diff --git a/tests/test_base.py b/tests/test_base.py
index 82b1c02..47efba1 100644
--- a/tests/test_base.py
+++ b/tests/test_base.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import os
 from pecan import Pecan, expose, request, response, redirect
 from webtest import TestApp
 from formencode import Schema, validators
@@ -100,18 +101,20 @@ class TestBase(object):
 
 class TestEngines(object):
     
+    template_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'templates')
+
     def test_genshi(self):
         class RootController(object):
             @expose('genshi:genshi.html')
             def index(self, name='Jonathan'):
                 return dict(name=name)
         
-        app = TestApp(Pecan(RootController(), template_path='tests/templates'))
+        app = TestApp(Pecan(RootController(), template_path=self.template_path))    
         r = app.get('/')
         assert r.status_int == 200
         assert "<h1>Hello, Jonathan!</h1>" in r.body
         
-        app = TestApp(Pecan(RootController(), template_path='tests/templates'))
+        app = TestApp(Pecan(RootController(), template_path=self.template_path))
         r = app.get('/index.html?name=World')
         assert r.status_int == 200
         assert "<h1>Hello, World!</h1>" in r.body
@@ -122,12 +125,12 @@ class TestEngines(object):
             def index(self, name='Jonathan'):
                 return dict(name=name)
         
-        app = TestApp(Pecan(RootController(), template_path='tests/templates'))
+        app = TestApp(Pecan(RootController(), template_path=self.template_path))
         r = app.get('/')
         assert r.status_int == 200
         assert "<h1>Hello, Jonathan!</h1>" in r.body
         
-        app = TestApp(Pecan(RootController(), template_path='tests/templates'))
+        app = TestApp(Pecan(RootController(), template_path=self.template_path))
         r = app.get('/index.html?name=World')
         assert r.status_int == 200
         assert "<h1>Hello, World!</h1>" in r.body
@@ -138,12 +141,12 @@ class TestEngines(object):
             def index(self, name='Jonathan'):
                 return dict(name=name)
         
-        app = TestApp(Pecan(RootController(), template_path='tests/templates'))
+        app = TestApp(Pecan(RootController(), template_path=self.template_path))
         r = app.get('/')
         assert r.status_int == 200
         assert "<h1>Hello, Jonathan!</h1>" in r.body
         
-        app = TestApp(Pecan(RootController(), template_path='tests/templates'))
+        app = TestApp(Pecan(RootController(), template_path=self.template_path))
         r = app.get('/index.html?name=World')
         assert r.status_int == 200
         assert "<h1>Hello, World!</h1>" in r.body
@@ -253,4 +256,4 @@ class TestEngines(object):
         app = TestApp(Pecan(RootController()))
         r = app.get('/test/1/2/3/4')
         assert r.status_int == 200
-        assert r.body == 'it worked'
\ No newline at end of file
+        assert r.body == 'it worked'
diff --git a/tests/test_static.py b/tests/test_static.py
index ab07865..ea2b049 100644
--- a/tests/test_static.py
+++ b/tests/test_static.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import os
 from pecan import expose, make_app
 from webtest import TestApp
 
@@ -10,7 +11,10 @@ class TestStatic(object):
                 return 'Hello, World!'
         
         # make sure Cascade is working properly
-        app = TestApp(make_app(RootController(), static_root='tests/static'))
+        text = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'static/text.txt')
+        static_root = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'static')
+
+        app = TestApp(make_app(RootController(), static_root=static_root))
         response = app.get('/index.html')
         assert response.status_int == 200
         assert response.body == 'Hello, World!'
@@ -18,4 +22,4 @@ class TestStatic(object):
         # get a static resource
         response = app.get('/text.txt')
         assert response.status_int == 200
-        assert response.body == open('tests/static/text.txt', 'rb').read()
\ No newline at end of file
+        assert response.body == open(text, 'rb').read()