diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index f6f57c38..1a2bff3a 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     <description>Builds, tests, and runs the project Env.</description>
     <tstamp/>
     <property file="build.properties"/>
-    
+                
     <echo message="{"/>
     <echo message="     'BUILD_PROPERTIES': {"/> 
     <echo message="         'PROJECT':      '${PROJECT}',"/>
@@ -41,7 +41,10 @@
     <property name="DIST_DIR"       
             location="${PREFIX}/"             
             description="Folder for concatenated, min, lite and packed target" />
-            
+    
+    <available property='HAS_LOCAL'
+               file='${BASEDIR}/local_settings.js' />
+                       
     <echo message="     'ENVIRONMENT':{"/> 
     <echo message="         'BASEDIR':      '${BASEDIR}',"/>
     <echo message="         'SRC_DIR':      '${SRC_DIR}',"/>
@@ -50,7 +53,8 @@
     <echo message="         'PREFIX':       '${PREFIX}',"/>
     <echo message="         'DOCS_DIR':     '${DOCS_DIR}',"/>
     <echo message="         'TEST_DIR':     '${TEST_DIR}',"/>
-    <echo message="         'DIST_DIR':     '${DIST_DIR}'"/>
+    <echo message="         'DIST_DIR':     '${DIST_DIR}',"/>
+    <echo message="         'HAS_LOCAL':    '${HAS_LOCAL}'"/>
     <echo message="     },"/> 
     
     
@@ -85,14 +89,20 @@
     <echo message="     }"/> 
     <echo message=" }"/> 
     
-    
+ 
     <!-- BUILD TARGETS -->
     <target name="all" depends="concat"/>
     
     <target name="rhino">
         <ant antfile="rhino/build.xml" target="all" inheritAll="false"/>
     </target>
-    
+ 
+ 
+    <target name='local-settings' unless='${HAS_LOCAL}'>
+        <copy file="${BASEDIR}/settings.js" 
+              tofile="${BASEDIR}/local_settings.js"
+              overwrite='false'/>
+    </target>   
 
     <!-- BUILD ENV PLATFORM BINDINGS -->
     <target name="env-platforms" depends='core-env, rhino-env-spec'/>
@@ -501,7 +511,7 @@
     
     <!-- TEST XHR SPECIFICATION -->
     <target name='xhr-spec'
-            depends='xhr'
+            depends='xhr, local-settings'
             description='Test XMLHttpRequest Specs'>
         <echo message=""/>
         <echo message="Executing XMLHttpRequest Spec"/>
@@ -586,7 +596,7 @@
     
     <!-- TEST WINDOW SPECIFICATION -->
     <target name='window-spec'
-            depends='window'
+            depends='window, local-settings'
             description='Test Window Specs'>
         <echo message=""/>
         <echo message="Executing Window Spec"/>
diff --git a/local_settings.js b/local_settings.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 0196c30f..00000000
--- a/local_settings.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-
-/**
- *  This file provides local settings you'll need to modify to make sure
- *  envjs platform tests can function properly.  Dont modify this
- *  file directly, copy it to local_settings.js and then modify it so
- *  as not to commit your local settings back to the repo.
- */
-
-var SETTINGS = {
-
-    BASE_URI : 'file:///opt/tomcat/webapps/env-js/',
-    
-    AJAX_BASE: 'http://localhost:8080/env-js/'
-    
-}; 
diff --git a/settings.js b/settings.js
index 8d550388..cb229adf 100644
--- a/settings.js
+++ b/settings.js
@@ -6,9 +6,7 @@
  *  as not to commit your local settings back to the repo.
  */
 
-var SETTINGS = {
-
+var SETTINGS = { 
     BASE_URI : 'file:///mnt/repos/thatcher/env-js/',
     AJAX_BASE: 'http://github.com/thatcher/env-js/raw/master/'
-    
 }; 
diff --git a/test/specs/window/spec.js b/test/specs/window/spec.js
index b1f8bc99..fbf86a54 100644
--- a/test/specs/window/spec.js
+++ b/test/specs/window/spec.js
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ try{
     _load('dist/parser.js');
     _load('dist/xhr.js');
     _load('dist/window.js');
-    _load('settings.js');
+    _load('local_settings.js');
     
     document.async = false;
     
diff --git a/test/specs/xhr/spec.js b/test/specs/xhr/spec.js
index a24241d0..66c1b9da 100644
--- a/test/specs/xhr/spec.js
+++ b/test/specs/xhr/spec.js
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ _load('dist/html.js');
 _load('dist/timer.js');
 _load('dist/parser.js');
 _load('dist/xhr.js');
-_load('settings.js');
+_load('local_settings.js');
 
 module('xhr');