diff --git a/qubes/tests/__init__.py b/qubes/tests/__init__.py
index 031c8493..a481f393 100644
--- a/qubes/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/qubes/tests/__init__.py
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ import lxml.etree
 import qubes.config
 import qubes.events
 
+XMLPATH = '/var/lib/qubes/qubes-test.xml'
+TEMPLATE = 'fedora-21'
 VMPREFIX = 'test-'
 
 
@@ -360,8 +362,10 @@ class SystemTestsMixin(object):
         return VMPREFIX + name
 
 
-    def _remove_vm_qubes(self, vm):
+    @staticmethod
+    def _remove_vm_qubes(vm):
         vmname = vm.name
+        app = vm.app
 
         try:
             # XXX .is_running() may throw libvirtError if undefined
@@ -377,16 +381,20 @@ class SystemTestsMixin(object):
 
         try:
             vm.libvirt_domain.undefine()
-        except libvirt.libvirtError:
+        except (AttributeError, libvirt.libvirtError):
             pass
 
-        del self.app.domains[vm]
+        del app.domains[vm]
         del vm
 
+        app.save()
+        del app
+
         # Now ensure it really went away. This may not have happened,
         # for example if vm.libvirt_domain malfunctioned.
         try:
-            dom = self.conn.lookupByName(vmname)
+            conn = libvirt.open(qubes.config.defaults['libvirt_uri'])
+            dom = conn.lookupByName(vmname)
         except: # pylint: disable=bare-except
             pass
         else:
@@ -422,7 +430,6 @@ class SystemTestsMixin(object):
     def remove_vms(self, vms):
         for vm in vms:
             self._remove_vm_qubes(vm)
-        self.save_and_reload_db()
 
 
     def remove_test_vms(self):
@@ -436,16 +443,14 @@ class SystemTestsMixin(object):
         '''
 
         # first, remove them Qubes-way
-        something_removed = False
-        for vm in self.app.domains:
-            if vm.name.startswith(VMPREFIX):
-                self._remove_vm_qubes(vm)
-                something_removed = True
-        if something_removed:
-            self.save_and_reload_db()
+        if os.path.exists(XMLPATH):
+            self.remove_vms(vm for vm in qubes.Qubes(XMLPATH).domains
+                if vm.name != TEMPLATE)
+            os.unlink(XMLPATH)
 
         # now remove what was only in libvirt
-        for dom in self.conn.listAllDomains():
+        conn = libvirt.open(qubes.config.defaults['libvirt_uri'])
+        for dom in conn.listAllDomains():
             if dom.name().startswith(VMPREFIX):
                 self._remove_vm_libvirt(dom)
 
@@ -478,13 +483,16 @@ def load_tests(loader, tests, pattern): # pylint: disable=unused-argument
             'qubes.tests.tools',
 
             # integration tests
-#           'qubes.tests.init.basic',
+#           'qubes.tests.int.basic',
 #           'qubes.tests.dom0_update',
 #           'qubes.tests.network',
 #           'qubes.tests.vm_qrexec_gui',
 #           'qubes.tests.backup',
 #           'qubes.tests.backupcompatibility',
 #           'qubes.tests.regressions',
+
+            # tool tests
+            'qubes.tests.int.tools.qubes_create',
             ):
         tests.addTests(loader.loadTestsFromName(modname))
 
diff --git a/qubes/tests/int/__init__.py b/qubes/tests/int/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/tests/basic.py b/qubes/tests/int/basic.py
similarity index 93%
rename from tests/basic.py
rename to qubes/tests/int/basic.py
index 7ed8151e..5d7593f9 100644
--- a/tests/basic.py
+++ b/qubes/tests/int/basic.py
@@ -12,12 +12,12 @@
 # it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
 # the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
 # (at your option) any later version.
-# 
+#
 # This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
 # but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
 # MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
 # GNU General Public License for more details.
-# 
+#
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
 # with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 # 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
@@ -31,13 +31,26 @@ import unittest
 import time
 from qubes.qubes import QubesVmCollection, QubesException, system_path
 
-import qubes.qubes
+import qubes
+import qubes.vm.qubesvm
 import qubes.tests
 
 class TC_00_Basic(qubes.tests.SystemTestsMixin, qubes.tests.QubesTestCase):
-    def test_000_create(self):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.app = qubes.Qubes.create_empty_store(qubes.tests.XMLPATH)
+
+    def test_000_qubes_create(self):
+        self.assertIsInstance(self.app, qubes.Qubes)
+
+    def test_001_qvm_create_default_template(self):
+        self.app.add_new_vm
+
+
+    def test_100_qvm_create(self):
+        app = qubes.Qubes(qubes.tests.XMLPATH)
         vmname = self.make_vm_name('appvm')
-        vm = self.qc.add_new_vm('QubesAppVm',
+
+        vm = app.add_new_vm(qubes.vm.appvm.AppVM,
             name=vmname, template=self.qc.get_default_template())
 
         self.assertIsNotNone(vm)
diff --git a/qubes/tests/int/tools/__init__.py b/qubes/tests/int/tools/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/qubes/tests/int/tools/qubes_create.py b/qubes/tests/int/tools/qubes_create.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d7dfb777
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qubes/tests/int/tools/qubes_create.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python2 -O
+# vim: fileencoding=utf-8
+
+#
+# The Qubes OS Project, https://www.qubes-os.org/
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2015  Joanna Rutkowska <joanna@invisiblethingslab.com>
+# Copyright (C) 2015  Wojtek Porczyk <woju@invisiblethingslab.com>
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
+# with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+# 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+#
+
+
+import qubes
+import qubes.tools.qubes_create
+
+import qubes.tests
+
+@qubes.tests.skipUnlessDom0
+class TC_00_qubes_create(qubes.tests.SystemTestsMixin, qubes.tests.QubesTestCase):
+    def test_000_basic(self):
+        self.assertEqual(0,
+            qubes.tools.qubes_create.main((
+                '--qubesxml', qubes.tests.XMLPATH,
+                )))
+
+    def test_001_property(self):
+        self.assertEqual(0,
+            qubes.tools.qubes_create.main((
+                '--qubesxml', qubes.tests.XMLPATH,
+                '--property', 'default_kernel=testkernel'
+                )))
+
+        self.assertEqual('testkernel',
+            qubes.Qubes(qubes.tests.XMLPATH).default_kernel)
diff --git a/rpm_spec/core-dom0.spec b/rpm_spec/core-dom0.spec
index 1e8a61e9..53f8a7fb 100644
--- a/rpm_spec/core-dom0.spec
+++ b/rpm_spec/core-dom0.spec
@@ -253,6 +253,14 @@ fi
 %{python_sitelib}/qubes/tests/tools/init.py*
 %{python_sitelib}/qubes/tests/tools/qvm_ls.py*
 
+%dir %{python_sitelib}/qubes/tests/int
+%{python_sitelib}/qubes/tests/int/__init__.py*
+%{python_sitelib}/qubes/tests/int/basic.py*
+
+%dir %{python_sitelib}/qubes/tests/int/tools
+%{python_sitelib}/qubes/tests/int/tools/__init__.py*
+%{python_sitelib}/qubes/tests/int/tools/qubes_create.py*
+
 %dir %{python_sitelib}/qubes/qmemman
 %{python_sitelib}/qubes/qmemman/__init__.py*
 %{python_sitelib}/qubes/qmemman/algo.py*