diff --git a/bob/bio/face/test/test_databases.py b/bob/bio/face/test/test_databases.py
index 6afcb84e1de98e69165ca15bacf338ab4cad9ebd..113befad57ebc44fec86f5a3d7a2bc1edb262616 100644
--- a/bob/bio/face/test/test_databases.py
+++ b/bob/bio/face/test/test_databases.py
@@ -68,114 +68,116 @@ def _check_annotations(database):
 
 
 def test_arface():
-  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('arface', 'database')
+  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('arface', 'database', preferred_extension='bob.bio.face')
   try:
     _check_database(database, groups=('dev', 'eval'))
     _check_annotations(database)
   except IOError as e:
-    raise SkipTest("The database could not queried; probably the db.sql3 file is missing. Here is the import error: '%s'" % e)
+    raise SkipTest("The database could not queried; probably the db.sql3 file is missing. Here is the error: '%s'" % e)
 
 
 def test_atnt():
-  _check_database(bob.bio.base.load_resource('atnt', 'database'))
+  _check_database(bob.bio.base.load_resource('atnt', 'database', preferred_extension='bob.bio.face'))
 
 
 def test_banca():
-  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('banca', 'database')
+  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('banca', 'database', preferred_extension='bob.bio.face')
   try:
     _check_database_zt(database)
     _check_annotations(database)
   except IOError as e:
-    raise SkipTest("The database could not be queried; probably the db.sql3 file is missing. Here is the import error: '%s'" % e)
+    raise SkipTest("The database could not be queried; probably the db.sql3 file is missing. Here is the error: '%s'" % e)
 
 
 def test_caspeal():
-  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('caspeal', 'database')
+  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('caspeal', 'database', preferred_extension='bob.bio.face')
   try:
     _check_database(database)
     _check_database(database, protocol = 'aging')
     _check_annotations(database)
   except IOError as e:
-    raise SkipTest("The database could not queried; probably the db.sql3 file is missing. Here is the import error: '%s'" % e)
+    raise SkipTest("The database could not queried; probably the db.sql3 file is missing. Here is the error: '%s'" % e)
 
 
 def test_frgc():
   import xml.sax
-  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('frgc', 'database')
+  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('frgc', 'database', preferred_extension='bob.bio.face')
   try:
     _check_database(database, models_depend = True)
     _check_database(database, protocol = '2.0.2', models_depend = True)
     _check_annotations(database)
   except xml.sax.SAXException as e:
-    raise SkipTest("The database could not be opened, probably the original directory is wrong. Here is the value error: '%s'" % e)
+    raise SkipTest("The database could not be opened, probably the original directory is wrong. Here is the error: '%s'" % e)
 
 
 def test_gbu():
-  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('gbu', 'database')
+  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('gbu', 'database', preferred_extension='bob.bio.face')
   try:
     _check_database(database, models_depend=True)
     _check_database(database, protocol = 'Bad', models_depend=True)
     _check_database(database, protocol = 'Ugly', models_depend=True)
     _check_annotations(database)
   except IOError as e:
-    raise SkipTest("The database could not queried; probably the db.sql3 file is missing. Here is the import error: '%s'" % e)
+    raise SkipTest("The database could not queried; probably the db.sql3 file is missing. Here is the error: '%s'" % e)
 
 
 def test_lfw():
-  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('lfw-restricted', 'database')
+  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('lfw-restricted', 'database', preferred_extension='bob.bio.face')
   try:
     _check_database(database, training_depends = True, models_depend = True)
     _check_database(database, groups = ('dev', 'eval'), protocol = 'fold1', training_depends = True, models_depend = True)
-    _check_database(bob.bio.base.load_resource('lfw-unrestricted', 'database'), training_depends = True, models_depend = True)
+    _check_database(bob.bio.base.load_resource('lfw-unrestricted', 'database', preferred_extension='bob.bio.face'), training_depends = True, models_depend = True)
     _check_annotations(database)
   except IOError as e:
-    raise SkipTest("The database could not queried; probably the db.sql3 file is missing. Here is the import error: '%s'" % e)
+    raise SkipTest("The database could not queried; probably the db.sql3 file is missing. Here is the error: '%s'" % e)
 
