diff --git a/src/backend/file/test/Makefile.am b/src/backend/file/test/Makefile.am
index fd7e0853b1..e9c967224f 100644
--- a/src/backend/file/test/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/backend/file/test/Makefile.am
@@ -17,31 +17,31 @@ noinst_PROGRAMS = test-dom-converters1 test-kvp-frames		\
 LDADD = -L../../../engine -L../../../engine/.libs \
         -L../../../gnc-module -L../../../gnc-module/.libs \
         -L.. -L../.libs \
-        -lgncmod-engine \
         -lgncmodule \
+        ${top_srcdir}/src/test-core/libgncmod-test.la \
+        -lgncmod-engine \
         -lgncmod-backend-file
 
-CFLAGS=${GLIB_CFLAGS}
-INCLUDES=-I ../../../engine -I ../
+CFLAGS = ${GLIB_CFLAGS}
+INCLUDES = -I${top_srcdir}/src/test-core -I../../../engine -I ../
 
 
-test_kvp_frames_SOURCES = test-kvp-frames.c test-stuff.c gnc-test-stuff.c
+test_kvp_frames_SOURCES = test-kvp-frames.c gnc-test-stuff.c
 
-test_load_example_account_SOURCES = test-load-example-account.c test-stuff.c gnc-test-stuff.c
+test_load_example_account_SOURCES = test-load-example-account.c gnc-test-stuff.c
 
-test_dom_converters1_SOURCES = test-dom-converters1.c test-stuff.c gnc-test-stuff.c
+test_dom_converters1_SOURCES = test-dom-converters1.c gnc-test-stuff.c
 
-test_string_converters_SOURCES = test-string-converters.c test-stuff.c gnc-test-stuff.c
+test_string_converters_SOURCES = test-string-converters.c gnc-test-stuff.c
 
-test_xml_account_SOURCES = test-xml-account.c test-stuff.c gnc-test-stuff.c
+test_xml_account_SOURCES = test-xml-account.c gnc-test-stuff.c
 
-test_xml_commodity_SOURCES = test-xml-commodity.c test-stuff.c gnc-test-stuff.c
+test_xml_commodity_SOURCES = test-xml-commodity.c gnc-test-stuff.c
 
-test_xml_transaction_SOURCES = test-xml-transaction.c test-stuff.c gnc-test-stuff.c
+test_xml_transaction_SOURCES = test-xml-transaction.c gnc-test-stuff.c
 
-test_xml2_is_file_SOURCES = test-xml2-is-file.c test-stuff.c gnc-test-stuff.c
+test_xml2_is_file_SOURCES = test-xml2-is-file.c gnc-test-stuff.c
 
-test_load_xml2_SOURCES = test-load-xml2.c test-stuff.c gnc-test-stuff.c
-
-test_save_in_lang_SOURCES = test-save-in-lang.c test-stuff.c gnc-test-stuff.c
+test_load_xml2_SOURCES = test-load-xml2.c gnc-test-stuff.c
 
