diff --git a/src/SemanticScuttle/header-standalone.php b/src/SemanticScuttle/header-standalone.php
index cc1b0bd..50732a6 100644
--- a/src/SemanticScuttle/header-standalone.php
+++ b/src/SemanticScuttle/header-standalone.php
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  * @link     http://sourceforge.net/projects/semanticscuttle
  */
 $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] = 'http://localhost/';
-define('UNIT_TEST_MODE', true);
+//define('UNIT_TEST_MODE', true);
 
 require_once dirname(__FILE__) . '/header.php';
 ?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/SemanticScuttle/header.php b/src/SemanticScuttle/header.php
index b0705b0..098e5c3 100644
--- a/src/SemanticScuttle/header.php
+++ b/src/SemanticScuttle/header.php
@@ -46,14 +46,21 @@ if (isset($_GET['unittestMode']) && $_GET['unittestMode'] == 1
         die("Unittestmode is not allowed\n");
     }
 
-    $unittestConfigFile = $datadir . '/config.unittest.php';
-    if (file_exists($unittestConfigFile)) {
-        require_once $unittestConfigFile;
-    }
     define('HTTP_UNIT_TEST_MODE', true);
     define('UNIT_TEST_MODE', true);
 }
 if (defined('UNIT_TEST_MODE')) {
+    //load configuration for unit tests
+    $testingConfigFile = $datadir . '/config.testing.php';
+    if (file_exists($testingConfigFile)) {
+        require_once $testingConfigFile;
+    }
+    //test-specific configuration file
+    $unittestConfigFile = $datadir . '/config.testing-tmp.php';
+    if (file_exists($unittestConfigFile)) {
+        require_once $unittestConfigFile;
+    }
+
     //make local config vars global - needed for unit tests
     //run with phpunit
     foreach (get_defined_vars() as $var => $value) {
@@ -107,7 +114,7 @@ T_bind_textdomain_codeset($domain, 'UTF-8');
 T_textdomain($domain);
 
 // 4 // Session
-if (!defined('UNIT_TEST_MODE') || defined('HTTP_UNIT_TEST_MODE')) {
+if (isset($_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'])) {
     session_start();
     if ($GLOBALS['enableVoting']) {
         if (isset($_SESSION['lastUrl'])) {
diff --git a/tests/TestBaseApi.php b/tests/TestBaseApi.php
index 2caa701..31797c9 100644
--- a/tests/TestBaseApi.php
+++ b/tests/TestBaseApi.php
@@ -50,8 +50,9 @@ class TestBaseApi extends TestBase
         $this->url = $GLOBALS['unittestUrl'] . $this->urlPart;
 
         //clean up before test
-        if (file_exists($GLOBALS['datadir'] . '/config.unittest.php')) {
-            unlink($GLOBALS['datadir'] . '/config.unittest.php');
+        $configFile = $GLOBALS['datadir'] . '/config.testing-tmp.php';
+        if (file_exists($configFile)) {
+            unlink($configFile);
         }
 
         $this->us = SemanticScuttle_Service_Factory::get('User');
@@ -230,7 +231,7 @@ class TestBaseApi extends TestBase
 
         $this->assertInternalType(
             'integer',
-            file_put_contents($GLOBALS['datadir'] . '/config.unittest.php', $str),
+            file_put_contents($GLOBALS['datadir'] . '/config.testing-tmp.php', $str),
             'Writing config.unittest.php failed'
         );
     }
diff --git a/tests/prepare.php b/tests/prepare.php
index c80306e..ea4d77d 100644
--- a/tests/prepare.php
+++ b/tests/prepare.php
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] = 'http://localhost/';
 define('UNIT_TEST_MODE', true);
 
 if ('@data_dir@' == '@' . 'data_dir@') {
-    //non pear-install
+    //non pear-installation (i.e. git checkout)
     require_once dirname(__FILE__) . '/../src/SemanticScuttle/header.php';
 } else {
     //pear installation; files are in include path
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ if ($GLOBALS['debugMode'] == true
     && $GLOBALS['dbtype'] == 'mysql4'
 ) {
     echo "\n"
-        . '!!! The combination of debugMode and dbtype==mysql4'
+        . '!! The combination of debugMode and dbtype==mysql4'
         . ' will wreck some tests' . "\n\n";
 }
 ?>
\ No newline at end of file