diff --git a/tests/conform/Makefile.am b/tests/conform/Makefile.am
index a2cb54d27..9983db31c 100644
--- a/tests/conform/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/conform/Makefile.am
@@ -71,17 +71,21 @@ clean-wrappers:
 # a phony rule that will generate symlink scripts for running individual tests
 BUILT_SOURCES = wrappers
 
-test_conformance_CFLAGS = \
+INCLUDES = \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/ \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/clutter \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/clutter/cogl \
 	-I$(top_builddir)/clutter \
-	-I$(top_builddir)/clutter/cogl \
-	-DG_DISABLE_SINGLE_INCLUDES \
-	$(CLUTTER_CFLAGS) \
-	$(MAINTAINER_CFLAGS)
+	-I$(top_builddir)/clutter/cogl
 
-test_conformance_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/clutter/libclutter-@CLUTTER_WINSYS@-@CLUTTER_API_VERSION@.la
+test_conformance_CPPFLAGS = \
+	-DG_DISABLE_SINGLE_INCLUDES \
+	-DCLUTTER_DISABLE_DEPRECATED \
+	-DTESTS_DATADIR=\""$(top_srcdir)/tests/data"\"
+
+test_conformance_CFLAGS = $(CLUTTER_CFLAGS) $(MAINTAINER_CFLAGS)
+
+test_conformance_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/clutter/libclutter-@CLUTTER_WINSYS@-@CLUTTER_API_VERSION@.la $(CLUTTER_LIBS)
 
 .PHONY: test
 .PHONY: test-report test-report-normal test-report-disable-npots
diff --git a/tests/conform/test-conform-common.h b/tests/conform/test-conform-common.h
index d3de09977..a220e8f7a 100644
--- a/tests/conform/test-conform-common.h
+++ b/tests/conform/test-conform-common.h
@@ -24,3 +24,4 @@ void test_conform_simple_fixture_setup (TestConformSimpleFixture *fixture,
 void test_conform_simple_fixture_teardown (TestConformSimpleFixture *fixture,
 					   gconstpointer data);
 
+gchar *clutter_test_get_data_file (const gchar *filename);
diff --git a/tests/conform/test-conform-main.c b/tests/conform/test-conform-main.c
index 88b7abfc5..315af74cf 100644
--- a/tests/conform/test-conform-main.c
+++ b/tests/conform/test-conform-main.c
@@ -59,6 +59,12 @@ static TestConformSharedState *shared_state = NULL;
               test_conform_skip_test,                                   \
               test_conform_simple_fixture_teardown);    } G_STMT_END
 
+gchar *
+clutter_test_get_data_file (const gchar *filename)
+{
+  return g_build_filename (TESTS_DATADIR, filename, NULL);
+}
+
 static void
 clutter_test_init (gint    *argc,
                    gchar ***argv)