diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index afe6ebc43..f939bc29d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -198,10 +198,8 @@ test.store: $(GOTEST)
 	$(GOTEST) $(TEST_FLAGS) $(TEST_SUITE_store)
 
 # Runs ALL tests
-test.all:
-	@echo "pass"
-#test.all: $(GOTEST)
-#	$(GOTEST) $(TEST_FLAGS) $(TEST_SUITE_all)
+test.all: $(GOTEST)
+	$(GOTEST) $(TEST_FLAGS) $(TEST_SUITE_all)
 
 # Unit testing testing, system or compose
 test.unit.%: $(GOTEST)
diff --git a/pkg/dal/service.go b/pkg/dal/service.go
index 7c990d305..83f872a65 100644
--- a/pkg/dal/service.go
+++ b/pkg/dal/service.go
@@ -635,10 +635,7 @@ func (svc *service) ReplaceModel(ctx context.Context, model *Model) (err error)
 	defer svc.updateIssues(issues)
 
 	if model.ConnectionID == 0 {
-		// model w/o connection:
-		// add model issue and carry on
-		issues.addModelIssue(model.ResourceID, errConnectionNotFound(model.ConnectionID))
-		return nil
+		model.ConnectionID = svc.defConnID
 	}
 
 	// Check if update
diff --git a/system/types/dal_connection.go b/system/types/dal_connection.go
index 97fbdaa42..8c63c403b 100644
--- a/system/types/dal_connection.go
+++ b/system/types/dal_connection.go
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ type (
 		// type of connection
 		Type string `json:"type"`
 
-		// parameters for th connection
+		// parameters for the connection
 		Params map[string]any `json:"params"`
 
 		// ident to be used when generating models from modules using this connection
diff --git a/tests/dal/dal_crud_connection_test.go b/tests/dal/dal_crud_connection_test.go
index 4a2730f7d..d4b40a1a0 100644
--- a/tests/dal/dal_crud_connection_test.go
+++ b/tests/dal/dal_crud_connection_test.go
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ func Test_dal_crud_connection_update(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 	helpers.AllowMe(h, types.DalConnectionRbacResource(0), "update")
+	helpers.AllowMe(h, types.DalConnectionRbacResource(0), "dal-config.manage")
 
 	h.apiInit().
 		Put(fmt.Sprintf("/system/dal/connections/%d", sl.ID)).
diff --git a/tests/dal/dal_utils_test.go b/tests/dal/dal_utils_test.go
index bfeaeeb79..d82d888a6 100644
--- a/tests/dal/dal_utils_test.go
+++ b/tests/dal/dal_utils_test.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ type (
 	driver struct {
 		name  string
 		dsn   string
-		setup func(ctx context.Context, t aaaa, dsn string)
+		setup func(ctx context.Context, t wrapTest, dsn string)
 	}
 
 	dalService interface {
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ type (
 		}
 	}
 
-	aaaa interface {
+	wrapTest interface {
 		require.TestingT
 		Name() string
 	}
@@ -153,7 +153,12 @@ func initSvc(ctx context.Context, d driver) (dalService, error) {
 		dal.MakeConnection(
 			c.ID,
 			nil,
-			dal.ConnectionParams{},
+			dal.ConnectionParams{
+				Type: "corteza::dal:connection:dsn",
+				Params: map[string]any{
+					"dsn": d.dsn,
+				},
+			},
 			cm,
 		),
 		true,
@@ -284,7 +289,7 @@ func collectDrivers() []driver {
 		{
 			name: "mysql",
 			dsn:  os.Getenv("DAL_TEST_DSN_MYSQL"),
-			setup: func(ctx context.Context, t aaaa, dsn string) {
+			setup: func(ctx context.Context, t wrapTest, dsn string) {
 				conn, err := mysql.Setup(ctx, dsn)
 				require.NoError(t, err)
 
diff --git a/tests/dal/main_test.go b/tests/dal/main_test.go
index bcd41b7a5..492abc9f9 100644
--- a/tests/dal/main_test.go
+++ b/tests/dal/main_test.go
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ func rs(a ...int) string {
 	return string(rand.Bytes(l))
 }
 
-func loadScenarioSources(t aaaa, driver, ext string) (src string) {
+func loadScenarioSources(t wrapTest, driver, ext string) (src string) {
 	scenarioName := t.Name()[5:]
 
 	src = loadScenarioSource(t, "generic", fmt.Sprintf("_.%s", ext))
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ func loadScenarioSources(t aaaa, driver, ext string) (src string) {
 	return
 }
 
-func loadScenarioSource(t aaaa, scenarioName, srcName string) (src string) {
+func loadScenarioSource(t wrapTest, scenarioName, srcName string) (src string) {
 	f, err := os.Open(path.Join("testdata", scenarioName, srcName))
 	if err != nil && os.IsNotExist(err) {
 		return ""
diff --git a/tests/dal/testdata/generic/nok_connection_connectivity.json b/tests/dal/testdata/generic/nok_connection_connectivity.json
index f9182cd93..73ec864a9 100644
--- a/tests/dal/testdata/generic/nok_connection_connectivity.json
+++ b/tests/dal/testdata/generic/nok_connection_connectivity.json
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@
   },
 
