diff --git a/src/tests/meta-monitor-manager-test.c b/src/tests/meta-monitor-manager-test.c
index 88e7c297d..c5249cd2f 100644
--- a/src/tests/meta-monitor-manager-test.c
+++ b/src/tests/meta-monitor-manager-test.c
@@ -21,74 +21,42 @@
 
 #include "tests/meta-monitor-manager-test.h"
 
-#define ALL_TRANSFORMS ((1 << (META_MONITOR_TRANSFORM_FLIPPED_270 + 1)) - 1)
-
 struct _MetaMonitorManagerTest
 {
   MetaMonitorManager parent;
+
+  MetaMonitorTestSetup *test_setup;
 };
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (MetaMonitorManagerTest, meta_monitor_manager_test,
                META_TYPE_MONITOR_MANAGER)
 
+static MetaMonitorTestSetup *_initial_test_setup = NULL;
+
+void
+meta_monitor_manager_test_init_test_setup (MetaMonitorTestSetup *test_setup)
+{
+  _initial_test_setup = test_setup;
+}
+
 static void
 meta_monitor_manager_test_read_current (MetaMonitorManager *manager)
 {
-  int n_monitors = 2;
-  int i;
+  MetaMonitorManagerTest *manager_test = META_MONITOR_MANAGER_TEST (manager);
 
   manager->max_screen_width = 65535;
   manager->max_screen_height = 65535;
-  manager->screen_width = 1024;
-  manager->screen_height = 768;
 
-  manager->modes = g_new0 (MetaMonitorMode, 1);
-  manager->n_modes = 1;
+  g_assert (manager_test->test_setup);
 
-  manager->modes[0].mode_id = 0;
-  manager->modes[0].width = 1024;
-  manager->modes[0].height = 768;
-  manager->modes[0].refresh_rate = 60.0;
+  manager->modes = manager_test->test_setup->modes;
+  manager->n_modes = manager_test->test_setup->n_modes;
 
-  manager->crtcs = g_new0 (MetaCRTC, n_monitors);
-  manager->n_crtcs = n_monitors;
-  manager->outputs = g_new0 (MetaOutput, n_monitors);
-  manager->n_outputs = n_monitors;
+  manager->crtcs = manager_test->test_setup->crtcs;
+  manager->n_crtcs = manager_test->test_setup->n_crtcs;
 
-  for (i = 0; i < n_monitors; i++)
-    {
-      manager->crtcs[i].crtc_id = i + 1;
-      manager->crtcs[i].current_mode = &manager->modes[0];
-      manager->crtcs[i].transform = META_MONITOR_TRANSFORM_NORMAL;
-      manager->crtcs[i].all_transforms = ALL_TRANSFORMS;
-
-
-      manager->outputs[i].crtc = &manager->crtcs[i];
-      manager->outputs[i].winsys_id = i + 1;
-      manager->outputs[i].name = g_strdup_printf ("LVDS%d", i + 1);
-      manager->outputs[i].vendor = g_strdup ("MetaProducts Inc.");
-      manager->outputs[i].product = g_strdup ("unknown");
-      manager->outputs[i].serial = g_strdup ("0xC0FFEE");
-      manager->outputs[i].suggested_x = -1;
-      manager->outputs[i].suggested_y = -1;
-      manager->outputs[i].width_mm = 222;
-      manager->outputs[i].height_mm = 125;
-      manager->outputs[i].subpixel_order = COGL_SUBPIXEL_ORDER_UNKNOWN;
-      manager->outputs[i].preferred_mode = &manager->modes[0];
-      manager->outputs[i].n_modes = 1;
-      manager->outputs[i].modes = g_new0 (MetaMonitorMode *, 1);
-      manager->outputs[i].modes[0] = &manager->modes[0];
-      manager->outputs[i].n_possible_crtcs = 1;
-      manager->outputs[i].possible_crtcs = g_new0 (MetaCRTC *, 1);
-      manager->outputs[i].possible_crtcs[0] = &manager->crtcs[i];
-      manager->outputs[i].n_possible_clones = 0;
-      manager->outputs[i].possible_clones = g_new0 (MetaOutput *, 0);
-      manager->outputs[i].backlight = -1;
-      manager->outputs[i].backlight_min = 0;
-      manager->outputs[i].backlight_max = 0;
-      manager->outputs[i].connector_type = META_CONNECTOR_TYPE_LVDS;
-      manager->outputs[i].scale = 1;
-    }
+  manager->outputs = manager_test->test_setup->outputs;
+  manager->n_outputs = manager_test->test_setup->n_outputs;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -208,6 +176,9 @@ meta_monitor_manager_test_apply_configuration (MetaMonitorManager *manager,
 static void
 meta_monitor_manager_test_init (MetaMonitorManagerTest *manager_test)
 {
+  g_assert (_initial_test_setup);
+
+  manager_test->test_setup = _initial_test_setup;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/tests/meta-monitor-manager-test.h b/src/tests/meta-monitor-manager-test.h
index 91120ca90..4ad909554 100644
--- a/src/tests/meta-monitor-manager-test.h
+++ b/src/tests/meta-monitor-manager-test.h
@@ -22,8 +22,20 @@
 
 #include "backends/meta-monitor-manager-private.h"
 
