diff --git a/tests/lib/indexeddb.js b/tests/lib/indexeddb.js
index 7857ede..aeb467f 100644
--- a/tests/lib/indexeddb.js
+++ b/tests/lib/indexeddb.js
@@ -1,14 +1,18 @@
 define(["Filer"], function(Filer) {
 
-  var indexedDB = window.indexedDB       ||
-                  window.mozIndexedDB    ||
-                  window.webkitIndexedDB ||
-                  window.msIndexedDB;
+  var indexedDB = (function(window) {
+    return window.indexedDB       ||
+           window.mozIndexedDB    ||
+           window.webkitIndexedDB ||
+           window.msIndexedDB;
+  }(this));
 
   var needsCleanup = [];
-  window.addEventListener('beforeunload', function() {
-    needsCleanup.forEach(function(f) { f(); });
-  });
+  if(typeof window !== 'undefined') {
+    window.addEventListener('beforeunload', function() {
+      needsCleanup.forEach(function(f) { f(); });
+    });
+  }
 
   function IndexedDBTestProvider(name) {
     var _done = false;
diff --git a/tests/lib/test-utils.js b/tests/lib/test-utils.js
index acea1e0..84d2f3b 100644
--- a/tests/lib/test-utils.js
+++ b/tests/lib/test-utils.js
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ function(Filer, IndexedDBTestProvider, WebSQLTestProvider, MemoryTestProvider) {
     // (e.g., ?filer-provider=IndexedDB). If not specified, we use
     // the Memory provider by default.  See test/require-config.js
     // for definition of window.filerArgs.
-    var providerType = window.filerArgs && window.filerArgs.provider ?
+    var providerType = (typeof window !== 'undefined' &&
+      window.filerArgs && window.filerArgs.provider) ?
       window.filerArgs.provider : 'Memory';
 
     var name = uniqueName();
@@ -59,7 +60,8 @@ function(Filer, IndexedDBTestProvider, WebSQLTestProvider, MemoryTestProvider) {
     }
 
     // Allow passing FS flags on query string
-    var flags = window.filerArgs && window.filerArgs.flags ?
+    var flags = (typeof window !== 'undefined' &&
+      window && window.filerArgs && window.filerArgs.flags) ?
       window.filerArgs.flags : 'FORMAT';
 
     // Create a file system and wait for it to get setup
diff --git a/tests/lib/websql.js b/tests/lib/websql.js
index ac59498..35f363a 100644
--- a/tests/lib/websql.js
+++ b/tests/lib/websql.js
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 define(["Filer"], function(Filer) {
 
   var needsCleanup = [];
-  window.addEventListener('beforeunload', function() {
-    needsCleanup.forEach(function(f) { f(); });
-  });
+  if(typeof window !== 'undefined') {
+    window.addEventListener('beforeunload', function() {
+      needsCleanup.forEach(function(f) { f(); });
+    });
+  }
 
   function WebSQLTestProvider(name) {
     var _done = false;
diff --git a/tests/node-runner.js b/tests/node-runner.js
index 260f152..7b524f8 100644
--- a/tests/node-runner.js
+++ b/tests/node-runner.js
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
-var requirejs = require('requirejs');
+// If there's something broken in filer or a test,
+// requirejs can blow up, and mocha sees it as tests
+// not getting added (i.e., it just exists with only
+// 1 test run). Display an error so it's clear what happened.
+process.on('uncaughtException', function(err) {
+  console.error('Error in require.js trying to build test suite, filer:\n', err.stack);
+});
 
+var requirejs = require('requirejs');
 requirejs.config({
   paths: {
     "tests": "../tests",
@@ -22,16 +29,10 @@ requirejs.config({
   nodeRequire: require
 });
 
-GLOBAL.document = {};
-GLOBAL.navigator = { userAgent: ""};
-GLOBAL.window = {
-  addEventListener: function(){},
-  navigator: navigator,
-  document: document,
-  setTimeout: setTimeout
-};
+// We use Chai's expect assertions in all the tests via a global
 GLOBAL.expect = require('chai').expect;
 
+// Workaround for Mocha bug, see https://github.com/visionmedia/mocha/issues/362
 describe("Mocha needs one test in order to wait on requirejs tests", function() {
   it('should wait for other tests', function(){
     require('assert').ok(true);