diff --git a/lib/ddl/tests/ddl_test.php b/lib/ddl/tests/ddl_test.php
index 9c7cf43ff5f..73c0401b53f 100644
--- a/lib/ddl/tests/ddl_test.php
+++ b/lib/ddl/tests/ddl_test.php
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ class ddl_testcase extends database_driver_testcase {
 
     protected function setUp() {
         parent::setUp();
+        $dbman = $this->tdb->get_manager(); // loads DDL libs
 
         $table = new xmldb_table('test_table0');
         $table->add_field('id', XMLDB_TYPE_INTEGER, '10', XMLDB_UNSIGNED, XMLDB_NOTNULL, XMLDB_SEQUENCE, null);
diff --git a/lib/dml/tests/dml_test.php b/lib/dml/tests/dml_test.php
index d17bfea27bb..dbdd3a7063a 100644
--- a/lib/dml/tests/dml_test.php
+++ b/lib/dml/tests/dml_test.php
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
 
 class dml_testcase extends database_driver_testcase {
 
+    protected function setUp() {
+        parent::setUp();
+        $dbman = $this->tdb->get_manager(); // loads DDL libs
+    }
+
     /**
      * Get a xmldb_table object for testing, deleting any existing table
      * of the same name, for example if one was left over from a previous test