+test_save_in_lang_SOURCES = test-save-in-lang.c gnc-test-stuff.c
diff --git a/src/backend/file/test/test-stuff.c b/src/backend/file/test/test-stuff.c
deleted file mode 100644
index a31c1f9d61..0000000000
--- a/src/backend/file/test/test-stuff.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,190 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Created 20010320 by bstanley to hold only those
- * testing functions which are independent of the rest of
- * the GNUCash system.
- *
- * This allows me to compile simple test programs standalone...
- *
- */
-
-
-#include "config.h"
-
-#include <unistd.h>
-#include <sys/types.h>
-#include <sys/stat.h>
-#include <fcntl.h>
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
-#include <string.h>
-#include <glib.h>
-#include "test-stuff.h"
-
-void vsuccess_args(
-		const char *test_title,
-		const char *file,
-		int line,
-		const char *format,
-		va_list ap);
-
-void vfailure_args(
-		const char *test_title,
-		const char *file,
-		int line,
-		const char *format,
-		va_list ap);
-
-static guint successes;
-static guint failures;
-static gboolean success_should_print = FALSE;
-
-void
-success_call(
-		const char *test_title,
-		const char* file,
-		int line )
-{
-	success_args( test_title, file, line, "" );
-}
-
-void
-success_args(
-		const char *test_title,
-		const char *file,
-		int line,
-		const char *format,
-		... )
-{
-	va_list ap;
-	va_start(ap,format);
-	vsuccess_args( test_title, file, line, format, ap );
-	va_end(ap);
-}
-
-void
-vsuccess_args(
-		const char *test_title,
-		const char *file,
-		int line,
-		const char *format,
-		va_list ap)
-{
-	if( success_should_print ) {
-		printf("SUCCESS: %s, %s:%d ", test_title, file, line );
-		vprintf(format, ap);
-		printf("\n");
-		fflush(stdout);
-	}
-	++successes;
-}
-
-void
-failure_call(
-		const char *test_title,
-		const char *file,
-		int line)
-{
-	failure_args( test_title, file, line, "" );
-}
-
-
-void
-failure_args(
-		const char *test_title,
-		const char *file,
-		int line,
-		const char *format,
-		... )
-{
-	va_list ap;
-	va_start(ap,format);
-	vfailure_args( test_title, file, line, format, ap );
-	va_end(ap);
-}
-void
-vfailure_args(
-		const char *test_title,
-		const char* file,
-		int line,
-		const char *format,
-		va_list ap)
-{
-	printf("FAILURE %s %s:%d ", test_title, file, line );
-	vprintf(format, ap);
-	printf("\n");
-	fflush(stdout);
-
-	++failures;
-}
-
-int
-get_rv(void)
-{
-	if( failures ) {
-		return 1;
-	}
-	return 0;
-}
-
-void
-do_test_call(
-    gboolean result,
-    const char* test_title,
-    const char* filename,
-    int line )
-{
-	if( result ) {
-		success_args( test_title, filename, line, "" );
-	} else {
-		failure_args( test_title, filename, line, "" );
-	}
-}
-
-void
-do_test_args(
-	gboolean result,
-	const char* test_title,
-	const char* filename,
-	int line,
-	const char* format,
-	... )
-{
-	va_list ap;
-	va_start(ap, format);
-
-	if( result ) {
-		vsuccess_args( test_title, filename, line, format, ap );
-	} else {
-		vfailure_args( test_title, filename, line, format, ap );
-	}
-	va_end(ap);
-}
-
-void
-print_test_results(void)
-{
-	guint total = successes+failures;
-	if( total == 1 ) {
-		printf( "Executed 1 test." );
-	} else {
-		printf("Executed %d tests.", successes+failures );
-	}
-	if( failures ) {
-		if( failures == 1 ) {
-			printf(" There was 1 failure." );
-		} else {
-			printf(" There were %d failures.", failures );
-		}
-	} else {
-		printf(" All tests passed.");
-	}
-	printf("\n");
-	fflush(stdout);
-}
-
-void
-set_success_print( gboolean in_should_print )
-{
-	success_should_print = in_should_print;
-}
-
diff --git a/src/backend/file/test/test-stuff.h b/src/backend/file/test/test-stuff.h
deleted file mode 100644
index ac5dc1946c..0000000000
--- a/src/backend/file/test/test-stuff.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,121 +0,0 @@
-/* Modified by bstanley 20010320
- * Added do_test macro, do_test_call and do_test_call_args,
- * print_test_results, set_success_print.
- *
- * Modified by bstanley 20010323
- * removed testing functionality which depends on the rest of gnucash -
- * sepearated into gnc-test-stuff.h
- *
- */
-
-/* Outline of a test program using the new testing functions:
-#include "test-stuff.h"
-int main( int argc, char* argv[] )
-{
-	int a, b;
-	g_log_set_always_fatal( G_LOG_LEVEL_CRITICAL | G_LOG_LEVEL_WARNING );
-	a = b = 1;
-	do_test( a == b, 'integer equality" );
-	do_test( a != b, 'integer inequality? (should fail)" );
-
-	do_test_args( a == b, "fancy info", __FILE__, __LINE__, "a = %d, b = %b", a, b );
-
-	print_test_results();
-	return get_rv();
-}
-*/
-/* If you want to see test passes, use
-set_success_print(TRUE);
-before you execute the tests.
-Otherwise, only failures are printed out.
-*/
-
-
-#ifndef TEST_STUFF_H
-#define TEST_STUFF_H
-
-#include "config.h"
-
-#include <glib.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
-
-/**
- * Use this to indicate the result of a test.
- * The result is TRUE for success, FALSE for failure.
- * title describes the test
- * Tests are automatically identified by their source file and line.
- */
-#define do_test( result, title ) do_test_call( result, title, __FILE__, __LINE__ );
-#define success( title ) success_call( title, __FILE__, __LINE__ );
-#define failure( title ) failure_call( title, __FILE__, __LINE__ );
-
-/** This one doesn't work because macros can't take a variable number of arguments.
- * well, apparently gcc can, but it's non-standard.
- * Apparently C99 can, too, but it's not exactly standard either.
-#define do_test_args( result, title, format ) do_test_call( result, title, __FILE__, __LINE__, format, ... );
-*/
-
-/* Privately used to indicate a test result. You may use these if you
- * wish, but it's easier to use the do_test macro above.
- */
-void do_test_call(
-		gboolean result,
-		const char* test_title,
-		const char* filename,
-		int line );
-void do_test_args(
-		gboolean result,
-		const char* test_title,
-		const char* filename,
-		int line,
-		const char* format, ... );
-
-
-/**
- * Prints out the number of tests passed and failed.
- */
-void print_test_results(void);
-
-/**
- * Use this to set whether successful tests
- * should print a message.
- * Default is false.
- * Successful test messages are useful while initally constructing the
- * test suite, but when it's completed, no news is good news.
- * A successful test run will be indicated by the message
- * from print_test_results().
- */
-void set_success_print( gboolean in_should_print );
-
-/* Value to return from main. Set to 1 if there were any fails, 0 otherwise. */
-int get_rv(void);
-
-/** Testing primitives.
- * Sometimes you just have to put the results of
- * a test into different forks of the code.
- */
-void success_call(
-		const char *test_title,
-		const char *file,
-		int line );
-
-void success_args(
-		const char *test_title,
-		const char *file,
-		int line,
-		const char *format,
-		... );
-
-void failure_call(
-		const char *test_title,
-		const char *file,
-		int line);
-
-void failure_args(
-		const char *test_title,
-		const char *file,
-		int line,
-		const char *format,
-		... );
-
-#endif /* TEST_STUFF_H */
diff --git a/src/backend/postgres/test/Makefile.am b/src/backend/postgres/test/Makefile.am
index c702296397..304a884e65 100644
--- a/src/backend/postgres/test/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/backend/postgres/test/Makefile.am
@@ -4,4 +4,4 @@ TESTS_ENVIRONMENT=\
   GNC_MODULE_PATH=${top_srcdir}/src/engine:${top_srcdir}/src/backend/postgres \
   GUILE_LOAD_PATH=${G_WRAP_MODULE_DIR}:..:${top_srcdir}/src/gnc-module \
   LTDL_LIBRARY_PATH=${top_srcdir}/src/gnc-module \
-  LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${top_srcdir}/src/gnc-module:${top_srcdir}/src/gnc-module\.libs:${top_srcdir}/src/engine:${top_srcdir}/src/engine/.libs
+  LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${top_srcdir}/src/gnc-module:${top_srcdir}/src/gnc-module/.libs:${top_srcdir}/src/engine:${top_srcdir}/src/engine/.libs
diff --git a/src/engine/test/Makefile.am b/src/engine/test/Makefile.am
index a3bdd6ff56..9ab67d64b5 100644
--- a/src/engine/test/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/engine/test/Makefile.am
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ TESTS = test-load-engine test-create-account
 TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = \
   GNC_MODULE_PATH="${top_srcdir}/src/engine" \
   GUILE_LOAD_PATH="${G_WRAP_MODULE_DIR}:..:../../gnc-module" \
-  LTDL_LIBRARY_PATH=../../gnc-module
+  LTDL_LIBRARY_PATH=../../gnc-module \
+  LD_LIBRARY_PATH=../../gnc-module:../../gnc-module/.libs
 
