diff --git a/tests/global-configuration.cpp b/tests/global-configuration.cpp
index 24d4499..2be5a67 100644
--- a/tests/global-configuration.cpp
+++ b/tests/global-configuration.cpp
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 /* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
 /**
- * Copyright (c) 2014  Regents of the University of California,
- *                     Arizona Board of Regents,
- *                     Colorado State University,
- *                     University Pierre & Marie Curie, Sorbonne University,
- *                     Washington University in St. Louis,
- *                     Beijing Institute of Technology
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-2016,  Regents of the University of California,
+ *                           Arizona Board of Regents,
+ *                           Colorado State University,
+ *                           University Pierre & Marie Curie, Sorbonne University,
+ *                           Washington University in St. Louis,
+ *                           Beijing Institute of Technology,
+ *                           The University of Memphis.
  *
  * This file is part of NFD (Named Data Networking Forwarding Daemon).
  * See AUTHORS.md for complete list of NFD authors and contributors.
@@ -20,13 +21,14 @@
  *
  * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with
  * NFD, e.g., in COPYING.md file.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
- **/
+ */
 
 #include "test-common.hpp"
 #include "core/logger.hpp"
 #include "core/config-file.hpp"
 
 #include <boost/filesystem.hpp>
+#include <fstream>
 
 namespace nfd {
 namespace tests {
@@ -44,7 +46,27 @@
 
         config.parse(filename, false);
       }
+
+    if (std::getenv("HOME"))
+      m_home = std::getenv("HOME");
+
+    boost::filesystem::path dir(UNIT_TEST_CONFIG_PATH "test-home");
+    setenv("HOME", dir.generic_string().c_str(), 1);
+    boost::filesystem::create_directories(dir);
+    std::ofstream clientConf((dir / ".ndn" / "client.conf").generic_string().c_str());
+    clientConf << "pib=pib-sqlite3\n"
+               << "tpm=tpm-file" << std::endl;
   }
+
+  ~GlobalConfigurationFixture()
+  {
+    if (!m_home.empty()) {
+      setenv("HOME", m_home.c_str(), 1);
+    }
+  }
+
+private:
+  std::string m_home;
 };
 
 BOOST_GLOBAL_FIXTURE(GlobalConfigurationFixture)
diff --git a/tests/identity-management-fixture.cpp b/tests/identity-management-fixture.cpp
index c668f54..1575fa8 100644
--- a/tests/identity-management-fixture.cpp
+++ b/tests/identity-management-fixture.cpp
@@ -1,22 +1,26 @@
 /* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
 /**
- * Copyright (c) 2013-2014 Regents of the University of California.
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-2016,  Regents of the University of California,
+ *                           Arizona Board of Regents,
+ *                           Colorado State University,
+ *                           University Pierre & Marie Curie, Sorbonne University,
+ *                           Washington University in St. Louis,
+ *                           Beijing Institute of Technology,
+ *                           The University of Memphis.
  *
- * This file is part of ndn-cxx library (NDN C++ library with eXperimental eXtensions).
+ * This file is part of NFD (Named Data Networking Forwarding Daemon).
+ * See AUTHORS.md for complete list of NFD authors and contributors.
  *
- * ndn-cxx library is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
- * terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software
- * Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ * NFD is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms
+ * of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation,
+ * either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
  *
- * ndn-cxx library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
- * WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A
- * PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ * NFD is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY;
+ * without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
+ * PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License for more details.
  *
- * You should have received copies of the GNU General Public License and GNU Lesser
- * General Public License along with ndn-cxx, e.g., in COPYING.md file.  If not, see
- * <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
- *
- * See AUTHORS.md for complete list of ndn-cxx authors and contributors.
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with
+ * NFD, e.g., in COPYING.md file.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
  */
 
 #include "identity-management-fixture.hpp"
@@ -27,6 +31,7 @@
 IdentityManagementFixture::IdentityManagementFixture()
   : m_keyChain("sqlite3", "file")
 {
+  m_keyChain.getDefaultCertificate(); // side effect: creation of the default cert if doesn't exist
 }
 
 IdentityManagementFixture::~IdentityManagementFixture()
diff --git a/tests/other/wscript b/tests/other/wscript
index 074e72c..805735c 100644
--- a/tests/other/wscript
+++ b/tests/other/wscript
@@ -45,4 +45,5 @@
            use='daemon-objects unit-tests-base unit-tests-%s-main' % module,
            includes='.',
            install_path=None,
+           defines='UNIT_TEST_CONFIG_PATH=\"%s/tmp-files/\"' % bld.bldnode,
          )
diff --git a/tests/wscript b/tests/wscript
index 823d25e..3b9e628 100644
--- a/tests/wscript
+++ b/tests/wscript
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
             source=bld.path.ant_glob(['*.cpp'], excl='main.cpp'),
             use='core-objects',
             headers='../common.hpp boost-test.hpp',
+            defines='UNIT_TEST_CONFIG_PATH=\"%s/tmp-files/\"' % bld.bldnode,
           )
 
         for module, name in {"core": "NFD Core Tests",
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@
                 use='%s-objects unit-tests-base unit-tests-%s-main' % (module, module),
                 includes='.',
                 install_path=None,
+                defines='UNIT_TEST_CONFIG_PATH=\"%s/tmp-files/\"' % bld.bldnode,
               )
 
             if bld.env['HAVE_LIBPCAP']: