diff --git a/test/helper.rb b/test/helper.rb
index 631b944f..b40cefe0 100644
--- a/test/helper.rb
+++ b/test/helper.rb
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ end
 
 def pry_eval(*eval_strs)
   if eval_strs.first.is_a? String
-    binding = TOPLEVEL_BINDING
+    binding = Pry.toplevel_binding
   else
     binding = Pry.binding_for(eval_strs.shift)
   end
diff --git a/test/test_code.rb b/test/test_code.rb
index 8e89b2b9..31c928e2 100644
--- a/test/test_code.rb
+++ b/test/test_code.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ describe Pry::Code do
     end
 
     should 'read lines from Pry\'s line buffer' do
-      mock_pry(':hay_guys')
+      pry_eval ':hay_guys'
       Pry::Code.from_file('(pry)').grep(/:hay_guys/).length.should == 1
     end
 
diff --git a/test/test_command.rb b/test/test_command.rb
index ccbfe3d7..be7a97e7 100644
--- a/test/test_command.rb
+++ b/test/test_command.rb
@@ -616,12 +616,12 @@ describe "Pry::Command" do
     end
 
     it "should allow creating custom sub-classes of Pry::Command" do
-      mock_pry("my---test").should =~ /my-testmy-test/
+      pry_eval("my---test").should =~ /my-testmy-test/
     end
 
     if !mri18_and_no_real_source_location?
       it "should show the source of the process method" do
-        mock_pry("show-source my-test").should =~ /output.puts command_name/
+        pry_eval("show-source my-test").should =~ /output.puts command_name/
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/test/test_command_integration.rb b/test/test_command_integration.rb
index 07b38850..5fba8c10 100644
--- a/test/test_command_integration.rb
+++ b/test/test_command_integration.rb
@@ -258,7 +258,10 @@ describe "commands" do
     end
 
     it 'should run a command in the context of a session' do
-      mock_pry("@session_ivar = 10", "_pry_.run_command('ls')").should =~ /@session_ivar/
+      pry_tester.tap do |t|
+        t.eval "@session_ivar = 10", "_pry_.run_command('ls')"
+        t.last_output.should =~ /@session_ivar/
+      end
     end
   end
 
@@ -482,7 +485,6 @@ describe "commands" do
     @str_output.string.should =~ /6/
   end
 
-
   it 'a command (with :keep_retval => true) that replaces eval_string with a valid expression should overwrite the eval_string with the return value' do
     klass = Pry::CommandSet.new do
       command "hello", "", :keep_retval => true do
diff --git a/test/test_pry.rb b/test/test_pry.rb
index 9e949c31..a63f3c2c 100644
--- a/test/test_pry.rb
+++ b/test/test_pry.rb
@@ -253,24 +253,30 @@ describe Pry do
 
       describe "last_result" do
         it "should be set to the most recent value" do
-          mock_pry("2", "_ + 82").should =~ /84/
+          pry_eval("2", "_ + 82").should == 84
         end
 
+        # This test needs mock_pry because the command retvals work by
+        # replacing the eval_string, so _ won't be modified without Pry doing
+        # a REPL loop.
         it "should be set to the result of a command with :keep_retval" do
-          mock_pry("Pry::Commands.block_command '++', '', {:keep_retval => true} do |a| a.to_i + 1; end", '++ 86', '++ #{_}').should =~ /88/
+          Pry::Commands.block_command '++', '', :keep_retval => true do |a|
+            a.to_i + 1
+          end
+
+          mock_pry('++ 86', '++ #{_}').should =~ /88/
         end
 
         it "should be preserved over an empty line" do
-          mock_pry("2 + 2", " ", "\t",  " ", "_ + 92").should =~ /96/
+          pry_eval("2 + 2", " ", "\t",  " ", "_ + 92").should == 96
         end
 
         it "should be preserved when evalling a  command without :keep_retval" do
-          mock_pry("2 + 2", "ls -l", "_ + 96").should =~ /100/
+          pry_eval("2 + 2", "ls -l", "_ + 96").should == 100
         end
       end
 
