diff --git a/build/busted b/build/busted
index 4c5299de2..a24dd4cae 100755
--- a/build/busted
+++ b/build/busted
@@ -1,3 +1,16 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env resty
 
+local ffi = require("ffi")
+
+-- without this we get errors such as "attempt to redefine XXX"
+local old_cdef = ffi.cdef
+local exists = {}
+ffi.cdef = function(def)
+  if exists[def] then
+    return
+  end
+  exists[def] = true
+  return old_cdef(def)
+end
+
 require "busted.runner"({ standalone = false })
diff --git a/build/test-lua.sh b/build/test-lua.sh
index 2786daa17..5a581a8f1 100755
--- a/build/test-lua.sh
+++ b/build/test-lua.sh
@@ -18,7 +18,11 @@ set -o errexit
 set -o nounset
 set -o pipefail
 
-export LUA_PATH="/usr/local/lib/lua/?.lua;;"
-export LUA_CPATH="/usr/local/lib/lua/?.so;/usr/lib/lua-platform-path/lua/5.1/?.so;;"
-
-resty ./build/busted ${BUSTED_ARGS} ./rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test;
+resty \
+  -I ./rootfs/etc/nginx/lua \
+  -I /usr/local/lib/lua \
+  -I /usr/lib/lua-platform-path/lua/5.1 \
+  --shdict "configuration_data 5M" \
+  --shdict "balancer_ewma 1M" \
+  --shdict "balancer_ewma_last_touched_at 1M" \
+  ./build/busted ${BUSTED_ARGS} ./rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/
diff --git a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/balancer/chash_test.lua b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/balancer/chash_test.lua
index a03060454..533565f53 100644
--- a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/balancer/chash_test.lua
+++ b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/balancer/chash_test.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-package.path = "./rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/?.lua;./rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/?.lua;" .. package.path
-
 describe("Balancer chash", function()
   local balancer_chash = require("balancer.chash")
 
diff --git a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/balancer/ewma_test.lua b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/balancer/ewma_test.lua
index 7107ad8c2..7919a6f44 100644
--- a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/balancer/ewma_test.lua
+++ b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/balancer/ewma_test.lua
@@ -1,17 +1,5 @@
-package.path = "./rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/?.lua;./rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/?.lua;" .. package.path
-
 local util = require("util")
 
-local _ngx = {
-  shared = {
-    balancer_ewma = { flush_all = function() end },
-    balancer_ewma_last_touched_at = { flush_all = function() end }
-  },
-  log = function(...) end,
-  now = function() return os.time() end,
-}
-_G.ngx = _ngx
-
 describe("Balancer ewma", function()
   local balancer_ewma = require("balancer.ewma")
 
diff --git a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/balancer_test.lua b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/balancer_test.lua
index 04e97d98a..51dbc9c74 100644
--- a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/balancer_test.lua
+++ b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/balancer_test.lua
@@ -1,12 +1,5 @@
-package.path = "./rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/?.lua;./rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/?.lua;" .. package.path
 _G._TEST = true
 
-local _ngx = {
-  shared = {},
-  log = function(...) end,
-}
-_G.ngx = _ngx
-
 local balancer, expected_implementations, backends
 
 local function reset_balancer()
@@ -92,10 +85,10 @@ describe("Balancer", function()
 
       local s_old = spy.on(implementation, "new")
       local s = spy.on(new_implementation, "new")
-      local s_ngx_log = spy.on(_G.ngx, "log")
+      local s_ngx_log = spy.on(ngx, "log")
 
       assert.has_no.errors(function() balancer.sync_backend(backend) end)
-      assert.spy(s_ngx_log).was_called_with(ngx.ERR,
+      assert.spy(s_ngx_log).was_called_with(ngx.INFO,
       "LB algorithm changed from round_robin to ewma, resetting the instance")
       -- TODO(elvinefendi) figure out why
       -- assert.spy(s).was_called_with(new_implementation, backend) does not work here
diff --git a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/defer_test.lua b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/defer_test.lua
index 6f4f94cc3..459a7c8bf 100644
--- a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/defer_test.lua
+++ b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/defer_test.lua
@@ -1,14 +1,6 @@
-package.path = "./rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/?.lua;./rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/?.lua;" .. package.path
 _G._TEST = true
-local defer = require('util.defer')
+local defer = require("util.defer")
 
-local _ngx = {
-    shared = {},
-    log = function(...) end,
-    get_phase = function() return "timer" end,
-}
-_G.ngx = _ngx
-  
 describe("Defer", function()
    describe("to_timer_phase", function()
     it("executes passed callback immediately if called on timer phase", function()
diff --git a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/ngx/balancer.lua b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/ngx/balancer.lua
deleted file mode 100644
index a56470754..000000000
--- a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/ngx/balancer.lua
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-return {}
diff --git a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/chash.lua b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/chash.lua
deleted file mode 100644
index 3a1ab6ae4..000000000
--- a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/chash.lua
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-return {
-  new = function(self, nodes) return {} end
-}
diff --git a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/cookie.lua b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/cookie.lua
deleted file mode 100644
index a56470754..000000000
--- a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/cookie.lua
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-return {}
diff --git a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/lock.lua b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/lock.lua
deleted file mode 100644
index 1285e486e..000000000
--- a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/lock.lua
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-return {
-  new = function(self, name, ...) return {} end,
-}
diff --git a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/md5.lua b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/md5.lua
deleted file mode 100644
index a56470754..000000000
--- a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/md5.lua
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-return {}
diff --git a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/roundrobin.lua b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/roundrobin.lua
deleted file mode 100644
index 3a1ab6ae4..000000000
--- a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/roundrobin.lua
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-return {
-  new = function(self, nodes) return {} end
-}
diff --git a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/sha1.lua b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/sha1.lua
deleted file mode 100644
index a56470754..000000000
--- a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/sha1.lua
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-return {}
diff --git a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/string.lua b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/string.lua
deleted file mode 100644
index a56470754..000000000
--- a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/resty/string.lua
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-return {}
diff --git a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/monitor_test.lua b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/monitor_test.lua
index d89bcef48..b67c449a2 100644
--- a/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/monitor_test.lua
+++ b/rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/monitor_test.lua
@@ -1,25 +1,5 @@
-package.path = "./rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/?.lua;./rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test/mocks/?.lua;" .. package.path
 _G._TEST = true
-local cjson = require('cjson')
-
-local function udp_mock()
-    return {
-        setpeername = function(...) return true end,
-        send = function(payload) return payload end,
-        close = function(...) return true end
-    }
-end
-
-local _ngx = {
-    shared = {},
-    log = function(...) end,
-    socket = {
-        udp = udp_mock
-    },
-    get_phase = function() return "timer" end,
-    var = {}
-}
-_G.ngx = _ngx
+local cjson = require("cjson")
 
 describe("Monitor", function()
     local monitor = require("monitor")