diff --git a/requirements-py2.txt b/requirements-py2.txt
index adef46f50..c409b190c 100644
--- a/requirements-py2.txt
+++ b/requirements-py2.txt
@@ -11,5 +11,6 @@ six>=1.6.1
 ordereddict>=1.1
 simplejson>=3.6.3
 sphinx_rtd_theme
+mock>=1.3.0
 git+git://github.com/onyxfish/agate.git#egg=agate
 git+git://github.com/onyxfish/agate-excel.git#egg=agate-excel
diff --git a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvclean.py b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvclean.py
index 508157894..e4fcd783b 100644
--- a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvclean.py
+++ b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvclean.py
@@ -1,17 +1,24 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
 import os
+import sys
 
 import six
 
 try:
     import unittest2 as unittest
+    from mock import patch
 except ImportError:
     import unittest
+    from unittest.mock import patch
 
-from csvkit.utilities.csvclean import CSVClean
+from csvkit.utilities.csvclean import CSVClean, launch_new_instance
 
 class TestCSVClean(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_launch_new_instance(self):
+        with patch.object(sys, 'argv', ['csvclean', 'examples/bad.csv']):
+            launch_new_instance()
+
     def test_simple(self):
         args = ['examples/bad.csv']
         output_file = six.StringIO()
diff --git a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvcut.py b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvcut.py
index a581c62c0..088ea2960 100644
--- a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvcut.py
+++ b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvcut.py
@@ -1,19 +1,26 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 
+import sys
+
+import agate
 import six
 
 try:
     import unittest2 as unittest
+    from mock import patch
 except ImportError:
     import unittest
+    from unittest.mock import patch
 
-import agate
-
-from csvkit.utilities.csvcut import CSVCut
 from csvkit.exceptions import ColumnIdentifierError, RequiredHeaderError
+from csvkit.utilities.csvcut import CSVCut, launch_new_instance
 
 class TestCSVCut(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_launch_new_instance(self):
+        with patch.object(sys, 'argv', ['csvcut', 'examples/dummy.csv']):
+            launch_new_instance()
+
     def test_simple(self):
         args = ['-c', '1,3', 'examples/dummy.csv']
         output_file = six.StringIO()
diff --git a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvformat.py b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvformat.py
index fc483b279..a21add32d 100644
--- a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvformat.py
+++ b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvformat.py
@@ -1,17 +1,25 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 
+import sys
+
 import six
 
 try:
     import unittest2 as unittest
+    from mock import patch
 except ImportError:
     import unittest
+    from unittest.mock import patch
 
-from csvkit.utilities.csvformat import CSVFormat
+from csvkit.utilities.csvformat import CSVFormat, launch_new_instance
 from tests.utils import stdin_as_string
 
 class TestCSVFormat(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_launch_new_instance(self):
+        with patch.object(sys, 'argv', ['csvformat', 'examples/dummy.csv']):
+            launch_new_instance()
+
     def test_delimiter(self):
         args = ['-D', '|', 'examples/dummy.csv']
         output_file = six.StringIO()
diff --git a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvgrep.py b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvgrep.py
index d15ac3943..389189ad2 100644
--- a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvgrep.py
+++ b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvgrep.py
@@ -1,18 +1,25 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
+import sys
+
+import agate
 import six
 
 try:
     import unittest2 as unittest
+    from mock import patch
 except ImportError:
     import unittest
+    from unittest.mock import patch
 
-import agate
-
-from csvkit.utilities.csvgrep import CSVGrep
 from csvkit.exceptions import ColumnIdentifierError
+from csvkit.utilities.csvgrep import CSVGrep, launch_new_instance
 
 class TestCSVGrep(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_launch_new_instance(self):
+        with patch.object(sys, 'argv', ['csvgrep', '-c', '1', '-m', '1', 'examples/dummy.csv']):
+            launch_new_instance()
+
     def test_match(self):
         args = ['-c', '1', '-m', '1', 'examples/dummy.csv']
         output_file = six.StringIO()
diff --git a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvjoin.py b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvjoin.py
index 5dda6c4a1..a1e8b51d2 100644
--- a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvjoin.py
+++ b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvjoin.py
@@ -1,15 +1,23 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
+import sys
+
 import six
 
 try:
     import unittest2 as unittest
+    from mock import patch
 except ImportError:
     import unittest
+    from unittest.mock import patch
 
