diff --git a/buildconf b/buildconf
index 0586cbf0cd27..4c1f8b6a01f1 100755
--- a/buildconf
+++ b/buildconf
@@ -2,15 +2,17 @@
 #
 # A wrapper around Autoconf that generates files to build PHP on *nix systems.
 
+set -ex
+
 PHP_AUTOCONF=${PHP_AUTOCONF:-autoconf}
 PHP_AUTOHEADER=${PHP_AUTOHEADER:-autoheader}
 force=0
 debug=0
 
 # Go to project root.
-cd "$(CDPATH='' cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")" && pwd -P)" || exit
+cd "$(CDPATH='' cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")" && pwd -P)"
 
-php_extra_version=$(grep '^AC_INIT(' configure.ac) || exit
+php_extra_version=$(grep '^AC_INIT(' configure.ac)
 case "$php_extra_version" in
   *-dev*)
     dev=1
diff --git a/scripts/dev/gen_verify_stub b/scripts/dev/gen_verify_stub
index f9d9cc67ee3e..19c3e576693e 100755
--- a/scripts/dev/gen_verify_stub
+++ b/scripts/dev/gen_verify_stub
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+set -ex
+
 # Handle GNU vs. BSD checksum utilities
 sha256sum="$(which sha256sum)"
 sha256sum="${sha256sum:-$(which shasum) -a 256}"
diff --git a/scripts/dev/genfiles b/scripts/dev/genfiles
index a7068e8c3f81..75c2515c16ff 100755
--- a/scripts/dev/genfiles
+++ b/scripts/dev/genfiles
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 #   For example:
 #     YACC=/path/to/bison ./genfiles
 
+set -ex
+
 YACC=${YACC:-bison}
 YACC="$YACC -l"
 YFLAGS="-Wall"
@@ -40,7 +42,7 @@ SED=${SED:-sed}
 MAKE=${MAKE:-make}
 
 # Go to project root.
-cd "$(CDPATH='' cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")/../../" && pwd -P)" || exit
+cd "$(CDPATH='' cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")/../../" && pwd -P)"
 
 # Check required bison version from the configure.ac file.
 required_bison_version=$($SED -n 's/PHP_PROG_BISON(\[\([0-9\.]*\)\].*/\1/p' configure.ac)
diff --git a/scripts/dev/makedist b/scripts/dev/makedist
index 6c8ef3c1dc8a..105be77aad73 100755
--- a/scripts/dev/makedist
+++ b/scripts/dev/makedist
@@ -5,17 +5,16 @@
 # Written by Stig Bakken <ssb@guardian.no> 1997-05-28.
 # Adapted to Git by Stanislav Malyshev <stas@php.net>.
 
+set -ex
+
 # Check whether gtar is present (GNU tar)
-tar="$(which gtar)"
-tar="${tar:-$(which tar)}"
+tar="$(command -v gtar || command -v tar)"
 
 # Handle GNU vs. BSD checksum utilities
-md5sum="$(which md5sum)"
-md5sum="${md5sum:-$(which md5)}"
+md5sum="$(command -v md5sum || command -v md5)"
 
 # GNU touch is preferred since it handles local TZ in timestamps
-touch="$(which gtouch)"
-touch="${touch:-$(which touch)}"
+touch="$(command -v gtouch || command -v touch)"
 
 if [[ $($tar --version) == *"bsdtar"* ]]; then
   echo "Found bsdtar at $tar, but this script needs GNU tar."
@@ -23,7 +22,7 @@ if [[ $($tar --version) == *"bsdtar"* ]]; then
 fi
 
 # Go to project root directory.
-cd "$(CDPATH='' cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")/../../" && pwd -P)" || exit
+cd "$(CDPATH='' cd -- "$(dirname -- "$0")/../../" && pwd -P)"
 
 # Process options and arguments.
 while :; do