       describe "test loading rc files" do
-
         before do
           Pry::HOME_RC_FILE.replace File.expand_path("../testrc", __FILE__)
           Pry::LOCAL_RC_FILE.replace File.expand_path("../testrc", __FILE__) + "/../testrc"
diff --git a/test/test_pry_defaults.rb b/test/test_pry_defaults.rb
index 17d0ebd2..503f65be 100644
--- a/test/test_pry_defaults.rb
+++ b/test/test_pry_defaults.rb
@@ -355,17 +355,17 @@ describe "test Pry defaults" do
 
   describe 'toplevel_binding' do
     it 'should be devoid of local variables' do
-      mock_pry(Pry.toplevel_binding, "ls -l").should.not =~ /version/
+      pry_eval(Pry.toplevel_binding, "ls -l").should.not =~ /version/
     end
 
     it 'should have self the same as TOPLEVEL_BINDING' do
-      mock_pry(Pry.toplevel_binding, "self.equal? TOPLEVEL_BINDING.eval('self')").should =~ /=> true/
+      Pry.toplevel_binding.eval('self').should.equal? TOPLEVEL_BINDING.eval('self')
     end
 
     # https://github.com/rubinius/rubinius/issues/1779
     unless Pry::Helpers::BaseHelpers.rbx?
       it 'should define private methods on Object' do
-        mock_pry(TOPLEVEL_BINDING, "def gooey_fooey; end")
+        TOPLEVEL_BINDING.eval 'def gooey_fooey; end'
         method(:gooey_fooey).owner.should == Object
         Pry::Method(method(:gooey_fooey)).visibility.should == :private
       end
diff --git a/test/test_sticky_locals.rb b/test/test_sticky_locals.rb
index 9166b511..b80881b9 100644
--- a/test/test_sticky_locals.rb
+++ b/test/test_sticky_locals.rb
@@ -2,23 +2,27 @@ require 'helper'
 
 describe "Sticky locals (_file_ and friends)" do
   it 'locals should all exist upon initialization' do
-    mock_pry("_file_").should.not =~ /NameError/
-    mock_pry("_dir_").should.not =~ /NameError/
-    mock_pry("_ex_").should.not =~ /NameError/
-    mock_pry("_pry_").should.not =~ /NameError/
-    mock_pry("_").should.not =~ /NameError/
+    proc {
+      pry_eval '_file_', '_dir_', '_ex_', '_pry_', '_'
+    }.should.not.raise(NameError)
   end
 
   it 'locals should still exist after cd-ing into a new context' do
-    mock_pry("cd 0", "_file_").should.not =~ /NameError/
-    mock_pry("cd 0","_dir_").should.not =~ /NameError/
-    mock_pry("cd 0","_ex_").should.not =~ /NameError/
-    mock_pry("cd 0","_pry_").should.not =~ /NameError/
-    mock_pry("cd 0","_").should.not =~ /NameError/
+    proc {
+      pry_eval 'cd 0', '_file_', '_dir_', '_ex_', '_pry_', '_'
+    }.should.not.raise(NameError)
   end
 
-  it 'locals should keep value after cd-ing(_pry_ and _ex_)' do
-    mock_pry("$x = _pry_;", "cd 0", "_pry_ == $x").should =~ /true/
+  it 'locals should keep value after cd-ing (_pry_)' do
+    pry_tester.tap do |t|
+      pry = t.eval '_pry_'
+      t.eval 'cd 0'
+      t.eval('_pry_').should == pry
+    end
+  end
+
+  # Using mock_pry here until we figure out exception handling
+  it 'locals should keep value after cd-ing (_ex_)' do
     mock_pry("error blah;", "$x = _ex_;", "cd 0", "_ex_ == $x").should =~ /true/
   end
 
@@ -27,8 +31,12 @@ describe "Sticky locals (_file_ and friends)" do
       set_file_and_dir_locals("/blah/ostrich.rb")
     end
 
-    mock_pry("file-and-dir-test", "cd 0", "_file_").should =~ /\/blah\/ostrich\.rb/
-    a = mock_pry("file-and-dir-test", "cd 0", "_dir_").should =~ /\/blah/
+    pry_eval('file-and-dir-test', 'cd 0', '_file_').
+      should =~ /\/blah\/ostrich\.rb/
+
+    pry_eval('file-and-dir-test', 'cd 0', '_dir_').
+      should =~ /\/blah/
+
     Pry.commands.delete "file-and-dir-test"
   end