diff --git a/poky/meta/classes/testimage.bbclass b/poky/meta/classes/testimage.bbclass
index 77291c2..9feb267 100644
--- a/poky/meta/classes/testimage.bbclass
+++ b/poky/meta/classes/testimage.bbclass
@@ -117,13 +117,6 @@
 }
 
 python do_testimage() {
-
-    testimage_sanity(d)
-
-    if (d.getVar('IMAGE_PKGTYPE') == 'rpm'
-       and 'dnf' in d.getVar('TEST_SUITES')):
-        create_rpm_index(d)
-
     testimage_main(d)
 }
 
@@ -159,6 +152,12 @@
         """
         raise RuntimeError
 
+    testimage_sanity(d)
+
+    if (d.getVar('IMAGE_PKGTYPE') == 'rpm'
+       and ('dnf' in d.getVar('TEST_SUITES') or 'auto' in d.getVar('TEST_SUITES'))):
+        create_rpm_index(d)
+
     logger = make_logger_bitbake_compatible(logging.getLogger("BitBake"))
     pn = d.getVar("PN")
 
@@ -260,10 +259,16 @@
     # Load tests before starting the target
     test_paths = get_runtime_paths(d)
     test_modules = d.getVar('TEST_SUITES').split()
+    if not test_modules:
+        bb.fatal('Empty test suite, please verify TEST_SUITES variable')
+
     tc.loadTests(test_paths, modules=test_modules)
 
-    if not getSuiteCases(tc.suites):
+    suitecases = getSuiteCases(tc.suites)
+    if not suitecases:
         bb.fatal('Empty test suite, please verify TEST_SUITES variable')
+    else:
+        bb.debug(2, 'test suites:\n\t%s' % '\n\t'.join([str(c) for c in suitecases]))
 
     package_extraction(d, tc.suites)