diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/Avatar/Inventory/Archiver/Tests/InventoryArchiverTests.cs b/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/Avatar/Inventory/Archiver/Tests/InventoryArchiverTests.cs
index c140ec09d3..01e5ae0c89 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/Avatar/Inventory/Archiver/Tests/InventoryArchiverTests.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/Avatar/Inventory/Archiver/Tests/InventoryArchiverTests.cs
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.CoreModules.Avatar.Inventory.Archiver.Tests
 
             InventoryArchiverModule archiverModule = new InventoryArchiverModule();
 
-            Scene scene = SceneSetupHelpers.SetupScene();
+            Scene scene = SceneSetupHelpers.SetupScene(false);
             SceneSetupHelpers.SetupSceneModules(scene, archiverModule);
             CommunicationsManager cm = scene.CommsManager;
 
@@ -119,6 +119,10 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.CoreModules.Avatar.Inventory.Archiver.Tests
             lock (this)
             {
                 archiverModule.ArchiveInventory(userFirstName, userLastName, "Objects", archiveWriteStream);
+                AssetServerBase assetServer = (AssetServerBase)scene.CommsManager.AssetCache.AssetServer;
+                while (assetServer.HasWaitingRequests())
+                    assetServer.ProcessNextRequest();
+                
                 Monitor.Wait(this, 60000);
             }
 
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/World/Archiver/Tests/ArchiverTests.cs b/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/World/Archiver/Tests/ArchiverTests.cs
index 04c3289186..165a607d52 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/World/Archiver/Tests/ArchiverTests.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/World/Archiver/Tests/ArchiverTests.cs
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ using NUnit.Framework;
 using NUnit.Framework.SyntaxHelpers;
 using OpenMetaverse;
 using OpenSim.Framework;
+using OpenSim.Framework.Communications.Cache;
 using OpenSim.Framework.Serialization;
 using OpenSim.Region.CoreModules.World.Serialiser;
 using OpenSim.Region.CoreModules.World.Terrain;
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.CoreModules.World.Archiver.Tests
             SerialiserModule serialiserModule = new SerialiserModule();
             TerrainModule terrainModule = new TerrainModule();
 
-            Scene scene = SceneSetupHelpers.SetupScene();
+            Scene scene = SceneSetupHelpers.SetupScene(false);
             SceneSetupHelpers.SetupSceneModules(scene, archiverModule, serialiserModule, terrainModule);
 
             SceneObjectPart part1;
@@ -114,6 +115,10 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.CoreModules.World.Archiver.Tests
             lock (this)
             {
                 archiverModule.ArchiveRegion(archiveWriteStream);
+                AssetServerBase assetServer = (AssetServerBase)scene.CommsManager.AssetCache.AssetServer;
+                while (assetServer.HasWaitingRequests())
+                    assetServer.ProcessNextRequest();     
+                
                 Monitor.Wait(this, 60000);
             }
 
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Tests/ScenePresenceTests.cs b/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Tests/ScenePresenceTests.cs
index c7813055cd..c00ef3ce2d 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Tests/ScenePresenceTests.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Tests/ScenePresenceTests.cs
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Framework.Scenes.Tests
         public UUID agent1, agent2, agent3;
         public static Random random;
         public ulong region1,region2,region3;
-        public CommunicationsManager cm;
+        public TestCommunicationsManager cm;
         public AgentCircuitData acd1;
         public SceneObjectGroup sog1, sog2, sog3;
         public TestClient testclient;
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Tests/StandaloneTeleportTests.cs b/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Tests/StandaloneTeleportTests.cs
index 80d2ba9b30..a0c956e167 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Tests/StandaloneTeleportTests.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Tests/StandaloneTeleportTests.cs
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Framework.Scenes.Tests
             
             UUID sceneAId = UUID.Parse("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000100");
             UUID sceneBId = UUID.Parse("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000200");
-            CommunicationsManager cm = new TestCommunicationsManager();
+            TestCommunicationsManager cm = new TestCommunicationsManager();
 
