diff --git a/sphinx/__init__.py b/sphinx/__init__.py
index 33b917c41..592270038 100644
--- a/sphinx/__init__.py
+++ b/sphinx/__init__.py
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ def main(argv=sys.argv):
                 return 1
             all_files = True
         elif opt == '-d':
-            doctreedir = val
+            doctreedir = path.abspath(val)
         elif opt == '-c':
             confdir = path.abspath(val)
             if not path.isfile(path.join(confdir, 'conf.py')):
diff --git a/sphinx/application.py b/sphinx/application.py
index e7a3858a1..12fca8ba6 100644
--- a/sphinx/application.py
+++ b/sphinx/application.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 """
 
 import sys
+from os import path
 
 from docutils import nodes
 from docutils.parsers.rst import directives, roles
@@ -66,10 +67,10 @@ class Sphinx(object):
         self.builderclasses = builtin_builders.copy()
         self.builder = None
 
-        self.srcdir = srcdir
-        self.confdir = confdir
-        self.outdir = outdir
-        self.doctreedir = doctreedir
+        self.srcdir = path.abspath(srcdir)
+        self.confdir = path.abspath(confdir)
+        self.outdir = path.abspath(outdir)
+        self.doctreedir = path.abspath(doctreedir)
 
         self._status = status
         self._warning = warning
@@ -90,6 +91,13 @@ class Sphinx(object):
         # now that we know all config values, collect them from conf.py
         self.config.init_values()
 
+        # if the output and/or doctree dirs are within the source dir, except
+        # them from being searched for source files
+        if self.outdir.startswith(self.srcdir):
+            self.config.exclude_trees += [self.outdir[len(self.srcdir)+1:]]
+        if self.doctreedir.startswith(self.srcdir):
+            self.config.exclude_trees += [self.doctreedir[len(self.srcdir)+1:]]
+
         if buildername is None:
             print >>status, 'No builder selected, using default: html'
             buildername = 'html'
diff --git a/sphinx/builder.py b/sphinx/builder.py
index 4e4f0bf9f..0af8e8cd3 100644
--- a/sphinx/builder.py
+++ b/sphinx/builder.py
@@ -1030,6 +1030,9 @@ class ChangesBuilder(Builder):
         libchanges = {}
         apichanges = []
         otherchanges = {}
+        if version not in self.env.versionchanges:
+            self.info(bold('no changes in this version.'))
+            return
         self.info(bold('writing summary file...'))
         for type, docname, lineno, module, descname, content in \
                 self.env.versionchanges[version]:
diff --git a/sphinx/textwriter.py b/sphinx/textwriter.py
index 90f6265c1..326042307 100644
--- a/sphinx/textwriter.py
+++ b/sphinx/textwriter.py
@@ -350,6 +350,7 @@ class TextTranslator(nodes.NodeVisitor):
 
     def visit_image(self, node):
         self.add_text('[image]')
+        raise nodes.SkipNode
 
     def visit_transition(self, node):
         indent = sum(self.stateindent)
diff --git a/tests/root/conf.py b/tests/root/conf.py
index ff29ae51e..5bd659efb 100644
--- a/tests/root/conf.py
+++ b/tests/root/conf.py
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ today_fmt = '%B %d, %Y'
 # List of directories, relative to source directories, that shouldn't be searched
 # for source files.
 #exclude_dirs = []
+exclude_trees = ['_build']
 
 # If true, '()' will be appended to :func: etc. cross-reference text.
 #add_function_parentheses = True
diff --git a/tests/test_build.py b/tests/test_build.py
index 9c90f0191..9046bc898 100644
--- a/tests/test_build.py
+++ b/tests/test_build.py
@@ -10,11 +10,12 @@
 """
 
 import os
+import difflib
 import htmlentitydefs
 from StringIO import StringIO
-from etree13 import ElementTree as ET
 
 from util import *
+from etree13 import ElementTree as ET
 
 from sphinx.builder import StandaloneHTMLBuilder, LaTeXBuilder
 
@@ -66,14 +67,17 @@ class NslessParser(ET.XMLParser):
 def test_html(app):
     app.builder.build_all()
     html_warnings = html_warnfile.getvalue().replace(os.sep, '/')
-    assert html_warnings == HTML_WARNINGS % {'root': app.srcdir}
+    html_warnings_exp = HTML_WARNINGS % {'root': app.srcdir}
+    assert html_warnings == html_warnings_exp, 'Warnings don\'t match:\n' + \
+           '\n'.join(difflib.ndiff(html_warnings_exp.splitlines(),
+                                   html_warnings.splitlines()))
 
     if not ET:
         return
     for fname, paths in HTML_XPATH.iteritems():
         parser = NslessParser()
         parser.entity.update(htmlentitydefs.entitydefs)
-        etree = ET.parse(app.outdir / fname, parser)
+        etree = ET.parse(os.path.join(app.outdir, fname), parser)
         for path, text in paths.iteritems():
             nodes = list(etree.findall(path))
             assert nodes != []
@@ -92,4 +96,22 @@ def test_html(app):
 def test_latex(app):
     app.builder.build_all()
     latex_warnings = latex_warnfile.getvalue().replace(os.sep, '/')
-    assert latex_warnings == LATEX_WARNINGS % {'root': app.srcdir}
+    latex_warnings_exp = LATEX_WARNINGS % {'root': app.srcdir}
+    assert latex_warnings == latex_warnings_exp, 'Warnings don\'t match:\n' + \
+           '\n'.join(difflib.ndiff(latex_warnings_exp.splitlines(),
+                                   latex_warnings.splitlines()))
+
+
+# just let the remaining ones run for now
+
+@with_testapp(buildername='linkcheck')
+def test_linkcheck(app):
+    app.builder.build_all()
+
+@with_testapp(buildername='text')
+def test_text(app):
+    app.builder.build_all()
+
+@with_testapp(buildername='changes')
+def test_changes(app):
+    app.builder.build_all()
diff --git a/tests/util.py b/tests/util.py
index 6badf8a50..ba53c43c7 100644
--- a/tests/util.py
+++ b/tests/util.py
@@ -135,10 +135,10 @@ class TestApp(application.Sphinx):
 
     def cleanup(self):
         trees = [self.outdir, self.doctreedir]
-        #f self.made_builddir:
-        #    trees.append(self.builddir)
-        #for tree in trees:
-        #    shutil.rmtree(tree, True)
+        if self.made_builddir:
+            trees.append(self.builddir)
+        for tree in trees:
+            shutil.rmtree(tree, True)
 
 
 def with_testapp(*args, **kwargs):