diff --git a/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/linux/mkl/Dockerfile.devel-mkl b/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/linux/mkl/Dockerfile.devel-mkl
index a78d13c7755..1f80cba35f0 100755
--- a/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/linux/mkl/Dockerfile.devel-mkl
+++ b/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/linux/mkl/Dockerfile.devel-mkl
@@ -64,9 +64,9 @@ RUN bazel --bazelrc=/root/.bazelrc build -c opt \
 
 # Install OpenMPI/Horovod
 COPY install_openmpi_horovod.sh .
-RUN if [ "${ENABLE_HOROVOD}" = "yes" ]; then \
+RUN if [ "${ENABLE_HOROVOD}" == "yes" ]; then \
         chmod +x install_openmpi_horovod.sh && \
-        ./install_openmpi_horovod.sh OPENMPI_VERSION=${OPENMPI_VERSION} OPENMPI_DOWNLOAD_URL=${OPENMPI_DOWNLOAD_URL} HOROVOD_VERSION=${HOROVOD_VERSION} && \
+        OPENMPI_VERSION=${OPENMPI_VERSION} OPENMPI_DOWNLOAD_URL=${OPENMPI_DOWNLOAD_URL} HOROVOD_VERSION=${HOROVOD_VERSION} ./install_openmpi_horovod.sh && \
         rm -rf install_openmpi_horovod.sh; \
     fi
 
diff --git a/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/linux/mkl/build-dev-container.sh b/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/linux/mkl/build-dev-container.sh
index 6e789a54e87..a0880b0e51c 100755
--- a/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/linux/mkl/build-dev-container.sh
+++ b/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/linux/mkl/build-dev-container.sh
@@ -201,21 +201,20 @@ function test_container()
   debug "ID of the running docker container: ${CONTAINER_ID}"
 
   debug "Performing basic sanity checks on the running container..."
-  TEST_CMD_1=$(${DOCKER_BINARY} exec ${CONTAINER_ID} bash -c "${PYTHON} -c 'from tensorflow.python import _pywrap_util_port; print(_pywrap_util_port.IsMklEnabled())'")
-  # Make TEST_CMD backward compatible with older code
-  TEST_CMD_2=$(${DOCKER_BINARY} exec ${CONTAINER_ID} bash -c "${PYTHON} -c 'from tensorflow.python import pywrap_tensorflow; print(pywrap_tensorflow.IsMklEnabled())'")
-
-  if [ "${TEST_CMD_1}" = "True" -o "${TEST_CMD_2}" = "True" ] ; then
-      echo "PASS: MKL enabled test in ${TEMP_IMAGE_NAME}"
-  else
-      die "FAIL: MKL enabled test in ${TEMP_IMAGE_NAME}"
-  fi
+  {
+    ${DOCKER_BINARY} exec ${CONTAINER_ID} bash -c "${PYTHON} -c 'from tensorflow.python import _pywrap_util_port; print(_pywrap_util_port.IsMklEnabled())'"
+    echo "PASS: MKL enabled test in ${TEMP_IMAGE_NAME}"
+  } || {
+    ${DOCKER_BINARY} exec ${CONTAINER_ID} bash -c "${PYTHON} -c 'from tensorflow.python import pywrap_tensorflow; print(pywrap_tensorflow.IsMklEnabled())'"
+    echo "PASS: Old MKL enabled in ${TEMP_IMAGE_NAME}"
+  } || {
+    die "FAIL: MKL enabled test in ${TEMP_IMAGE_NAME}"
+  }
 
   # Test to check if horovod is installed successfully
   if [[ ${ENABLE_HOROVOD} == "yes" ]]; then
       debug "Test horovod in the container..."
-      HOROVOD_TEST_CMD=$(${DOCKER_BINARY} exec ${CONTAINER_ID} bash -c "${PYTHON} -c 'import horovod.tensorflow as hvd;'")
-      ${HOROVOD_TEST_CMD}
+      ${DOCKER_BINARY} exec ${CONTAINER_ID} bash -c "${PYTHON} -c 'import horovod.tensorflow as hvd;'"
       if [[ $? == "0" ]]; then
           echo "PASS: HOROVOD installation test in ${TEMP_IMAGE_NAME}"
       else
diff --git a/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/linux/mkl/install_openmpi_horovod.sh b/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/linux/mkl/install_openmpi_horovod.sh
index aec40543a17..9bc92ca4fef 100755
--- a/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/linux/mkl/install_openmpi_horovod.sh
+++ b/tensorflow/tools/ci_build/linux/mkl/install_openmpi_horovod.sh
@@ -54,8 +54,9 @@ echo 'OpenMPI version:'
 mpirun --version
 
 # Install OpenSSH for MPI to communicate between containers
-apt-get clean && apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends --fix-missing \
-    openssh-client openssh-server libnuma-dev && \
+apt-get clean && apt-get update && \
+    apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends --fix-missing \
+        openssh-client openssh-server libnuma-dev && \
     rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 if [[ $?  == "0" ]]; then
     echo "PASS: OpenSSH installation"
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ else
 fi
 mkdir -p /var/run/sshd
 # Allow OpenSSH to talk to containers without asking for confirmation
-cat /etc/ssh/ssh_config | grep -v StrictHostKeyChecking > /etc/ssh/ssh_config.new
+grep -v StrictHostKeyChecking /etc/ssh/ssh_config > /etc/ssh/ssh_config.new
 echo " StrictHostKeyChecking no" >> /etc/ssh/ssh_config.new
 mv /etc/ssh/ssh_config.new /etc/ssh/ssh_config