diff --git a/core/autoload/test.el b/core/autoload/test.el
index a2042536c..6a0742c5a 100644
--- a/core/autoload/test.el
+++ b/core/autoload/test.el
@@ -26,10 +26,9 @@ If neither is available, run all tests in all enabled modules."
   (condition-case-unless-debug ex
       (let (targets)
         ;; ensure DOOM is initialized
+        (unload-feature 'core t)
         (let (noninteractive)
-          (unload-feature 'core t)
-          (load (expand-file-name "init.el" user-emacs-directory) nil t))
-        (run-hooks 'emacs-startup-hook)
+          (load (expand-file-name "core/core.el" user-emacs-directory) nil t))
         ;; collect targets
         (cond ((and command-line-args-left
                     (equal (car command-line-args-left) "--"))
diff --git a/modules/feature/evil/test/evil.el b/modules/feature/evil/test/evil.el
index 806c6beaa..cf8ba496f 100644
--- a/modules/feature/evil/test/evil.el
+++ b/modules/feature/evil/test/evil.el
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 ;; -*- no-byte-compile: t; -*-
 ;;; feature/evil/test/evil.el
 
+(require! :feature evil)
+
 ;; `+evil*ex-replace-special-filenames'
 (def-test! file-modifiers
   (cl-flet ((do-it #'+evil*ex-replace-special-filenames))