diff --git a/tools/regression_test.sh b/tools/regression_test.sh
index 350b2548d..2165d69c8 100755
--- a/tools/regression_test.sh
+++ b/tools/regression_test.sh
@@ -126,9 +126,9 @@ function main {
   if [ $TEST_MODE -le 1 ]; then
       tmp=$DB_PATH
       DB_PATH=$ORIGIN_PATH
-      run_remote "test -d $DB_PATH"
-      if [[ $? -ne 0 ]] || [[ $(run_remote 'echo $(( $(date +"%s") - $(stat -c "%Y" '"$a"') ))') -gt "604800" ]]; then
-          rm -rf "$DB_PATH"
+      test_remote "test -d $DB_PATH"
+      if [[ $? -ne 0 ]] || [[ $(run_remote 'echo $(( $(date +"%s") - $(stat -c "%Y" '"$DB_PATH"') ))') -gt "604800" ]]; then
+          run_remote "rm -rf $DB_PATH"
           echo "Building DB..."
           run_db_bench "fillseqdeterministic" $NUM_KEYS 1 0
       fi
@@ -355,14 +355,17 @@ function build_db_bench_and_ldb {
 }
 
 function run_remote {
-  if ! [ -z "$REMOTE_USER_AT_HOST" ]; then
-    cmd="$SSH $REMOTE_USER_AT_HOST $1"
-  else
-    cmd="$1"
-  fi
+  test_remote "$1"
+  exit_on_error $? "$1"
+}
 
+function test_remote {
+  if ! [ -z "$REMOTE_USER_AT_HOST" ]; then
+      cmd="$SSH $REMOTE_USER_AT_HOST $1"
+  else
+      cmd="$1"
+  fi
   eval "$cmd"
-  exit_on_error $? "$cmd"
 }
 
 function run_local {