diff --git a/examples/example_basic.rb b/examples/example_basic.rb
index 8f893be6..ed3d4d52 100644
--- a/examples/example_basic.rb
+++ b/examples/example_basic.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-direc = File.dirname(__FILE__)
-
-require 'rubygems'
-require "#{direc}/../lib/pry"
+require File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'helper'))
 
 # define a local.
 a = "a local variable"
@@ -14,4 +11,5 @@ end
 # Start pry session at top-level.
 # The local variable `a` and the `hello` method will
 # be accessible.
+puts __LINE__
 binding.pry
diff --git a/examples/example_command_override.rb b/examples/example_command_override.rb
index 889eaeee..237b1d61 100644
--- a/examples/example_command_override.rb
+++ b/examples/example_command_override.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-direc = File.dirname(__FILE__)
-
-require 'rubygems'
-require "#{direc}/../lib/pry"
+require File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'helper'))
 
 # Inherit standard command set, but tweak them by importing some and
 # overriding others.
@@ -18,7 +15,7 @@ class MyCommands < Pry::CommandBase
 
   # analogy to Ruby's native alias_method idiom for decorating a method
   alias_command "old_status", "status", ""
-  
+
   # Invoke one command from within another using `run`
   command "status", "Modified status."  do |x|
     output.puts "About to show status, are you ready?"
diff --git a/examples/example_commands.rb b/examples/example_commands.rb
index ad57e021..8e945db1 100644
--- a/examples/example_commands.rb
+++ b/examples/example_commands.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-direc = File.dirname(__FILE__)
-
-require 'rubygems'
-require "#{direc}/../lib/pry"
+require File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'helper'))
 
 class MathCommands < Pry::CommandBase
   command "greet", "Greet a person, e.g: greet john" do |name|
diff --git a/examples/example_hooks.rb b/examples/example_hooks.rb
index 132b1ea1..e2a66b70 100644
--- a/examples/example_hooks.rb
+++ b/examples/example_hooks.rb
@@ -1,12 +1,9 @@
-direc = File.dirname(__FILE__)
-
-require 'rubygems'
-require "#{direc}/../lib/pry"
+require File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'helper'))
 
 my_hooks = {
   :before_session => proc { |out, target| out.puts "Opening #{target.eval('self')}." },
   :after_session => proc { |out, target| out.puts "Closing #{target.eval('self')}." }
 }
-           
+
 # Start a Pry session using the hooks hash defined in my_hooks
 Pry.start(TOPLEVEL_BINDING, :hooks => my_hooks)
diff --git a/examples/example_image_edit.rb b/examples/example_image_edit.rb
index 1eefa5e4..5f200c85 100644
--- a/examples/example_image_edit.rb
+++ b/examples/example_image_edit.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Note: this requires you to have Gosu and TexPlay installed.
 # `gem install gosu`
 # `gem install texplay`
-# 
+#
 # Extra instructions for installing Gosu on Linux can be found here:
 # http://code.google.com/p/gosu/wiki/GettingStartedOnLinux
 #
@@ -10,11 +10,7 @@
 #
 # Have fun! :)
 
-direc = File.dirname(__FILE__)
-
-require 'rubygems'
-require "texplay"
-require "#{direc}/../lib/pry"
+require File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'helper'))
 
 WIDTH = 640
 HEIGHT = 480
@@ -42,12 +38,12 @@ class WinClass < Gosu::Window
     @img.rect 0, 0, @img.width - 1, @img.height - 1
 
     @binding = Pry.binding_for(@img)
-    
+
     @pry_instance = Pry.new(:commands => ImageCommands, :prompt => IMAGE_PROMPT)
   end
 
   def draw
-    @img.draw_rot(WIDTH / 2, HEIGHT / 2, 1, 0, 0.5, 0.5) 
+    @img.draw_rot(WIDTH / 2, HEIGHT / 2, 1, 0, 0.5, 0.5)
   end
 
   def update
diff --git a/examples/example_input.rb b/examples/example_input.rb
index dd7c8d4e..dfa2239a 100644
--- a/examples/example_input.rb
+++ b/examples/example_input.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-direc = File.dirname(__FILE__)
-
-require 'rubygems'
-require "#{direc}/../lib/pry"
+require File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'helper'))
 
 # Create a StringIO that contains the input data
 str_input = StringIO.new("puts 'hello world!'\nputs \"I am in \#{self}\"\nexit")
diff --git a/examples/example_input2.rb b/examples/example_input2.rb
index bd4979d5..13a9364b 100644
--- a/examples/example_input2.rb
+++ b/examples/example_input2.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-direc = File.dirname(__FILE__)
-
-require 'rubygems'
-require "#{direc}/../lib/pry"
+require File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'helper'))
 
 # Create a StringIO that contains the input data for all the Pry objects
 cmds = <<-CMDS
diff --git a/examples/example_output.rb b/examples/example_output.rb
index e54dad77..6711a7b0 100644
--- a/examples/example_output.rb
+++ b/examples/example_output.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-direc = File.dirname(__FILE__)
-
-require 'rubygems'
-require "#{direc}/../lib/pry"
+require File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'helper'))
 
 # Create a StringIO to contain the output data
 str_output = StringIO.new
diff --git a/examples/example_print.rb b/examples/example_print.rb
index 0b55a31a..330982ea 100644
--- a/examples/example_print.rb
+++ b/examples/example_print.rb
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
-direc = File.dirname(__FILE__)
-
-require 'rubygems'
-require "#{direc}/../lib/pry"
+require File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'helper'))
 
 my_print = proc { |out, value| out.puts "Output is: #{value.inspect}" }
-           
+
 # Start a Pry session using the print object defined in my_print
 Pry.start(TOPLEVEL_BINDING, :print => my_print)
diff --git a/examples/example_prompt.rb b/examples/example_prompt.rb
index 44b68092..f11c5ef7 100644
--- a/examples/example_prompt.rb
+++ b/examples/example_prompt.rb
@@ -1,12 +1,9 @@
-direc = File.dirname(__FILE__)
-
-require 'rubygems'
-require "#{direc}/../lib/pry"
+require File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), 'helper'))
 
 # Remember, first prompt in array is the main prompt, second is the wait
 # prompt (used for multiline input when more input is required)
 my_prompt = [ proc { |obj, *| "inside #{obj}> " },
            proc { |obj, *| "inside #{obj}* "} ]
-           
+
 # Start a Pry session using the prompt defined in my_prompt
 Pry.start(TOPLEVEL_BINDING, :prompt => my_prompt)
diff --git a/examples/helper.rb b/examples/helper.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ce37f493
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/helper.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+require 'rubygems'
+unless Object.const_defined? 'Pry'
+  $:.unshift File.expand_path '../../lib', __FILE__
+  require 'pry'
+end
+