diff --git a/test/cases/backend/active_record_test.rb b/test/cases/backend/active_record_test.rb
index 9a64387d..6244b8ca 100644
--- a/test/cases/backend/active_record_test.rb
+++ b/test/cases/backend/active_record_test.rb
@@ -40,9 +40,11 @@ def test_store_translations_does_not_allow_ambigous_keys_2
     assert_equal 'foo', I18n.t(:foo)
   end
 
-  def test_missing_translations_table_does_not_cause_available_locales_to_error
-    I18n::Backend::ActiveRecord::Translation.expects(:available_locales).raises(::ActiveRecord::StatementInvalid)
-    assert_equal [], I18n.backend.available_locales
+  with_mocha do
+    def test_missing_translations_table_does_not_cause_available_locales_to_error
+      I18n::Backend::ActiveRecord::Translation.expects(:available_locales).raises(::ActiveRecord::StatementInvalid)
+      assert_equal [], I18n.backend.available_locales
+    end
   end
 
   def test_expand_keys
diff --git a/test/cases/backend/cache_test.rb b/test/cases/backend/cache_test.rb
index 65f22cdd..7387a9da 100644
--- a/test/cases/backend/cache_test.rb
+++ b/test/cases/backend/cache_test.rb
@@ -29,22 +29,24 @@ def test_uses_cache
     assert I18n.cache_store.is_a?(ActiveSupport::Cache::MemoryStore)
   end
 
-  define_method "test translate hits the backend and caches the response" do
-    I18n.backend.expects(:lookup).returns('Foo')
-    assert_equal 'Foo', I18n.t(:foo)
+  with_mocha do
+    define_method "test translate hits the backend and caches the response" do
+      I18n.backend.expects(:lookup).returns('Foo')
+      assert_equal 'Foo', I18n.t(:foo)
 
-    I18n.backend.expects(:lookup).never
-    assert_equal 'Foo', I18n.t(:foo)
+      I18n.backend.expects(:lookup).never
+      assert_equal 'Foo', I18n.t(:foo)
 
-    I18n.backend.expects(:lookup).returns('Bar')
-    assert_equal 'Bar', I18n.t(:bar)
-  end
+      I18n.backend.expects(:lookup).returns('Bar')
+      assert_equal 'Bar', I18n.t(:bar)
+    end
 
-  define_method "test still raises MissingTranslationData but also caches it" do
-    I18n.backend.expects(:lookup).returns(nil)
-    assert_raises(I18n::MissingTranslationData) { I18n.t(:missing, :raise => true) }
-    I18n.backend.expects(:lookup).never
-    assert_raises(I18n::MissingTranslationData) { I18n.t(:missing, :raise => true) }
+    define_method "test still raises MissingTranslationData but also caches it" do
+      I18n.backend.expects(:lookup).returns(nil)
+      assert_raises(I18n::MissingTranslationData) { I18n.t(:missing, :raise => true) }
+      I18n.backend.expects(:lookup).never
+      assert_raises(I18n::MissingTranslationData) { I18n.t(:missing, :raise => true) }
+    end
   end
 
   define_method "test uses 'i18n' as a cache key namespace by default" do
diff --git a/test/cases/i18n_test.rb b/test/cases/i18n_test.rb
index 01d08a80..4e7d56e9 100644
--- a/test/cases/i18n_test.rb
+++ b/test/cases/i18n_test.rb
@@ -71,26 +71,28 @@ def test_can_set_exception_handler
     I18n.exception_handler = :default_exception_handler # revert it
   end
 
-  def test_uses_custom_exception_handler
-    I18n.exception_handler = :custom_exception_handler
-    I18n.expects(:custom_exception_handler)
-    I18n.translate :bogus
-    I18n.exception_handler = :default_exception_handler # revert it
-  end
+  with_mocha do
+    def test_uses_custom_exception_handler
+      I18n.exception_handler = :custom_exception_handler
+      I18n.expects(:custom_exception_handler)
+      I18n.translate :bogus
+      I18n.exception_handler = :default_exception_handler # revert it
+    end
 
-  def test_delegates_translate_to_backend
-    I18n.backend.expects(:translate).with 'de', :foo, {}
-    I18n.translate :foo, :locale => 'de'
-  end
+    def test_delegates_translate_to_backend
+      I18n.backend.expects(:translate).with 'de', :foo, {}
+      I18n.translate :foo, :locale => 'de'
+    end
 
-  def test_delegates_localize_to_backend
-    I18n.backend.expects(:localize).with 'de', :whatever, :default
-    I18n.localize :whatever, :locale => 'de'
-  end
+    def test_delegates_localize_to_backend
+      I18n.backend.expects(:localize).with 'de', :whatever, :default
+      I18n.localize :whatever, :locale => 'de'
+    end
 
-  def test_translate_given_no_locale_uses_i18n_locale
-    I18n.backend.expects(:translate).with :en, :foo, {}
-    I18n.translate :foo
+    def test_translate_given_no_locale_uses_i18n_locale
+      I18n.backend.expects(:translate).with :en, :foo, {}
+      I18n.translate :foo
+    end
   end
 
   def test_translate_on_nested_symbol_keys_works
@@ -117,10 +119,12 @@ def test_translate_with_dot_separated_key_array_and_scope_works
     assert_equal [".", ","], I18n.t(%w(format.separator format.delimiter), :scope => 'currency')
   end
 
-  def test_translate_with_options_using_scope_works
-    I18n.backend.expects(:translate).with('de', :precision, :scope => :"currency.format")
-    I18n.with_options :locale => 'de', :scope => :'currency.format' do |locale|
-      locale.t :precision
+  with_mocha do
+    def test_translate_with_options_using_scope_works
+      I18n.backend.expects(:translate).with('de', :precision, :scope => :"currency.format")
+      I18n.with_options :locale => 'de', :scope => :'currency.format' do |locale|
+        locale.t :precision
+      end
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/test/test_helper.rb b/test/test_helper.rb
index 67a00cc1..a5475da9 100644
--- a/test/test_helper.rb
+++ b/test/test_helper.rb
@@ -5,12 +5,18 @@
 
 require 'rubygems'
 require 'test/unit'
-require 'mocha'
 require 'i18n'
 require 'i18n/core_ext/object/meta_class'
 require 'time'
 require 'yaml'
 
+begin
+  require 'mocha'
+rescue LoadError
+  puts "skipping tests using mocha as mocha can't be found"
+end
+
+
 Dir[File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/api/**/*.rb'].each do |filename|
   require filename
 end
@@ -24,11 +30,15 @@
 #   end
 # end
 
-class Test::Unit::TestCase  
+class Test::Unit::TestCase
   def self.test(name, &block)
     define_method("test: " + name, &block)
   end
 
+  def self.with_mocha
+    yield if Object.respond_to?(:expects)
+  end
+
   def teardown
     I18n.locale = nil
     I18n.default_locale = :en
@@ -40,13 +50,13 @@ def teardown
   def translations
     I18n.backend.instance_variable_get(:@translations)
   end
-  
+
   def store_translations(*args)
     data   = args.pop
     locale = args.pop || :en
     I18n.backend.store_translations(locale, data)
   end
-  
+
   def locales_dir
     File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/fixtures/locales'
   end