diff --git a/test/parallel/common/assert.js b/test/parallel/common/assert.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3a3445c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/common/assert.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+function assert(thing, message) {
+  if (thing) return;
+  throw new Error(message);
+}
+
+return assert
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-nucleus-compile.js b/test/parallel/test-nucleus-compile.js
index b1b2d7b..65c84b7 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-nucleus-compile.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-nucleus-compile.js
@@ -1,9 +1,4 @@
-
-function assert(thing, message) {
-  if (thing) return
-
-  throw new Error(message)
-}
+var assert = nucleus.dofile("./common/assert.js")
 
 var a = nucleus.compile("'a'", 'a')
 assert(a() === 'a', "compile should return 'a'")
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-nucleus-dofile.js b/test/parallel/test-nucleus-dofile.js
index 3400d9a..0fcd0ab 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-nucleus-dofile.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-nucleus-dofile.js
@@ -1,8 +1,3 @@
-
-function assert(thing, message) {
-  if (thing) return
-
-  throw new Error(message)
-}
+var assert = nucleus.dofile("./common/assert.js")
 
 assert(nucleus.dofile("../fixtures/a.js") === 'a', "a.js should expose 'a'")
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-nucleus-get-set-env.js b/test/parallel/test-nucleus-get-set-env.js
index 40c9712..f0a33a5 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-nucleus-get-set-env.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-nucleus-get-set-env.js
@@ -1,36 +1,31 @@
-
-function assert(thing, message) {
-  if (thing) return
-
-  throw new Error(message)
-}
+var assert = nucleus.dofile("./common/assert.js")
 
 // get non-existing
-assert(nucleus.getenv('__NUCLEUS_TEST') === null)
+assert(nucleus.getenv('__NUCLEUS_TEST') === null, 'nonexisting env var should be `null`')
 
 // set new
-assert(nucleus.setenv('__NUCLEUS_TEST', 'nice day @nodeconf') === undefined)
+assert(nucleus.setenv('__NUCLEUS_TEST', 'nice day @nodeconf') === undefined, 'setenv should return `undefined`')
 
 // get newly set
-assert(nucleus.getenv('__NUCLEUS_TEST') === 'nice day @nodeconf')
+assert(nucleus.getenv('__NUCLEUS_TEST') === 'nice day @nodeconf', 'getenv should return value')
 
 // newly set in envkeys
-assert(nucleus.envkeys().indexOf('__NUCLEUS_TEST') !== -1)
+assert(nucleus.envkeys().indexOf('__NUCLEUS_TEST') !== -1, 'env variable should be set in envkeys')
 
 // re-set
-assert(nucleus.setenv('__NUCLEUS_TEST', 'hi there') === undefined)
+assert(nucleus.setenv('__NUCLEUS_TEST', 'hi there') === undefined, 'setenv should return `undefined`')
 
 // get re-set
-assert(nucleus.getenv('__NUCLEUS_TEST') === 'hi there')
+assert(nucleus.getenv('__NUCLEUS_TEST') === 'hi there', 'get existing key should return `hi there`')
 
 // re-set in envkeys
-assert(nucleus.envkeys().indexOf('__NUCLEUS_TEST') !== -1)
+assert(nucleus.envkeys().indexOf('__NUCLEUS_TEST') !== -1, 'env variable should be set in envkeys')
 
 // unset
-assert(nucleus.unsetenv('__NUCLEUS_TEST') === undefined)
+assert(nucleus.unsetenv('__NUCLEUS_TEST') === undefined, 'setenv should return `undefined`')
 
 // get now non-existing
-assert(nucleus.getenv('__NUCLEUS_TEST') === null)
+assert(nucleus.getenv('__NUCLEUS_TEST') === null, 'nonexisting env var should be `null`')
 
 // no longer in envkeys
-assert(nucleus.envkeys().indexOf('__NUCLEUS_TEST') === -1)
+assert(nucleus.envkeys().indexOf('__NUCLEUS_TEST') === -1, 'env variable should be set in envkeys')
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-nucleus-pathjoin.js b/test/parallel/test-nucleus-pathjoin.js
index e33ee1f..c57ccf6 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-nucleus-pathjoin.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-nucleus-pathjoin.js
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-function assert(thing, message) {
-  if (thing) return
-
-  throw new Error(message)
-}
+var assert = nucleus.dofile("./common/assert.js")
 
 assert(nucleus.pathjoin('a', 'b', 'c') === 'a/b/c', 'pathjoin must work')
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-nucleus-readfile.js b/test/parallel/test-nucleus-readfile.js
index b897b87..b261446 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-nucleus-readfile.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-nucleus-readfile.js
@@ -1,8 +1,4 @@
-function assert(thing, message) {
-  if (thing) return
-
-  throw new Error(message)
-}
+var assert = nucleus.dofile("./common/assert.js")
 
 assert(nucleus.readfile('../fixtures/a.js') === "'a'\n", 'a.js must return it\'s raw source')
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-nucleus-scandir.js b/test/parallel/test-nucleus-scandir.js
index 9bde4e1..b5fa716 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-nucleus-scandir.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-nucleus-scandir.js
@@ -1,8 +1,4 @@
-function assert(thing, message) {
-  if (thing) return
-
-  throw new Error(message)
-}
+var assert = nucleus.dofile("./common/assert.js")
 
 var directory = nucleus.scandir('../fixtures',  dirOnEntry)
 assert(directory === true, 'scandir must see `fixtures` as a directory')
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-nucleus.js b/test/parallel/test-nucleus.js
index eb78565..44d0e98 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-nucleus.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-nucleus.js
@@ -2,11 +2,7 @@
 // var p = nucleus.dofile("deps/utils.js").prettyPrint;
 // p(p);
 
-function assert(thing, message) {
-  if (thing) return
-
-  throw new Error(message)
-}
+var assert = nucleus.dofile("./common/assert.js")
 
 // Make sure nucleus is an object
 assert(nucleus && typeof nucleus === 'object', '`nucleus` is not an Object')