diff --git a/tools/test/stress2/default.cfg b/tools/test/stress2/default.cfg
index f7748b55fa0..bff7f3f168a 100644
--- a/tools/test/stress2/default.cfg
+++ b/tools/test/stress2/default.cfg
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ checkfs () {
 # BMODE=1 ./all.sh -on `grep -lw mycc *.sh`
 # BMODE=2 STRESS2BIN=/home/pho/stress2/bin.i386.r276368 ./all.sh
 
+BMODE=${BMODE:-0}
 CC=${CC:-cc}
 top=`dirname $(pwd)`	# cwd for the all.sh script
 STRESS2BIN=${STRESS2BIN:-$top/bin}