diff --git a/examples/rel.cc b/examples/rel.cc
index 637cc88..c9d4513 100644
--- a/examples/rel.cc
+++ b/examples/rel.cc
@@ -55,9 +55,9 @@ static void store(MDBRWTransaction& txn, MDBDbi& records, MDBDbi& domainidx, MDB
 }
 
 
-int main(int, char** argv)
+int main(int argc, char** argv)
 {
-  auto env = getMDBEnv("pdns",  0, 0600);
+  auto env = getMDBEnv("pdns", MDB_NOSUBDIR, 0600);
   auto records = env->openDB("records", MDB_INTEGERKEY | MDB_CREATE );
   auto domainidx = env->openDB("domainidx", MDB_INTEGERKEY | MDB_DUPFIXED | MDB_DUPSORT | MDB_CREATE);
   auto nameidx = env->openDB("nameidx", MDB_DUPFIXED | MDB_DUPSORT | MDB_CREATE);
@@ -76,8 +76,8 @@ int main(int, char** argv)
   
   cout<<"Maxid = "<<maxid<<", Max domain ID = "<<maxdomainid<<endl;
 
-  string prefix(argv[1]);
-  auto lim=atoi(argv[2]);
+  string prefix(argc >= 2 ? argv[1] : "prefix");
+  auto lim=atoi(argc >= 3 ? argv[2] : "10");
   for(int n=0; n < lim; ++n) {
     string domain;
     if(n)
diff --git a/examples/scale.cc b/examples/scale.cc
index c042efd..74a7b11 100644
--- a/examples/scale.cc
+++ b/examples/scale.cc
@@ -23,11 +23,11 @@ struct MDBVal
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv)
 {
-  auto env = getMDBEnv("./database", 0, 0600);
+  auto env = getMDBEnv("./database", MDB_NOSUBDIR, 0600);
   auto dbi = env->openDB(std::string_view(), MDB_CREATE | MDB_INTEGERKEY);
   auto txn = env->getRWTransaction();
 
-  unsigned int limit=20000000;
+  unsigned int limit=20;
   if(argc > 1)
     limit = CppUtilities::stringToNumber<unsigned int>(argv[1]);