diff --git a/tests/frontend/helper.js b/tests/frontend/helper.js
index 1e2f201b7..0d29a31f2 100644
--- a/tests/frontend/helper.js
+++ b/tests/frontend/helper.js
@@ -1,80 +1,99 @@
 var testHelper = {};
 
 (function(){
-	var $iframeContainer = $("#iframe-container"), $iframe;
+  var $iframeContainer, $iframe;
 
-	testHelper.randomString = function randomString(len)
-	{
-	  var chars = "0123456789ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz";
-	  var randomstring = '';
-	  for (var i = 0; i < len; i++)
-	  {
-	    var rnum = Math.floor(Math.random() * chars.length);
-	    randomstring += chars.substring(rnum, rnum + 1);
-	  }
-	  return randomstring;
-	}
+  testHelper.init = function(){
+    $iframeContainer = $("#iframe-container");
+  }
 
-	testHelper.newPad = function(cb){
-	  var padName = "FRONTEND_TEST_" + testHelper.randomString(20);
-    $iframe = $("<iframe src='/p/" + padName + "'></iframe>")
+  testHelper.randomString = function randomString(len)
+  {
+    var chars = "0123456789ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz";
+    var randomstring = '';
+    for (var i = 0; i < len; i++)
+    {
+      var rnum = Math.floor(Math.random() * chars.length);
+      randomstring += chars.substring(rnum, rnum + 1);
+    }
+    return randomstring;
+  }
 
-	  $iframeContainer.empty().append($iframe);
+  testHelper.newPad = function(cb){
+    var padName = "FRONTEND_TEST_" + testHelper.randomString(20);
+    $iframe = $("<iframe src='/p/" + padName + "'></iframe>");
+
+    $iframeContainer.empty().append($iframe);
 
     var checkInterval;
     $iframe.load(function(){
-	    checkInterval = setInterval(function(){
-	      var loaded = false;
+      checkInterval = setInterval(function(){
+        var loaded = false;
 
-	      try {
-	      	//check if loading div is hidden
-	        loaded = !testHelper.$getPadChrome().find("#editorloadingbox").is(":visible");
-	      } catch(e){}
+        try {
+          //check if loading div is hidden
+          loaded = !testHelper.$getPadChrome().find("#editorloadingbox").is(":visible");
+        } catch(e){}
 
-	      if(loaded){
-	      	clearTimeout(timeout);
-	        clearInterval(checkInterval);
+        if(loaded){
+          clearTimeout(timeout);
+          clearInterval(checkInterval);
 
-	        cb(null, {name: padName});
-	      }
-	    }, 100);
-	  });
+          cb(null, {name: padName});
+        }
+      }, 100);
+    });
 
     var timeout = setTimeout(function(){
-    	if(checkInterval) clearInterval(checkInterval);
+      if(checkInterval) clearInterval(checkInterval);
       cb(new Error("Pad didn't load in 10 seconds"));
     }, 10000);
 
-	  return padName;
-	}
+    return padName;
+  }
 
-	testHelper.$getPadChrome = function(){
-		return $iframe.contents()
-	}
+  testHelper.$getPadChrome = function(){
+    var win = $iframe[0].contentWindow;
+    var $content = $iframe.contents();
+    $content.window = win;
 
-	testHelper.$getPadOuter = function(){
-		return testHelper.$getPadChrome().find('iframe.[name="ace_outer"]').contents();
-	}
+    return $content;
+  }
 
-	testHelper.$getPadInner = function(){
-    return testHelper.$getPadOuter().find('iframe.[name="ace_inner"]').contents();
-	}
+  testHelper.$getPadOuter = function(){
+    var $iframe = testHelper.$getPadChrome().find('iframe.[name="ace_outer"]');
+    var win = $iframe[0].contentWindow;
+    var $content = $iframe.contents();
+    $content.window = win;
+
+    return $content;
+  }
+
+  testHelper.$getPadInner = function(){
+    var $iframe = testHelper.$getPadOuter().find('iframe.[name="ace_inner"]');
+    var win = $iframe[0].contentWindow;
+    var $content = $iframe.contents();
+    $content.window = win;
+
+    return $content;
+  }
 
   // copied from http://stackoverflow.com/questions/985272/jquery-selecting-text-in-an-element-akin-to-highlighting-with-your-mouse
-	testHelper.selectText = function(element){
-    var doc = document, range, selection;
+  // selects the whole dom element you give it
+  testHelper.selectText = function(element, $iframe){
+    var doc = $iframe[0], win = $iframe.window, range, selection;
 
     if (doc.body.createTextRange) { //ms
         range = doc.body.createTextRange();
         range.moveToElementText(element);
         range.select();
-    } else if (window.getSelection) { //all others
-        selection = window.getSelection();        
+    } else if (win.getSelection) { //all others
+        selection = win.getSelection();        
         range = doc.createRange();
         range.selectNodeContents(element);
         selection.removeAllRanges();
         selection.addRange(range);
     }
-	}
+  }
 })()
 
diff --git a/tests/frontend/lib/mocha.js b/tests/frontend/lib/mocha.js
index f67fd0263..5f2da0139 100644
--- a/tests/frontend/lib/mocha.js
+++ b/tests/frontend/lib/mocha.js
@@ -4856,8 +4856,8 @@ process.on = function(e, fn){
     var options = mocha.options;
     mocha.globals('location');
 
-    var query = Mocha.utils.parseQuery(window.location.search || '');
-    if (query.grep) mocha.grep(query.grep);
+    //var query = Mocha.utils.parseQuery(window.location.search || '');
+    //if (query.grep) mocha.grep(query.grep);
 
     return Mocha.prototype.run.call(mocha, function(){
       Mocha.utils.highlightTags('code');
diff --git a/tests/frontend/runner.js b/tests/frontend/runner.js
index 042f6c914..d2b2822f8 100644
--- a/tests/frontend/runner.js
+++ b/tests/frontend/runner.js
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
-(function(){
-	//allow iframe access
-	document.domain = document.domain;
+$(function(){
+  //allow cross iframe access
+  document.domain = document.domain;
 
-  //start test framework
-  mocha.run();
-})()
\ No newline at end of file
+  //initalize the test helper
+  testHelper.init();
+
+  //configure and start the test framework
+  mocha.ignoreLeaks();
+	mocha.run();
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/frontend/specs/button_bold.js b/tests/frontend/specs/button_bold.js
index 0898ea085..148fd3638 100644
--- a/tests/frontend/specs/button_bold.js
+++ b/tests/frontend/specs/button_bold.js
@@ -5,14 +5,14 @@ describe("bold button", function(){
   });
 
   it("makes text bold", function() {
-  	//get the inner iframe
+    //get the inner iframe
     var $inner = testHelper.$getPadInner();
     
     //get the first text element out of the inner iframe
     var firstTextElement = $inner.find("div").first();
     
     //select this text element
-    testHelper.selectText(firstTextElement[0]);
+    testHelper.selectText(firstTextElement[0], $inner);
 
     //get the bold button and click it
     var $boldButton = testHelper.$getPadChrome().find(".buttonicon-bold");