             // shared module
             IRegionModule interregionComms = new RESTInterregionComms();
diff --git a/OpenSim/Tests/Common/Mock/TestCommunicationsManager.cs b/OpenSim/Tests/Common/Mock/TestCommunicationsManager.cs
index 3b39d36a9c..93891c031d 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Tests/Common/Mock/TestCommunicationsManager.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Tests/Common/Mock/TestCommunicationsManager.cs
@@ -60,8 +60,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Tests.Common.Mock
             m_inventoryDataPlugin = new TestInventoryDataPlugin();
 
             SQLAssetServer assetService = new SQLAssetServer(new TestAssetDataPlugin());  
-            m_assetCache = new AssetCache(assetService);
-            m_assetCache.AssetServer.Start();
+            m_assetCache = new AssetCache(assetService);            
             
             LocalInventoryService lis = new LocalInventoryService();
             lis.AddPlugin(m_inventoryDataPlugin);
@@ -76,5 +75,13 @@ namespace OpenSim.Tests.Common.Mock
             LocalBackEndServices gs = new LocalBackEndServices();
             m_gridService = gs;
         }
+        
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Start services that take care of business using their own threads.
+        /// </summary>
+        public void StartServices()
+        {
+            m_assetCache.AssetServer.Start();            
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/OpenSim/Tests/Common/Setup/SceneSetupHelpers.cs b/OpenSim/Tests/Common/Setup/SceneSetupHelpers.cs
index 3bcd949c03..ea4f0af54c 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Tests/Common/Setup/SceneSetupHelpers.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Tests/Common/Setup/SceneSetupHelpers.cs
@@ -52,10 +52,39 @@ namespace OpenSim.Tests.Common.Setup
         /// <summary>
         /// Set up a test scene
         /// </summary>
+        /// 
+        /// Automatically starts service threads, as would the normal runtime.
+        /// 
         /// <returns></returns>
         public static TestScene SetupScene()
         {
-            return SetupScene("Unit test region", UUID.Random(), 1000, 1000, new TestCommunicationsManager());
+            return SetupScene(true);
+        }
+        
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Set up a test scene
+        /// </summary>
+        /// 
+        /// <param name="startServices">Start associated service threads for the scene</param>
+        /// <returns></returns>
+        public static TestScene SetupScene(bool startServices)
+        {
+            return SetupScene(
+                "Unit test region", UUID.Random(), 1000, 1000, new TestCommunicationsManager(), startServices);
+        }
+        
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Set up a test scene
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="name">Name of the region</param>
+        /// <param name="id">ID of the region</param>
+        /// <param name="x">X co-ordinate of the region</param>
+        /// <param name="y">Y co-ordinate of the region</param>
+        /// <param name="cm">This should be the same if simulating two scenes within a standalone</param>
+        /// <returns></returns>
+        public static TestScene SetupScene(string name, UUID id, uint x, uint y, TestCommunicationsManager cm)
+        {
+            return SetupScene(name, id, x, y, cm, true);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -66,8 +95,10 @@ namespace OpenSim.Tests.Common.Setup
         /// <param name="x">X co-ordinate of the region</param>
         /// <param name="y">Y co-ordinate of the region</param>
         /// <param name="cm">This should be the same if simulating two scenes within a standalone</param>
+        /// <param name="startServices">Start associated threads for the services used by the scene</param>
         /// <returns></returns>
-        public static TestScene SetupScene(string name, UUID id, uint x, uint y, CommunicationsManager cm)
+        public static TestScene SetupScene(
+            string name, UUID id, uint x, uint y, TestCommunicationsManager cm, bool startServices)
         {
             Console.WriteLine("Setting up test scene {0}", name);
             
@@ -102,6 +133,9 @@ namespace OpenSim.Tests.Common.Setup
             testScene.PhysicsScene
                 = physicsPluginManager.GetPhysicsScene("basicphysics", "ZeroMesher", configSource, "test");
 
+            if (startServices)
+                cm.StartServices();
+            
             return testScene;
         }