diff --git a/tasks/gulp-tests.js b/tasks/gulp-tests.js
index 50e70a4ecd..0ef0e2a9cf 100644
--- a/tasks/gulp-tests.js
+++ b/tasks/gulp-tests.js
@@ -4,18 +4,19 @@ import mongoose                   from 'mongoose';
 import { exec }                   from 'child_process';
 import psTree                     from 'ps-tree';
 import gulp                       from 'gulp';
-import {sync as glob}             from 'glob';
+import { sync as glob }           from 'glob';
 import Q                          from 'q';
 import Mocha                      from 'mocha';
+import { resolve }                from 'path';
 
 const TEST_SERVER_PORT  = 3001
 const TEST_DB           = 'habitrpg_test'
 
 const TEST_DB_URI       = `mongodb://localhost/${TEST_DB}`
 
-const API_TEST_COMMAND = 'mocha test/api';
+const API_TEST_COMMAND = 'mocha test/api --opts test/content/mocha.api.opts';
 const LEGACY_API_TEST_COMMAND = 'mocha test/api-legacy';
-const COMMON_TEST_COMMAND = 'mocha test/common';
+const COMMON_TEST_COMMAND = 'mocha test/common --compilers coffee:coffee-script';
 const CONTENT_TEST_COMMAND = 'mocha test/content --opts test/content/mocha.content.opts';
 const CONTENT_OPTIONS = {maxBuffer: 1024 * 500};
 const KARMA_TEST_COMMAND = 'karma start';
@@ -315,7 +316,7 @@ gulp.task('test:api:safe', ['test:startServer', 'test:prepare:mongo'], (done) =>
 gulp.task('test:startServer', (done) => {
   process.env.NODE_DB_URI = `mongodb://localhost/${TEST_DB}-api`;
   process.env.DISABLE_REQUEST_LOGGING = true;
-  process.env.PORT = 3002;
+  process.env.PORT = 3003;
 
   let server = require('../website/src/server.js');
   server.listen(TEST_SERVER_PORT, done);
diff --git a/test/api/mocha.api.opts b/test/api/mocha.api.opts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..57f495b3be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/api/mocha.api.opts
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+--colors
+--reporter spec
+--timeout 8000
+--check-leaks
+--growl
+--compilers js:babel/register
+--require ./test/helpers/api.helper.js
diff --git a/test/helpers/api.helper.js b/test/helpers/api.helper.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bf1e0b34ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/helpers/api.helper.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+require('./globals.helper');
diff --git a/test/mocha.opts b/test/mocha.opts
index 3ebc76edfc..9515b9d65a 100644
--- a/test/mocha.opts
+++ b/test/mocha.opts
@@ -4,6 +4,4 @@
 --check-leaks
 --growl
 --debug
---compilers coffee:coffee-script
 --globals io
---require test/api-legacy/api-helper