diff --git a/scripts/functional_tests.py b/scripts/functional_tests.py
index 065ab538a28..588a45ab01e 100644
--- a/scripts/functional_tests.py
+++ b/scripts/functional_tests.py
@@ -15,10 +15,6 @@ import urllib
 from ConfigParser import SafeConfigParser
 from json import dumps
 
-import nose.core
-import nose.config
-import nose.loader
-import nose.plugins.manager
 from paste import httpserver
 
 galaxy_root = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), os.path.pardir))
@@ -29,8 +25,6 @@ driver_util.configure_environment()
 log = driver_util.build_logger()
 
 from base.api_util import get_master_api_key, get_user_api_key
-from base.nose_util import run
-from base.instrument import StructuredTestDataPlugin
 from base.test_logging import logging_config_file
 from base.tool_shed_util import parse_tool_panel_config
 from functional import database_contexts
@@ -140,10 +134,6 @@ def generate_config_file( input_filename, output_filename, config_items ):
     fh.close()
 
 
-def run_tests( test_config ):
-    return run( test_config )
-
-
 def __copy_database_template( source, db_path ):
     """
     Copy a 'clean' sqlite template database (from file or URL) to specified
@@ -444,12 +434,9 @@ def main():
                     master_api_key=master_api_key,
                     user_api_key=get_user_api_key(),
                 )
-            test_config = nose.config.Config( env=os.environ, ignoreFiles=ignore_files, plugins=nose.plugins.manager.DefaultPluginManager() )
-            test_config.plugins.addPlugin( StructuredTestDataPlugin() )
-            test_config.configure( sys.argv )
-            result = run_tests( test_config )
-            success = result.wasSuccessful()
-            return success
+            return driver_util.nose_config_and_run(
+                ignore_files=ignore_files,
+            )
 
         if testing_migrated_tools or testing_installed_tools:
             shed_tools_dict = {}
diff --git a/test/base/driver_util.py b/test/base/driver_util.py
index a0f3a90adfd..073779538d3 100644
--- a/test/base/driver_util.py
+++ b/test/base/driver_util.py
@@ -1,8 +1,17 @@
 """Scripts for drivers of Galaxy functional tests."""
 
-import tempfile
-import os
 import logging
+import os
+import sys
+import tempfile
+
+import nose.config
+import nose.core
+import nose.loader
+import nose.plugins.manager
+
+from .nose_util import run
+from .instrument import StructuredTestDataPlugin
 
 
 def setup_tool_shed_tmp_dir():
@@ -26,7 +35,36 @@ def build_logger():
     return logging.getLogger("test_driver")
 
 
+def nose_config_and_run( argv=None, env=None, ignore_files=[], plugins=None ):
+    """Setup a nose context and run tests.
+
+    Tests are specified by argv (defaulting to sys.argv).
+    """
+    if env is None:
+        env = os.environ
+    if plugins is None:
+        plugins = nose.plugins.manager.DefaultPluginManager()
+    if argv is None:
+        argv = sys.argv
+
+    test_config = nose.config.Config(
+        env=os.environ,
+        ignoreFiles=ignore_files,
+        plugins=plugins,
+    )
+
+    # Add custom plugin to produce JSON data used by planemo.
+    test_config.plugins.addPlugin( StructuredTestDataPlugin() )
+    test_config.configure( argv )
+
+    result = run( test_config )
+
+    success = result.wasSuccessful()
+    return success
+
+
 __all__ = [
     "configure_environment",
-    "build_logger"
+    "build_logger",
+    "nose_config_and_run",
 ]
diff --git a/test/tool_shed/functional_tests.py b/test/tool_shed/functional_tests.py
index ea5da647f16..d2ca5e9022f 100644
--- a/test/tool_shed/functional_tests.py
+++ b/test/tool_shed/functional_tests.py
@@ -18,10 +18,6 @@ galaxy_root = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), os.path.pa
 sys.path[0:1] = [ os.path.join( galaxy_root, "lib" ), os.path.join( galaxy_root, "test" ) ]
 
 from paste import httpserver
-import nose.config
-import nose.core
-import nose.loader
-import nose.plugins.manager
 
 from base import driver_util
 driver_util.configure_environment()
@@ -36,7 +32,6 @@ from galaxy.app import UniverseApplication as GalaxyUniverseApplication
 from galaxy.util import asbool
 from galaxy.web import buildapp as galaxybuildapp
 
-from base import nose_util
 from functional import database_contexts
 
 default_tool_shed_test_host = "localhost"
@@ -119,10 +114,6 @@ shed_data_manager_conf_xml_template = '''<?xml version="1.0"?>
 '''
 
 
-def run_tests( test_config ):
-    return nose_util.run( test_config )
-
-
 def main():
     # ---- Configuration ------------------------------------------------------
     tool_shed_test_host = os.environ.get( 'TOOL_SHED_TEST_HOST', default_tool_shed_test_host )
@@ -135,7 +126,6 @@ def main():
     tool_shed_test_file_dir = os.environ.get( 'TOOL_SHED_TEST_FILE_DIR', default_tool_shed_test_file_dir )
     if not os.path.isabs( tool_shed_test_file_dir ):
         tool_shed_test_file_dir = tool_shed_test_file_dir
-    ignore_files = ()
     tool_dependency_dir = os.environ.get( 'TOOL_SHED_TOOL_DEPENDENCY_DIR', None )
     use_distributed_object_store = os.environ.get( 'TOOL_SHED_USE_DISTRIBUTED_OBJECT_STORE', False )
     if not os.path.isdir( tool_shed_test_tmp_dir ):
@@ -422,11 +412,7 @@ def main():
         os.environ[ 'GALAXY_TEST_HOST' ] = galaxy_test_host
         if tool_shed_test_file_dir:
             os.environ[ 'TOOL_SHED_TEST_FILE_DIR' ] = tool_shed_test_file_dir
-        test_config = nose.config.Config( env=os.environ, ignoreFiles=ignore_files, plugins=nose.plugins.manager.DefaultPluginManager() )
-        test_config.configure( sys.argv )
-        # Run the tests.
-        result = run_tests( test_config )
-        success = result.wasSuccessful()
+        success = driver_util.nose_config_and_run()
     except:
         log.exception( "Failure running tests" )