diff --git a/sphinx/ext/autodoc.py b/sphinx/ext/autodoc.py
index 5c1a06530..72d500297 100644
--- a/sphinx/ext/autodoc.py
+++ b/sphinx/ext/autodoc.py
@@ -853,7 +853,12 @@ class ClassDocumenter(ModuleLevelDocumenter):
         if initmeth is None or initmeth is object.__init__ or not \
                (inspect.ismethod(initmeth) or inspect.isfunction(initmeth)):
             return None
-        argspec = inspect.getargspec(initmeth)
+        try:
+            argspec = inspect.getargspec(initmeth)
+        except TypeError:
+            # still not possible: happens e.g. for old-style classes
+            # with __init__ in C
+            return None
         if argspec[0] and argspec[0][0] in ('cls', 'self'):
             del argspec[0][0]
         return inspect.formatargspec(*argspec)
diff --git a/tests/test_autodoc.py b/tests/test_autodoc.py
index d7e2f4efc..8e0114386 100644
--- a/tests/test_autodoc.py
+++ b/tests/test_autodoc.py
@@ -470,9 +470,10 @@ class Class(Base):
     #: should be documented -- süß
     attr = 'bar'
 
-    @property
     def prop(self):
         """Property."""
+    # stay 2.4 compatible (docstring!)
+    prop = property(prop, doc="Property.")
 
     docattr = 'baz'
     """should likewise be documented -- süß"""
diff --git a/tests/test_build.py b/tests/test_build.py
index 18c784995..7b33dc095 100644
--- a/tests/test_build.py
+++ b/tests/test_build.py
@@ -31,8 +31,7 @@ from sphinx.writers.latex import LaTeXTranslator
 
 
 def teardown_module():
-    (test_root / '_build').rmtree()
-    (test_root / 'generated').rmtree()
+    (test_root / '_build').rmtree(True)
 
 
 html_warnfile = StringIO()
diff --git a/tests/test_env.py b/tests/test_env.py
index ba0a916ff..a06656d69 100644
--- a/tests/test_env.py
+++ b/tests/test_env.py
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ def setup_module():
 
 def teardown_module():
     app.cleanup()
-    (test_root / 'generated').rmtree()
 
 def warning_emitted(file, text):
     for warning in warnings:
diff --git a/tests/test_i18n.py b/tests/test_i18n.py
index 61dbef84f..94648727e 100644
--- a/tests/test_i18n.py
+++ b/tests/test_i18n.py
@@ -11,10 +11,6 @@
 
 from util import *
 
-def teardown_module():
-    (test_root / '_build').rmtree()
-    (test_root / 'generated').rmtree()
-
 
 @with_app(confoverrides={'language': 'de'})
 def test_i18n(app):
diff --git a/tests/test_theming.py b/tests/test_theming.py
index cf450c02b..349a9ce4a 100644
--- a/tests/test_theming.py
+++ b/tests/test_theming.py
@@ -16,10 +16,6 @@ from util import *
 
 from sphinx.theming import Theme, ThemeError
 
-def teardown_module():
-    (test_root / '_build').rmtree()
-    (test_root / 'generated').rmtree()
-
 
 @with_app(confoverrides={'html_theme': 'ziptheme',
                          'html_theme_options.testopt': 'foo'})
diff --git a/tests/util.py b/tests/util.py
index 2c9d3176e..4bb6a6538 100644
--- a/tests/util.py
+++ b/tests/util.py
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ class TestApp(application.Sphinx):
 
         application.CONFIG_FILENAME = confname
 
-        self.cleanup_trees = []
+        self.cleanup_trees = [test_root / 'generated']
 
         if srcdir is None:
             srcdir = test_root