diff --git a/releng/README b/releng/README
index 4ba4b429..0af870c0 100644
--- a/releng/README
+++ b/releng/README
@@ -229,10 +229,15 @@ When exiting prematurely, make sure to call function cleanup.
 
                Variables, general options, helper functions
 
+The master script run_all_auto sets this variable:
+
+  RELENG_SCRIPT_RUN_BY_RUN_ALL_AUTO
+                    1=supervised, the script is run by run_all_auto script
+                    else=standalone, the script is run in standalone mode 
+
 The code piece inc/releng_getopts.inc should get executed inline at the
-start of a test script.
-It initializes the following variables and sets some of them according
-to the general options of the test suite:
+start of a test script. It initializes the following variables and sets
+some of them according to the general options of the test suite:
 
   SELF              basename $0
 
@@ -250,17 +255,12 @@ to the general options of the test suite:
   SPECIFIC_HELP     0=normal operation, 1=print help text of script and exit 0
                     Default 0. Setable to 1 by option -h.
 
-  RELENG_STANDALONE 0=standalone, 1=supervised by run_all_auto script,
-                    -1=undefined.
-
-  RELENG_PARENT     Name of the parent process. Default: unknown_parent
-
 The code piece inc/releng_getopts.inc defines the following functions
 for use by the single tests:
 
   standalone_or_supervised This is internally called routine to find
                            out the running mode of the scripts - standalone,
-                           supervised by run_all_auto, or unknown.
+                           supervised by run_all_auto.
 			   No need to call it from the scripts themselves.
 
   print_help        Prints the help text for general options.
diff --git a/releng/inc/releng_getopts.inc b/releng/inc/releng_getopts.inc
index b5cdf602..ecae07dc 100644
--- a/releng/inc/releng_getopts.inc
+++ b/releng/inc/releng_getopts.inc
@@ -9,34 +9,20 @@ CLEANUP=1
 SPECIFIC_HELP=0
 START_DIR_DONT_CHANGE=`pwd`
 GEN_DATA_DIR=releng_generated_data/${SELF}
-RELENG_STANDALONE=-1
-RELENG_PARENT=unknown_parent
 
 #############################################
 standalone_or_supervised() {
- which ps >/dev/null 2>&1
- ret="$?"
- case "$ret" in
-   0)
-     RELENG_PARENT=`ps -p $PPID -o comm=`
-     if test x"$RELENG_PARENT" = x"run_all_auto"
-     then
-       echo "${SELF}: Running in Supervised mode by ${RELENG_PARENT}"
-       RELENG_STANDALONE=0
-     else
-       echo "${SELF}: Running in Standalone mode"
-       RELENG_STANDALONE=1
-     fi
+ case "${RELENG_SCRIPT_RUN_BY_RUN_ALL_AUTO}" in
+  1)
+     echo "${SELF}: Running in Supervised mode"
   ;;
   *)
-     echo "${SELF}: Running in Unknown mode by ${RELENG_PARENT}"
+     echo "${SELF}: Running in Standalone mode"
   ;;
-esac
-
-
+ esac
 }
 
-# Unconditionally initialize the invocation mode - standalone or supervised
+# Unconditionally shout out the invocation mode - standalone or supervised
 standalone_or_supervised
 
 #############################################
diff --git a/releng/run_all_auto b/releng/run_all_auto
index dc483050..4880c762 100755
--- a/releng/run_all_auto
+++ b/releng/run_all_auto
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@
 
 set -e
 
+export RELENG_SCRIPT_RUN_BY_RUN_ALL_AUTO
+RELENG_SCRIPT_RUN_BY_RUN_ALL_AUTO=1
+
 SELF=$(basename "$0")
 GEN_DATA_DIR=releng_generated_data
 CLOG=${GEN_DATA_DIR}/log.${SELF}