db
diff --git a/sqlite/test-sqlite-env.sh b/sqlite/test-sqlite-env.sh
index 94c0ceb..a3070ed 100755
--- a/sqlite/test-sqlite-env.sh
+++ b/sqlite/test-sqlite-env.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
+set -e
 
 echo "=================="
 echo "sqlite"
diff --git a/sqlite/test-sqlite-flags.sh b/sqlite/test-sqlite-flags.sh
index 49db3ea..52f0256 100755
--- a/sqlite/test-sqlite-flags.sh
+++ b/sqlite/test-sqlite-flags.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
+set -e
 
 echo "=================="
 echo "sqlite flags"
diff --git a/sqlite/test-sqlite-live.sh b/sqlite/test-sqlite-live.sh
index c1ba793..02a0007 100755
--- a/sqlite/test-sqlite-live.sh
+++ b/sqlite/test-sqlite-live.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
+set -e
 
 echo "=================="
 echo "sqlite (live)"
diff --git a/test-only-build-pg.sh b/test-only-build-pg.sh
index e32486a..a7c0198 100755
--- a/test-only-build-pg.sh
+++ b/test-only-build-pg.sh
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 #!/bin/sh
+set -e
 go test -tags "skip_mysql skip_sqlite skip_mssql" sse_test.go
diff --git a/test.sh b/test.sh
index 984f735..eb6a65e 100755
--- a/test.sh
+++ b/test.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/bash
+set -e
+
 pushd . > /dev/null
 cd sqlite
 # test the three ways of configuring schemaexplorer