diff --git a/tests/helpers.c b/tests/helpers.c
index fed19e5f..a6a473e4 100644
--- a/tests/helpers.c
+++ b/tests/helpers.c
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 #include "helpers.h"
 #include "config/preferences.h"
 
-void init_preferences(void **state)
+void create_config_dir(void **state)
 {
     setenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME", "./tests/files/xdg_config_home", 1);
     gchar *xdg_config = xdg_get_config_home();
@@ -22,11 +22,44 @@ void init_preferences(void **state)
     if (!mkdir_recursive(profanity_dir->str)) {
         assert_true(FALSE);
     }
-    g_string_free(profanity_dir, TRUE);
 
+    g_free(xdg_config);
+    g_string_free(profanity_dir, TRUE);
+}
+
+void remove_config_dir(void **state)
+{
+    rmdir("./tests/files/xdg_config_home/profanity");
+    rmdir("./tests/files/xdg_config_home");
+}
+
+void create_data_dir(void **state)
+{
+    setenv("XDG_DATA_HOME", "./tests/files/xdg_data_home", 1);
+    gchar *xdg_data = xdg_get_data_home();
+
+    GString *profanity_dir = g_string_new(xdg_data);
+    g_string_append(profanity_dir, "/profanity");
+
+    if (!mkdir_recursive(profanity_dir->str)) {
+        assert_true(FALSE);
+    }
+
+    g_free(xdg_data);
+    g_string_free(profanity_dir, TRUE);
+}
+
+void remove_data_dir(void **state)
+{
+    rmdir("./tests/files/xdg_data_home/profanity");
+    rmdir("./tests/files/xdg_data_home");
+}
+
+void load_preferences(void **state)
+{
+    create_config_dir(state);
     FILE *f = fopen("./tests/files/xdg_config_home/profanity/profrc", "ab+");
     if (f) {
-        g_free(xdg_config);
         prefs_load();
     }
 }
@@ -35,8 +68,7 @@ void close_preferences(void **state)
 {
     prefs_close();
     remove("./tests/files/xdg_config_home/profanity/profrc");
-    rmdir("./tests/files/xdg_config_home/profanity");
-    rmdir("./tests/files/xdg_config_home");
+    remove_config_dir(state);
     rmdir("./tests/files");
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/helpers.h b/tests/helpers.h
index fde115b4..b3118953 100644
--- a/tests/helpers.h
+++ b/tests/helpers.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #include "glib.h"
 
-void init_preferences(void **state);
+void load_preferences(void **state);
 void close_preferences(void **state);
 
 void glist_set_cmp(GCompareFunc func);
diff --git a/tests/testsuite.c b/tests/testsuite.c
index 38e535aa..29a5dc4d 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite.c
+++ b/tests/testsuite.c
@@ -313,64 +313,64 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
         unit_test(cmd_statuses_shows_usage_when_bad_chat_setting),
         unit_test(cmd_statuses_shows_usage_when_bad_muc_setting),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_statuses_console_sets_all,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_statuses_console_sets_online,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_statuses_console_sets_none,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_statuses_chat_sets_all,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_statuses_chat_sets_online,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_statuses_chat_sets_none,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_statuses_muc_sets_on,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_statuses_muc_sets_off,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
 
         unit_test_setup_teardown(statuses_console_defaults_to_all,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(statuses_chat_defaults_to_all,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(statuses_muc_defaults_to_on,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
 
         unit_test_setup_teardown(console_doesnt_show_online_presence_when_set_none,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(console_shows_online_presence_when_set_online,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(console_shows_online_presence_when_set_all,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(console_doesnt_show_dnd_presence_when_set_none,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(console_doesnt_show_dnd_presence_when_set_online,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(console_shows_dnd_presence_when_set_all,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test(handle_message_error_when_no_recipient),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(handle_message_error_when_recipient_cancel,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(handle_message_error_when_recipient_cancel_disables_chat_session,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test(handle_message_error_when_recipient_and_no_type),
         unit_test(handle_presence_error_when_no_recipient),
@@ -384,19 +384,19 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
         unit_test(cmd_alias_remove_shows_usage_when_no_args),
         unit_test(cmd_alias_show_usage_when_invalid_subcmd),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_alias_add_adds_alias,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_alias_add_shows_message_when_exists,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_alias_remove_removes_alias,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_alias_remove_shows_message_when_no_alias,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_alias_list_shows_all_aliases,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
 
         unit_test_setup_teardown(test_muc_add_invite, muc_before_test, muc_after_test),
@@ -433,27 +433,27 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
         unit_test(cmd_otr_log_shows_usage_when_no_args),
         unit_test(cmd_otr_log_shows_usage_when_invalid_subcommand),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_otr_log_on_enables_logging,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_otr_log_off_disables_logging,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_otr_redact_redacts_logging,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_otr_log_on_shows_warning_when_chlog_disabled,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_otr_log_redact_shows_warning_when_chlog_disabled,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test(cmd_otr_warn_shows_usage_when_no_args),
         unit_test(cmd_otr_warn_shows_usage_when_invalid_arg),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_otr_warn_on_enables_unencrypted_warning,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test_setup_teardown(cmd_otr_warn_off_disables_unencrypted_warning,
-            init_preferences,
+            load_preferences,
             close_preferences),
         unit_test(cmd_otr_libver_shows_libotr_version),
 #else