 bin_PROGRAMS = test-load-engine
 test_load_engine_SOURCES=test-load-engine.c
diff --git a/src/gnc-module/test/Makefile.am b/src/gnc-module/test/Makefile.am
index 6c2f8a5708..48699a5aeb 100644
--- a/src/gnc-module/test/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/gnc-module/test/Makefile.am
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = \
   GNC_MODULE_PATH=${PWD}/mod-foo:${PWD}/mod-bar:${PWD}/mod-baz:${PWD}/misc-mods \
   GUILE_LOAD_PATH=..:${G_WRAP_MODULE_DIR} \
   LTDL_LIBRARY_PATH=../ \
-  LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}:mod-foo:mod-foo/.libs:mod-bar:mod-bar/.libs:mod-baz:mod-baz/.libs
+  LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}:mod-foo:mod-foo/.libs:mod-bar:mod-bar/.libs:mod-baz:mod-baz/.libs:..:../.libs
 
 noinst_PROGRAMS=test-load-c test-modsysver test-incompatdep test-agedver \
 test-dynload
diff --git a/src/gnc-module/test/mod-bar/bar.c b/src/gnc-module/test/mod-bar/bar.c
index 1050fd9785..b2d48a1341 100644
--- a/src/gnc-module/test/mod-bar/bar.c
+++ b/src/gnc-module/test/mod-bar/bar.c
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 
+#include "bar.h"
+
 int
 bar_hello(void) {
   return 1;
diff --git a/src/gnc-module/test/mod-foo/foo.c b/src/gnc-module/test/mod-foo/foo.c
index 1348ca3142..c6578268c5 100644
--- a/src/gnc-module/test/mod-foo/foo.c
+++ b/src/gnc-module/test/mod-foo/foo.c
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 
+#include "foo.h"
+
 int
 foo_hello(void) {
   return 10;