diff --git a/tests/testlibrary.c b/tests/testlibrary.c
index 92514940..280181b5 100644
--- a/tests/testlibrary.c
+++ b/tests/testlibrary.c
@@ -1539,6 +1539,8 @@ copy_gpg (void)
   g_free (dest);
 }
 
+GTestDBus *test_bus = NULL;
+
 static void
 global_setup (void)
 {
@@ -1546,6 +1548,7 @@ global_setup (void)
   g_autofree char *configdir = NULL;
   g_autofree char *datadir = NULL;
   g_autofree char *homedir = NULL;
+  g_autofree char *services_dir = NULL;
 
   testdir = g_strdup ("/tmp/flatpak-test-XXXXXX");
   g_mkdtemp (testdir);
@@ -1606,6 +1609,15 @@ global_setup (void)
   g_assert_cmpstr (g_get_user_data_dir (), ==, datadir);
   g_assert_cmpstr (g_get_user_runtime_dir (), ==, flatpak_runtimedir);
 
+  g_setenv ("FLATPAK_SYSTEM_HELPER_ON_SESSION", "1", TRUE);
+
+  test_bus = g_test_dbus_new (G_TEST_DBUS_NONE);
+
+  services_dir = g_test_build_filename (G_TEST_BUILT, "services", NULL);
+  g_test_dbus_add_service_dir (test_bus, services_dir);
+
+  g_test_dbus_up (test_bus);
+
   copy_gpg ();
   setup_multiple_installations ();
   setup_repo ();
@@ -1620,6 +1632,8 @@ global_teardown (void)
   if (g_getenv ("SKIP_TEARDOWN"))
     return;
 
+  g_test_dbus_down (test_bus);
+
   argv[2] = gpg_homedir;
 
   if (httpd_pid != -1)