diff --git a/test/functional/backend_controller_test.rb b/test/functional/backend_controller_test.rb
index 517743d3..26d4fb56 100644
--- a/test/functional/backend_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/backend_controller_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 require 'backend_controller'
 
 # Re-raise errors caught by the controller.
diff --git a/test/functional/contexts_controller_test.rb b/test/functional/contexts_controller_test.rb
index eba1c104..20d46136 100644
--- a/test/functional/contexts_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/contexts_controller_test.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/todo_container_controller_test_base'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/todo_container_controller_test_base')
 require 'contexts_controller'
 
 # Re-raise errors caught by the controller.
diff --git a/test/functional/data_controller_test.rb b/test/functional/data_controller_test.rb
index 57b466e7..763e5b7c 100644
--- a/test/functional/data_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/data_controller_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 require 'data_controller'
 
 # Re-raise errors caught by the controller.
diff --git a/test/functional/integrations_controller_test.rb b/test/functional/integrations_controller_test.rb
index fad4bbef..d1f8db4e 100644
--- a/test/functional/integrations_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/integrations_controller_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 require 'integrations_controller'
 
 # Re-raise errors caught by the controller.
diff --git a/test/functional/login_controller_test.rb b/test/functional/login_controller_test.rb
index ecff40ff..4e490456 100644
--- a/test/functional/login_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/login_controller_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 require 'login_controller'
 require_dependency "login_system"
 
diff --git a/test/functional/preferences_controller_test.rb b/test/functional/preferences_controller_test.rb
index 08bccc04..c12b007f 100644
--- a/test/functional/preferences_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/preferences_controller_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 require 'preferences_controller'
 require 'preference'
 
diff --git a/test/functional/users_controller_test.rb b/test/functional/users_controller_test.rb
index 42aae5bc..99999ab7 100644
--- a/test/functional/users_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/users_controller_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 require 'users_controller'
 
 # Re-raise errors caught by the controller.
diff --git a/test/integration/context_xml_api_test.rb b/test/integration/context_xml_api_test.rb
index e95dbb75..0c8fdc7a 100644
--- a/test/integration/context_xml_api_test.rb
+++ b/test/integration/context_xml_api_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 require 'contexts_controller'
 
 # Re-raise errors caught by the controller.
diff --git a/test/integration/feed_smoke_test.rb b/test/integration/feed_smoke_test.rb
index 7de89ba2..fff1d7d9 100644
--- a/test/integration/feed_smoke_test.rb
+++ b/test/integration/feed_smoke_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path( File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 require 'projects_controller'
 require 'contexts_controller'
 require 'todos_controller'
diff --git a/test/integration/ldap_auth_test.rb b/test/integration/ldap_auth_test.rb
index d7a2ba5d..76866740 100755
--- a/test/integration/ldap_auth_test.rb
+++ b/test/integration/ldap_auth_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require "#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/../test_helper"
+require File.expand_path( File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 require 'tempfile'
 
 module Tracks
diff --git a/test/integration/project_xml_api_test.rb b/test/integration/project_xml_api_test.rb
index df640f17..87560d7a 100644
--- a/test/integration/project_xml_api_test.rb
+++ b/test/integration/project_xml_api_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require  File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 require 'projects_controller'
 
 # Re-raise errors caught by the controller.
diff --git a/test/integration/recurring_todos_test.rb b/test/integration/recurring_todos_test.rb
index 8cd01bc2..9cf4707d 100644
--- a/test/integration/recurring_todos_test.rb
+++ b/test/integration/recurring_todos_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 require 'todos_controller'
 require 'recurring_todos_controller'
 
diff --git a/test/integration/stories_test.rb b/test/integration/stories_test.rb
index 8ec5d474..109e9ca1 100644
--- a/test/integration/stories_test.rb
+++ b/test/integration/stories_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require "#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/../test_helper"
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 
 class StoriesTest < ActionController::IntegrationTest
   fixtures :users, :preferences, :projects, :contexts, :todos, :recurring_todos, :notes
diff --git a/test/integration/users_xml_api_test.rb b/test/integration/users_xml_api_test.rb
index f80f6b25..6ae04a62 100644
--- a/test/integration/users_xml_api_test.rb
+++ b/test/integration/users_xml_api_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 require 'users_controller'
 
 # Re-raise errors caught by the controller.
diff --git a/test/test_helper.rb b/test/test_helper.rb
index e621735e..07d55071 100644
--- a/test/test_helper.rb
+++ b/test/test_helper.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 ENV["RAILS_ENV"] = "test"
+require 'thread'
 require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/../config/environment")
 require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + "/../app/controllers/application_controller")
 require 'test_help'
diff --git a/test/unit/context_test.rb b/test/unit/context_test.rb
index bf310489..e091c553 100644
--- a/test/unit/context_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/context_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 
 class ContextTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   fixtures :contexts, :todos, :recurring_todos, :users, :preferences
diff --git a/test/unit/message_gateway_test.rb b/test/unit/message_gateway_test.rb
index ffb8c5c3..7f94cb4e 100644
--- a/test/unit/message_gateway_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/message_gateway_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 
 class MessageGatewayTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   fixtures :users, :contexts, :todos
diff --git a/test/unit/notes_test.rb b/test/unit/notes_test.rb
index 7f9a83e4..695c0329 100644
--- a/test/unit/notes_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/notes_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 
 class NotesTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   fixtures :notes
diff --git a/test/unit/preference_test.rb b/test/unit/preference_test.rb
index 1ced0f83..4080cb62 100644
--- a/test/unit/preference_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/preference_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 
 class PreferenceTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   fixtures :users, :preferences
diff --git a/test/unit/project_test.rb b/test/unit/project_test.rb
index dd89da58..180f0876 100644
--- a/test/unit/project_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/project_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 
 class ProjectTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   fixtures :projects, :contexts, :todos, :recurring_todos, :users, :preferences
diff --git a/test/unit/recurring_todo_test.rb b/test/unit/recurring_todo_test.rb
index 03f2bb3f..980525be 100644
--- a/test/unit/recurring_todo_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/recurring_todo_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 
 class RecurringTodoTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   fixtures :todos, :users, :contexts, :preferences, :tags, :taggings, :recurring_todos
diff --git a/test/unit/tag_test.rb b/test/unit/tag_test.rb
index daeb5f27..fff511b9 100644
--- a/test/unit/tag_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/tag_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 
 class TagTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   fixtures :tags
diff --git a/test/unit/tagging_test.rb b/test/unit/tagging_test.rb
index 6c57c944..b660ea2e 100644
--- a/test/unit/tagging_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/tagging_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 
 class TaggingTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   fixtures :taggings
diff --git a/test/unit/todo_create_params_helper_test.rb b/test/unit/todo_create_params_helper_test.rb
index 73f2b1b5..8e992907 100644
--- a/test/unit/todo_create_params_helper_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/todo_create_params_helper_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 require 'todos_controller'
 
 class TodoCreateParamsHelperTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
diff --git a/test/unit/todo_test.rb b/test/unit/todo_test.rb
index b5e31034..45b77af7 100644
--- a/test/unit/todo_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/todo_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 require 'date'
 
 class TodoTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
diff --git a/test/unit/user_test.rb b/test/unit/user_test.rb
index 04e5c715..1a673262 100644
--- a/test/unit/user_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/user_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper'
+require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/../test_helper')
 
 module Tracks
   class Config