diff --git a/tests/src/core/testqgsrenderers.cpp b/tests/src/core/testqgsrenderers.cpp
@@ -66,19 +66,12 @@ void TestQgsRenderers::initTestCase()
 {
   mTestHasError = false;
   // init QGIS's paths - true means that all path will be inited from prefix
-  QString qgisPath = QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath();
-  QgsApplication::init( INSTALL_PREFIX );
-  QgsApplication::initQgis( );
+  QgsApplication::init();
+  QgsApplication::initQgis();
   QgsApplication::showSettings();
-  // Instantiate the plugin directory so that providers are loaded
-  QgsProviderRegistry::instance( QgsApplication::pluginPath() );
 
   //create some objects that will be used in all tests...
 
-  std::cout << "Prefix  PATH: " << QgsApplication::prefixPath().toLocal8Bit().data() << std::endl;
-  std::cout << "Plugin  PATH: " << QgsApplication::pluginPath().toLocal8Bit().data() << std::endl;
-  std::cout << "PkgData PATH: " << QgsApplication::pkgDataPath().toLocal8Bit().data() << std::endl;
-  std::cout << "User DB PATH: " << QgsApplication::qgisUserDbFilePath().toLocal8Bit().data() << std::endl;
 
   //
   //create a point layer that will be used in all tests...
@@ -225,4 +218,3 @@ bool TestQgsRenderers::imageCheck( QString theTestType )
 
 QTEST_MAIN( TestQgsRenderers )
 #include "moc_testqgsrenderers.cxx"
-
diff --git a/tests/src/core/testqgsvectorfilewriter.cpp b/tests/src/core/testqgsvectorfilewriter.cpp
@@ -92,8 +92,7 @@ void TestQgsVectorFileWriter::initTestCase()
           "(the ERROR comes from OGR and is not very intuitive)\n"
           "******************\n" );
   // init QGIS's paths - true means that all path will be inited from prefix
-  QString qgisPath = QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath();
-  QgsApplication::setPrefixPath( INSTALL_PREFIX, true );
+  QgsApplication::init();
   QgsApplication::showSettings();
   //create some objects that will be used in all tests...
 

diff --git a/tests/src/core/testqgsvectorlayer.cpp b/tests/src/core/testqgsvectorlayer.cpp
@@ -58,17 +58,11 @@ class TestQgsVectorLayer: public QObject
     {
       mTestHasError = false;
       QgsApplication::init();
+      QgsApplication::initQgis();
       QgsApplication::showSettings();
-      // Instantiate the plugin directory so that providers are loaded
-      QgsProviderRegistry::instance( QgsApplication::pluginPath() );
 
       //create some objects that will be used in all tests...
 
-      std::cout << "Prefix  PATH: " << QgsApplication::prefixPath().toLocal8Bit().data() << std::endl;
-      std::cout << "Plugin  PATH: " << QgsApplication::pluginPath().toLocal8Bit().data() << std::endl;
-      std::cout << "PkgData PATH: " << QgsApplication::pkgDataPath().toLocal8Bit().data() << std::endl;
-      std::cout << "User DB PATH: " << QgsApplication::qgisUserDbFilePath().toLocal8Bit().data() << std::endl;
-
       //
       //create a non spatial layer that will be used in all tests...
       //
@@ -649,7 +643,3 @@ class TestQgsVectorLayer: public QObject
 
 QTEST_MAIN( TestQgsVectorLayer )
 #include "moc_testqgsvectorlayer.cxx"
-
-
-
-
diff --git a/tests/src/core/testziplayer.cpp b/tests/src/core/testziplayer.cpp
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ int TestZipLayer::getLayerTransparency( QString myFileName, QString myProviderKe
 void TestZipLayer::initTestCase()
 {
   QgsApplication::init();
-  QgsProviderRegistry::instance( QgsApplication::pluginPath() );
+  QgsApplication::initQgis();
   // save data dir
   mDataDir = QString( TEST_DATA_DIR ) + QDir::separator();
   // set zipSetting to 1 (Passthru) and save current value
@@ -358,6 +358,5 @@ void TestZipLayer::testGZipItemRasterTransparency()
   QVERIFY2(( myTransparency == myTarget ), QString( "Transparency is %1, should be %2" ).arg( myTransparency ).arg( myTarget ).toLocal8Bit().data() );
 }
 
-
 QTEST_MAIN( TestZipLayer )
 #include "moc_testziplayer.cxx"
diff --git a/tests/src/gui/testqgsmaptoolzoom.cpp b/tests/src/gui/testqgsmaptoolzoom.cpp
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ class TestQgsMapToolZoom: public QObject
 
 void TestQgsMapToolZoom::initTestCase()
 {
-  QString qgisPath = QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath();
-  QgsApplication::setPrefixPath( INSTALL_PREFIX, true );
+  QgsApplication::init();
+  QgsApplication::initQgis();
   QgsApplication::showSettings();
 }
 

diff --git a/tests/src/gui/testqgsquickprint.cpp b/tests/src/gui/testqgsquickprint.cpp
@@ -62,11 +62,9 @@ void TestQgsQuickPrint::initTestCase()
   // Runs once before any tests are run
   //
   // init QGIS's paths - true means that all path will be inited from prefix
-  QString qgisPath = QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath();
-  QgsApplication::setPrefixPath( INSTALL_PREFIX, true );
+  QgsApplication.init();
+  QgsApplication.initQgis();
   QgsApplication::showSettings();
-  // Instantiate the plugin directory so that providers are loaded
-  QgsProviderRegistry::instance( QgsApplication::pluginPath() );
 
   //
   //create a point layer that will be used in all tests...

diff --git a/tests/src/runtests.sh b/tests/src/runtests.sh