diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/Preferences.java b/app/src/processing/app/Preferences.java
index 5117d5436..d3f85a118 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/Preferences.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/Preferences.java
@@ -129,6 +129,14 @@ public class Preferences {
   }
 
 
+  /**
+   * For testing, pretend to load preferences without a real file.
+   */
+  static public void skipInit() {
+    initalized = true;
+  }
+
+
   static void handleProxy(String protocol, String hostProp, String portProp) {
     String proxyHost = get("proxy." + protocol + ".host");
     String proxyPort = get("proxy." + protocol + ".port");
diff --git a/java/test/processing/mode/java/ProcessingTestUtil.java b/java/test/processing/mode/java/ProcessingTestUtil.java
index cd8e43e9e..40c7dde34 100644
--- a/java/test/processing/mode/java/ProcessingTestUtil.java
+++ b/java/test/processing/mode/java/ProcessingTestUtil.java
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ public class ProcessingTestUtil {
   static void init() {
     // noop; just causes class to be loaded
   }
-  
+
   private static final String RESOURCES = "test/resources/";
   private static final String RESOURCES_UP_DIR = "../java/test/resources";
   static final UTCompiler COMPILER;
@@ -64,9 +64,10 @@ public class ProcessingTestUtil {
 
     return normalize(out);
   }
-  
+
   static String format(final File resource)
   {
+    Preferences.skipInit();
     return format(read(resource));
   }