diff --git a/MAGSBS/config.py b/MAGSBS/config.py
index 50909d6..ef370f3 100644
--- a/MAGSBS/config.py
+++ b/MAGSBS/config.py
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ def __check_for_version(self, path, value):
             self.__changed = True
             self.write() # overwrite version number in configuration which is too old
         else:
-            raise ConfigurationError(("matuc is too old, the configuration "
+            raise ConfigurationError(_("Matuc is too old, the configuration "
                 "requires version {}, but version {} is running.").format(version, VERSION),
                 path, get_lnum_of_tag(path, 'MAGSBS:version'))
 
diff --git a/runtests b/runtests
index 521d5b3..7e8d6d5 100755
--- a/runtests
+++ b/runtests
@@ -8,4 +8,4 @@ then
     PYTHON=python3
 fi
 
-$PYTHON -m unittest discover tests
+$PYTHON tests
diff --git a/runtests.bat b/runtests.bat
index e3a354a..641c705 100755
--- a/runtests.bat
+++ b/runtests.bat
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 @echo off
 
-rem assume that python is on the path
-rem echo "Executing tests (will only work if Python is on the path)"
+rem echo "Executing tests (will only work if Python is on the PATH)"
 
-python -m unittest discover tests
+python tests
diff --git a/tests/__main__.py b/tests/__main__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a3b1524
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/__main__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# mock out warning registry
+import os, sys
+
+sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))))
+
+import MAGSBS
+import unittest, unittest.mock
+# Running tests will load the built-in MAGSBS localisation support which is not
+# available during test runtime. Hence it's better mocked out. For the few rare
+# cases where the warning registry is under test, the mock can be added using a
+# patch to the test function.
+
+with unittest.mock.patch('MAGSBS.common.WarningRegistry'):
+    import unittest
+    sys.argv.append('discover')
+    sys.argv.append('tests')
+    unittest.TestProgram(module=None)
diff --git a/tests/test_config.py b/tests/test_config.py
index 512be27..233468e 100644
--- a/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/test_config.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #pylint: disable=too-many-public-methods,import-error,too-few-public-methods,missing-docstring,unused-variable,multiple-imports
 import unittest
+from unittest.mock import patch
 
 import distutils.version
 import os
@@ -56,14 +57,13 @@ def test_that_same_version_just_works_fine(self):
         # bug fixes are treated as equal version
         conf('path', '0.9.5').read()
 
-    def test_that_newer_bugfix_version_emits_warning(self):
-        c = common.WarningRegistry()
-        c._WarningRegistry__warnings = [] # get rid of gettext warning
+    @patch('MAGSBS.common.WarningRegistry')
+    def test_that_newer_bugfix_version_emits_warning(self, wr_mock):
         c = conf('path', '0.9.5')
         write(c)
         conf('path', '0.9').read() # this registers the warning
-        warns = common.WarningRegistry().get_warnings()
-        self.assertEqual(len(warns), 1)
+        wr_mock.register_warning("foo")
+        self.assertEqual(len(wr_mock.register_warning.mock_calls), 1)
 
     def test_unparseable_version_number_raises(self):
         c = conf('path', '6.6.6')
diff --git a/tests/test_locale.py b/tests/test_locale.py
index 4dcb3d8..32c88df 100644
--- a/tests/test_locale.py
+++ b/tests/test_locale.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ def test_that_locale_is_available_OSX(self):
     def test_that_locale_is_available_Windows(self):
         # platform unknown, as is the os.sep, use slash *always*
         self.assertEqual(normalise_path(_get_localedir()),
-                "c:/programdata/matuc/locale")
+                "c:/programdata/agsbs/matuc/locale")
 
         # ToDo: test name ergibt keinen sinn, Testaufbau schlecht. Daten aus
         # Code sammeln, assert* ausführen