-from csvkit.utilities.csvjoin import CSVJoin
+from csvkit.utilities.csvjoin import CSVJoin, launch_new_instance
 
 class TestCSVJoin(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_launch_new_instance(self):
+        with patch.object(sys, 'argv', ['csvjoin', 'examples/join_a.csv', 'examples/join_b.csv']):
+            launch_new_instance()
+
     def test_sequential(self):
         args = ['examples/join_a.csv', 'examples/join_b.csv']
         output_file = six.StringIO()
diff --git a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvjson.py b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvjson.py
index 8f3562542..65f7f60ce 100644
--- a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvjson.py
+++ b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvjson.py
@@ -1,18 +1,25 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
 import json
+import sys
 
 import six
 
 try:
     import unittest2 as unittest
+    from mock import patch
 except ImportError:
     import unittest
+    from unittest.mock import patch
 
 from csvkit.exceptions import NonUniqueKeyColumnException
-from csvkit.utilities.csvjson import CSVJSON
+from csvkit.utilities.csvjson import CSVJSON, launch_new_instance
 
 class TestCSVJSON(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_launch_new_instance(self):
+        with patch.object(sys, 'argv', ['csvjson', 'examples/dummy.csv']):
+            launch_new_instance()
+
     def test_simple(self):
         args = ['examples/dummy.csv']
         output_file = six.StringIO()
diff --git a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvlook.py b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvlook.py
index 734f23a6d..1012a785e 100644
--- a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvlook.py
+++ b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvlook.py
@@ -1,16 +1,24 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 
+import sys
+
 import six
 
 try:
     import unittest2 as unittest
+    from mock import patch
 except ImportError:
     import unittest
+    from unittest.mock import patch
 
-from csvkit.utilities.csvlook import CSVLook
+from csvkit.utilities.csvlook import CSVLook, launch_new_instance
 
 class TestCSVLook(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_launch_new_instance(self):
+        with patch.object(sys, 'argv', ['csvlook', 'examples/dummy.csv']):
+            launch_new_instance()
+
     def test_simple(self):
         args = ['examples/dummy3.csv']
         output_file = six.StringIO()
diff --git a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvsort.py b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvsort.py
index f8501ccf9..7c2dbeee6 100644
--- a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvsort.py
+++ b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvsort.py
@@ -1,19 +1,26 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 
+import sys
+
+import agate
 import six
 
 try:
     import unittest2 as unittest
+    from mock import patch
 except ImportError:
     import unittest
+    from unittest.mock import patch
 
-import agate
-
-from csvkit.utilities.csvsort import CSVSort
 from csvkit.exceptions import ColumnIdentifierError, RequiredHeaderError
+from csvkit.utilities.csvsort import CSVSort, launch_new_instance
 
 class TestCSVSort(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_launch_new_instance(self):
+        with patch.object(sys, 'argv', ['csvsort', 'examples/dummy.csv']):
+            launch_new_instance()
+
     def test_sort_string_reverse(self):
         args = ['-c', '1', '-r', 'examples/testxls_converted.csv']
         output_file = six.StringIO()
diff --git a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvsql.py b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvsql.py
index 2f596627b..a98d2a5cd 100644
--- a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvsql.py
+++ b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvsql.py
@@ -1,16 +1,24 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
+import sys
+
 import six
 
 try:
     import unittest2 as unittest
+    from mock import patch
 except ImportError:
     import unittest
+    from unittest.mock import patch
 