+typedef struct _MetaMonitorTestSetup
+{
+  MetaMonitorMode *modes;
+  int n_modes;
+  MetaOutput *outputs;
+  int n_outputs;
+  MetaCRTC *crtcs;
+  int n_crtcs;
+} MetaMonitorTestSetup;
+
 #define META_TYPE_MONITOR_MANAGER_TEST (meta_monitor_manager_test_get_type ())
 G_DECLARE_FINAL_TYPE (MetaMonitorManagerTest, meta_monitor_manager_test,
                       META, MONITOR_MANAGER_TEST, MetaMonitorManager)
 
+void meta_monitor_manager_test_init_test_setup (MetaMonitorTestSetup *test_setup);
+
 #endif /* META_MONITOR_MANAGER_TEST_H */
diff --git a/src/tests/monitor-unit-tests.c b/src/tests/monitor-unit-tests.c
index 3aa71878a..62712b53f 100644
--- a/src/tests/monitor-unit-tests.c
+++ b/src/tests/monitor-unit-tests.c
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@
 #include "tests/monitor-unit-tests.h"
 
 #include "backends/meta-backend-private.h"
+#include "tests/meta-monitor-manager-test.h"
+
+#define ALL_TRANSFORMS ((1 << (META_MONITOR_TRANSFORM_FLIPPED_270 + 1)) - 1)
+
+static MetaMonitorTestSetup *current_test_setup = NULL;
 
 static void
 meta_test_monitor_linear_config (void)
@@ -60,9 +65,69 @@ meta_test_monitor_linear_config (void)
     }
 }
 
+static void
+setup_initial_monitor_test_setup (void)
+{
+  MetaMonitorTestSetup *test_setup;
+  int n_monitors = 2;
+  int i;
+
+  test_setup = g_new0 (MetaMonitorTestSetup, 1);
+
+  test_setup->n_modes = 1;
+  test_setup->modes = g_new0 (MetaMonitorMode, 1);
+  test_setup->modes[0].mode_id = 0;
+  test_setup->modes[0].width = 1024;
+  test_setup->modes[0].height = 768;
+  test_setup->modes[0].refresh_rate = 60.0;
+
+  test_setup->n_crtcs = n_monitors;
+  test_setup->crtcs = g_new0 (MetaCRTC, n_monitors);
+
+  test_setup->n_outputs = n_monitors;
+  test_setup->outputs = g_new0 (MetaOutput, n_monitors);
+
+  for (i = 0; i < n_monitors; i++)
+    {
+      test_setup->crtcs[i].crtc_id = i + 1;
+      test_setup->crtcs[i].current_mode = &test_setup->modes[0];
+      test_setup->crtcs[i].transform = META_MONITOR_TRANSFORM_NORMAL;
+      test_setup->crtcs[i].all_transforms = ALL_TRANSFORMS;
+
+      test_setup->outputs[i].crtc = &test_setup->crtcs[i];
+      test_setup->outputs[i].winsys_id = i + 1;
+      test_setup->outputs[i].name = g_strdup_printf ("LVDS%d", i + 1);
+      test_setup->outputs[i].vendor = g_strdup ("MetaProducts Inc.");
+      test_setup->outputs[i].product = g_strdup ("unknown");
+      test_setup->outputs[i].serial = g_strdup ("0xC0FFEE");
+      test_setup->outputs[i].suggested_x = -1;
+      test_setup->outputs[i].suggested_y = -1;
+      test_setup->outputs[i].width_mm = 222;
+      test_setup->outputs[i].height_mm = 125;
+      test_setup->outputs[i].subpixel_order = COGL_SUBPIXEL_ORDER_UNKNOWN;
+      test_setup->outputs[i].preferred_mode = &test_setup->modes[0];
+      test_setup->outputs[i].n_modes = 1;
+      test_setup->outputs[i].modes = g_new0 (MetaMonitorMode *, 1);
+      test_setup->outputs[i].modes[0] = &test_setup->modes[0];
+      test_setup->outputs[i].n_possible_crtcs = 1;
+      test_setup->outputs[i].possible_crtcs = g_new0 (MetaCRTC *, 1);
+      test_setup->outputs[i].possible_crtcs[0] = &test_setup->crtcs[i];
+      test_setup->outputs[i].n_possible_clones = 0;
+      test_setup->outputs[i].possible_clones = NULL;
+      test_setup->outputs[i].backlight = -1;
+      test_setup->outputs[i].connector_type = META_CONNECTOR_TYPE_LVDS;
+      test_setup->outputs[i].scale = 1;
+    }
+
+  meta_monitor_manager_test_init_test_setup (test_setup);
+  current_test_setup = test_setup;
+}
+
 void
 init_monitor_tests (void)
 {
+  setup_initial_monitor_test_setup ();
+
   g_test_add_func ("/backends/monitor/linear-config",
                    meta_test_monitor_linear_config);
 }
diff --git a/src/tests/unit-tests.c b/src/tests/unit-tests.c
index 4f2856b8d..7b7818c07 100644
--- a/src/tests/unit-tests.c
+++ b/src/tests/unit-tests.c
@@ -221,6 +221,8 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 
   g_option_context_free (ctx);
 
+  init_tests (argc, argv);
+
   meta_plugin_manager_load ("default");
 
   meta_override_compositor_configuration (META_COMPOSITOR_TYPE_WAYLAND,
@@ -230,7 +232,6 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
   meta_init ();
   meta_register_with_session ();
 
-  init_tests (argc, argv);
   g_idle_add (run_tests, NULL);
 
   return meta_run ();