   "config": {
-    "connection": {
+    "dal": {
+      "modelIdent": "compose_record",
+
       "type": "corteza::dal:connection:dsn",
       "params": {
         "dsn": "NO"
@@ -25,24 +27,6 @@
     },
     "privacy": {
       "sensitivityLevelID": "0"
-    },
-    "dal": {
-      "properties": {},
-      "operations": [
-        "corteza::dal:operation:create",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:update",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:search",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:lookup",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:paging",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:stats",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:sorting",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:RBAC"
-      ],
-
-      "modelIdent": "compose_record",
-      "attributeIdent": "values",
-      "partitionFormat": "compose_record_{{namespace}}_{{module}}",
-      "partitionIdentValidator": ""
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/tests/dal/testdata/generic/nok_connection_invalid_type.json b/tests/dal/testdata/generic/nok_connection_invalid_type.json
index a4f08e3c7..d733e6f8a 100644
--- a/tests/dal/testdata/generic/nok_connection_invalid_type.json
+++ b/tests/dal/testdata/generic/nok_connection_invalid_type.json
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@
   },
 
   "config": {
-    "connection": {
+    "dal": {
+      "modelIdent": "compose_record",
+
       "type": "corteza::dal:connection:dsn",
       "params": {
         "dsn": "sqlite3://file::memory:?cache=shared&mode=memory"
@@ -25,24 +27,6 @@
     },
     "privacy": {
       "sensitivityLevelID": "0"
-    },
-    "dal": {
-      "properties": {},
-      "operations": [
-        "corteza::dal:operation:create",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:update",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:search",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:lookup",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:paging",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:stats",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:sorting",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:RBAC"
-      ],
-
-      "modelIdent": "compose_record",
-      "attributeIdent": "values",
-      "partitionFormat": "compose_record_{{namespace}}_{{module}}",
-      "partitionIdentValidator": ""
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/tests/dal/testdata/generic/nok_connection_sensitivity.json b/tests/dal/testdata/generic/nok_connection_sensitivity.json
index 0ef373f6a..9556b8de6 100644
--- a/tests/dal/testdata/generic/nok_connection_sensitivity.json
+++ b/tests/dal/testdata/generic/nok_connection_sensitivity.json
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@
   },
 
   "config": {
-    "connection": {
+    "dal": {
+      "modelIdent": "compose_record",
+
       "type": "corteza::dal:connection:dsn",
       "params": {
         "dsn": "sqlite3://file::memory:?cache=shared&mode=memory"
@@ -25,24 +27,6 @@
     },
     "privacy": {
       "sensitivityLevelID": "42"
-    },
-    "dal": {
-      "properties": {},
-      "operations": [
-        "corteza::dal:operation:create",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:update",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:search",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:lookup",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:paging",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:stats",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:sorting",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:RBAC"
-      ],
-
-      "modelIdent": "compose_record",
-      "attributeIdent": "values",
-      "partitionFormat": "compose_record_{{namespace}}_{{module}}",
-      "partitionIdentValidator": ""
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/tests/dal/testdata/generic/ok_connection.json b/tests/dal/testdata/generic/ok_connection.json
index b819598e9..f12ec194b 100644
--- a/tests/dal/testdata/generic/ok_connection.json
+++ b/tests/dal/testdata/generic/ok_connection.json
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@
   },
 
   "config": {
-    "connection": {
+    "dal": {
+      "modelIdent": "compose_record",
+
       "type": "corteza::dal:connection:dsn",
       "params": {
         "dsn": "sqlite3://file::memory:?cache=shared&mode=memory"
@@ -25,24 +27,6 @@
     },
     "privacy": {
       "sensitivityLevelID": "0"
-    },
-    "dal": {
-      "properties": {},
-      "operations": [
-        "corteza::dal:operation:create",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:update",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:search",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:lookup",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:paging",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:stats",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:sorting",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:RBAC"
-      ],
-
-      "modelIdent": "compose_record",
-      "attributeIdent": "values",
-      "partitionFormat": "compose_record_{{namespace}}_{{module}}",
-      "partitionIdentValidator": ""
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/tests/dal/testdata/generic/ok_connection_update.json b/tests/dal/testdata/generic/ok_connection_update.json
index 7c1db2212..21de6db1e 100644
--- a/tests/dal/testdata/generic/ok_connection_update.json
+++ b/tests/dal/testdata/generic/ok_connection_update.json
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@
   },
 
   "config": {
-    "connection": {
+    "dal": {
+      "modelIdent": "compose_record",
+
       "type": "corteza::dal:connection:dsn",
       "params": {
         "dsn": "sqlite3://file::memory:?cache=shared&mode=memory"
@@ -25,24 +27,6 @@
     },
     "privacy": {
       "sensitivityLevelID": "0"
-    },
-    "dal": {
-      "properties": {},
-      "operations": [
-        "corteza::dal:operation:create",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:update",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:search",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:lookup",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:paging",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:stats",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:sorting",
-        "corteza::dal:operation:RBAC"
-      ],
-
-      "modelIdent": "compose_record",
-      "attributeIdent": "values",
-      "partitionFormat": "compose_record_{{namespace}}_{{module}}",
-      "partitionIdentValidator": ""
     }
   }
 }