diff --git a/lib/pry/helpers/command_helpers.rb b/lib/pry/helpers/command_helpers.rb
index 041e76e4..e2a42061 100644
--- a/lib/pry/helpers/command_helpers.rb
+++ b/lib/pry/helpers/command_helpers.rb
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ class Pry
       end
 
       def should_use_pry_doc?(meth)
-        Pry.has_pry_doc && is_a_c_method?(meth)
+        Pry.config.has_pry_doc && is_a_c_method?(meth)
       end
 
       def code_type_for(meth)
diff --git a/test/helper.rb b/test/helper.rb
index 0a7d70a1..634ae842 100644
--- a/test/helper.rb
+++ b/test/helper.rb
@@ -7,9 +7,23 @@ require 'bacon'
 
 # Ensure we do not execute any rc files
 Pry::RC_FILES.clear
-Pry.color = false
-Pry.pager = false
-Pry.should_load_rc = false
+
+# in case the tests call reset_defaults, ensure we reset them to
+# amended (test friendly) values
+class << Pry
+  alias_method :orig_reset_defaults, :reset_defaults
+  def reset_defaults
+    orig_reset_defaults
+
+    Pry.color = false
+    Pry.pager = false
+    Pry.config.should_load_rc = false
+    Pry.config.history.load = false
+    Pry.config.history.save = false
+  end
+end
+
+Pry.reset_defaults
 
 # sample doc
 def sample_method
@@ -55,13 +69,6 @@ class Module
   public :remove_method
 end
 
-class << Pry
-  alias_method :orig_reset_defaults, :reset_defaults
-  def reset_defaults
-    orig_reset_defaults
-    Pry.color = false
-  end
-end
 
 class InputTester
   def initialize(*actions)
diff --git a/test/test_default_commands.rb b/test/test_default_commands.rb
index 0a140a1b..5a32265a 100644
--- a/test/test_default_commands.rb
+++ b/test/test_default_commands.rb
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ describe "Pry::Commands" do
 
   describe "hist" do
     push_first_hist_line = lambda do |hist, line|
-      hist.push line while hist.empty?
+      hist.push line
     end
 
     before do
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ describe "Pry::Commands" do
       str_output.string.should =~ /x\n\d+:.*y\n\d+:.*z/
     end
 
-    # strangeness in this test is due to bug in Readling::HISTORY not
+    # strangeness in this test is due to bug in Readline::HISTORY not
     # always registering first line of input
     it 'should return first N lines in history with --head switch' do
       push_first_hist_line.call(@hist, "0")
diff --git a/test/test_pry.rb b/test/test_pry.rb
index bec86378..db689332 100644
--- a/test/test_pry.rb
+++ b/test/test_pry.rb
@@ -135,13 +135,18 @@ describe Pry do
       end
 
       describe "test loading rc files" do
+
+        before do
+          Pry.instance_variable_set(:@initial_session, true)
+        end
+
         after do
           Pry::RC_FILES.clear
-          Pry.should_load_rc = false
+          Pry.config.should_load_rc = false
         end
 
         it "should run the rc file only once" do
-          Pry.should_load_rc = true
+          Pry.config.should_load_rc = true
           Pry::RC_FILES << File.expand_path("../testrc", __FILE__)
 
           Pry.start(self, :input => StringIO.new("exit\n"), :output => Pry::NullOutput)
@@ -153,17 +158,17 @@ describe Pry do
           Object.remove_const(:TEST_RC)
         end
 
-        it "should not run the rc file at all if Pry.should_load_rc is false" do
-          Pry.should_load_rc = false
+        it "should not run the rc file at all if Pry.config.should_load_rc is false" do
+          Pry.config.should_load_rc = false
           Pry.start(self, :input => StringIO.new("exit\n"), :output => Pry::NullOutput)
           Object.const_defined?(:TEST_RC).should == false
         end
 
         it "should not load the rc file if #repl method invoked" do
-          Pry.should_load_rc = true
+          Pry.config.should_load_rc = true
           Pry.new(:input => StringIO.new("exit\n"), :output => Pry::NullOutput).repl(self)
           Object.const_defined?(:TEST_RC).should == false
-          Pry.should_load_rc = false
+          Pry.config.should_load_rc = false
         end
       end
 
@@ -219,10 +224,8 @@ describe Pry do
             val.class.instance_methods(false).map(&:to_sym).include?(:hello).should == true
           end
         end
-
       end
 
-
       describe "commands" do
         it 'should run a command with no parameter' do
           pry_tester = Pry.new
@@ -492,13 +495,15 @@ describe Pry do
           end
 
           it 'should create a command in  a nested context and that command should be accessible from the parent' do
-            str_input = StringIO.new("@x=nil\ncd 7\n_pry_.commands.instance_eval {\ncommand('bing') { |arg| run arg }\n}\ncd ..\nbing ls\nexit")
-            str_output = StringIO.new
-            Pry.input = str_input
-            obj = Object.new
-            Pry.new(:output => str_output).repl(obj)
-            Pry.input = Readline
-            str_output.string.should =~ /@x/
+            redirect_pry_io(StringIO.new, StringIO.new) do
+              str_input = StringIO.new("@x=nil\ncd 7\n_pry_.commands.instance_eval {\ncommand('bing') { |arg| run arg }\n}\ncd ..\nbing ls\nexit")
+              str_output = StringIO.new
+              Pry.input = str_input
+              obj = Object.new
+              Pry.new(:output => str_output).repl(obj)
+              Pry.input = Readline
+              str_output.string.should =~ /@x/
+            end
           end
 
           it 'should define a command that keeps its return value' do