 
 def test_mobio():
-  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('mobio-image', 'database')
+  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('mobio-image', 'database', preferred_extension='bob.bio.face')
   try:
     _check_database_zt(database, models_depend=True)
     _check_database_zt(database, protocol = 'female', models_depend=True)
-    _check_database_zt(bob.bio.base.load_resource('mobio-male', 'database'), models_depend=True)
-    _check_database_zt(bob.bio.base.load_resource('mobio-female', 'database'), models_depend=True)
+    _check_database_zt(bob.bio.base.load_resource('mobio-male', 'database', preferred_extension='bob.bio.face'), models_depend=True)
+    _check_database_zt(bob.bio.base.load_resource('mobio-female', 'database', preferred_extension='bob.bio.face'), models_depend=True)
   except IOError as e:
-    raise SkipTest("The database could not be queried; probably the db.sql3 file is missing. Here is the import error: '%s'" % e)
+    raise SkipTest("The database could not be queried; probably the db.sql3 file is missing. Here is the error: '%s'" % e)
 
   try:
     _check_annotations(database)
   except IOError as e:
-    raise SkipTest("The annotations could not be queried; probably the annotation files are missing. Here is the import error: '%s'" % e)
+    raise SkipTest("The annotations could not be queried; probably the annotation files are missing. Here is the error: '%s'" % e)
 
 
 def test_multipie():
-  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('multipie', 'database')
+  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('multipie', 'database', preferred_extension='bob.bio.face')
   try:
     _check_database_zt(database, training_depends = True)
-    _check_database_zt(bob.bio.base.load_resource('multipie-pose', 'database'), training_depends = True)
+    _check_database_zt(bob.bio.base.load_resource('multipie-pose', 'database', preferred_extension='bob.bio.face'), training_depends = True)
   except IOError as e:
-    raise SkipTest("The database could not queried; probably the db.sql3 file is missing. Here is the import error: '%s'" % e)
+    raise SkipTest("The database could not queried; probably the db.sql3 file is missing. Here is the error: '%s'" % e)
+  except ValueError as e:
+    raise SkipTest("The database could not queried; probably the protocol is missing inside the db.sql3 file. Here is the error: '%s'" % e)
 
   try:
     _check_annotations(database)
   except IOError as e:
-    raise SkipTest("The annotations could not be queried; probably the annotation files are missing. Here is the import error: '%s'" % e)
+    raise SkipTest("The annotations could not be queried; probably the annotation files are missing. Here is the error: '%s'" % e)
 
 
 def test_scface():
-  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('scface', 'database')
+  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('scface', 'database', preferred_extension='bob.bio.face')
   try:
     _check_database_zt(database)
     _check_annotations(database)
   except IOError as e:
-    raise SkipTest("The database could not be queried; probably the db.sql3 file is missing. Here is the import error: '%s'" % e)
+    raise SkipTest("The database could not be queried; probably the db.sql3 file is missing. Here is the error: '%s'" % e)
 
 
 def test_xm2vts():
-  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('xm2vts', 'database')
+  database = bob.bio.base.load_resource('xm2vts', 'database', preferred_extension='bob.bio.face')
   try:
     _check_database(database, groups=('dev', 'eval'))
     _check_database(database, groups=('dev', 'eval'), protocol = 'darkened-lp1')
     _check_annotations(database)
   except IOError as e:
-    raise SkipTest("The database could not be queried; probably the db.sql3 file is missing. Here is the import error: '%s'" % e)
+    raise SkipTest("The database could not be queried; probably the db.sql3 file is missing. Here is the error: '%s'" % e)