-from csvkit.utilities.csvsql import CSVSQL
+from csvkit.utilities.csvsql import CSVSQL, launch_new_instance
 from tests.utils import stdin_as_string
 
 class TestCSVSQL(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_launch_new_instance(self):
+        with patch.object(sys, 'argv', ['csvsql', 'examples/dummy.csv']):
+            launch_new_instance()
+
     def test_create_table(self):
         args = ['--table', 'foo', 'examples/testfixed_converted.csv']
         output_file = six.StringIO()
diff --git a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvstack.py b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvstack.py
index 342a8dc79..780908f1c 100644
--- a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvstack.py
+++ b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvstack.py
@@ -1,17 +1,24 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
+import sys
+
+import agate
 import six
 
 try:
     import unittest2 as unittest
+    from mock import patch
 except ImportError:
     import unittest
+    from unittest.mock import patch
 
-import agate
-
-from csvkit.utilities.csvstack import CSVStack
+from csvkit.utilities.csvstack import CSVStack, launch_new_instance
 
 class TestCSVStack(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_launch_new_instance(self):
+        with patch.object(sys, 'argv', ['csvstack', 'examples/dummy.csv']):
+            launch_new_instance()
+
     def test_single_file_stack(self):
         # stacking single file works fine
         args = ['examples/dummy.csv']
diff --git a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvstat.py b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvstat.py
index 12c663db5..c72529f95 100644
--- a/tests/test_utilities/test_csvstat.py
+++ b/tests/test_utilities/test_csvstat.py
@@ -1,15 +1,23 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
+import sys
+
 import six
 
 try:
     import unittest2 as unittest
+    from mock import patch
 except ImportError:
     import unittest
+    from unittest.mock import patch
 
-from csvkit.utilities.csvstat import CSVStat
+from csvkit.utilities.csvstat import CSVStat, launch_new_instance
 
 class TestCSVStat(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_launch_new_instance(self):
+        with patch.object(sys, 'argv', ['csvstack', 'examples/dummy.csv']):
+            launch_new_instance()
+
     def test_runs(self):
         args = ['examples/test_utf8.csv']
         output_file = six.StringIO()
diff --git a/tests/test_utilities/test_in2csv.py b/tests/test_utilities/test_in2csv.py
index 4657fe902..a1ada026a 100644
--- a/tests/test_utilities/test_in2csv.py
+++ b/tests/test_utilities/test_in2csv.py
@@ -1,15 +1,23 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
+import sys
+
 import six
 
 try:
     import unittest2 as unittest
+    from mock import patch
 except ImportError:
     import unittest
+    from unittest.mock import patch
 
-from csvkit.utilities.in2csv import In2CSV
+from csvkit.utilities.in2csv import In2CSV, launch_new_instance
 
 class TestIn2CSV(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_launch_new_instance(self):
+        with patch.object(sys, 'argv', ['in2csv', 'examples/dummy.csv']):
+            launch_new_instance()
+
     def test_convert_xls(self):
         args = ['-f', 'xls', 'examples/test.xls']
         output_file = six.StringIO()
diff --git a/tests/test_utilities/test_sql2csv.py b/tests/test_utilities/test_sql2csv.py
index 110c9fbf7..a3027a7f8 100644
--- a/tests/test_utilities/test_sql2csv.py
+++ b/tests/test_utilities/test_sql2csv.py
@@ -1,19 +1,26 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
+import os
+import sys
+
 import six
 
 try:
     import unittest2 as unittest
+    from mock import patch
 except ImportError:
     import unittest
+    from unittest.mock import patch
 
-import os
-
-from csvkit.utilities.sql2csv import SQL2CSV
 from csvkit.utilities.csvsql import CSVSQL
+from csvkit.utilities.sql2csv import SQL2CSV, launch_new_instance
 from tests.utils import stdin_as_string
 
 class TestSQL2CSV(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_launch_new_instance(self):
+        with patch.object(sys, 'argv', ['sql2csv', '--query', 'select 1']):
+            launch_new_instance()
+
     def setUp(self):
         self.db_file = "foo.db"