diff --git a/http/http_test.go b/http/http_test.go
index 12e366b9bd..fe0ff2b309 100644
--- a/http/http_test.go
+++ b/http/http_test.go
@@ -8,34 +8,9 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"testing"
 
-	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/physical"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/vault"
 )
 
-func testCore(t *testing.T) *vault.Core {
-	physicalBackend := physical.NewInmem()
-	c, err := vault.NewCore(&vault.CoreConfig{
-		Physical: physicalBackend,
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	return c
-}
-
-func testCoreInit(t *testing.T, core *vault.Core) [][]byte {
-	result, err := core.Initialize(&vault.SealConfig{
-		SecretShares:    1,
-		SecretThreshold: 1,
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
-	}
-
-	return result.SecretShares
-}
-
 func testServer(t *testing.T, core *vault.Core) (net.Listener, string) {
 	ln, err := net.Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:0")
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/http/sys_init_test.go b/http/sys_init_test.go
index f88a7a8759..5e06f500d5 100644
--- a/http/sys_init_test.go
+++ b/http/sys_init_test.go
@@ -5,10 +5,12 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/vault"
 )
 
 func TestSysInit_get(t *testing.T) {
-	core := testCore(t)
+	core := vault.TestCore(t)
 	ln, addr := testServer(t, core)
 	defer ln.Close()
 
@@ -30,7 +32,7 @@ func TestSysInit_get(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	testCoreInit(t, core)
+	vault.TestCoreInit(t, core)
 
 	{
 		// Post-init
@@ -52,7 +54,7 @@ func TestSysInit_get(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSysInit_put(t *testing.T) {
-	core := testCore(t)
+	core := vault.TestCore(t)
 	ln, addr := testServer(t, core)
 	defer ln.Close()
 
diff --git a/http/sys_seal_test.go b/http/sys_seal_test.go
index c4543f19a3..19a8a21039 100644
--- a/http/sys_seal_test.go
+++ b/http/sys_seal_test.go
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/vault"
 )
 
 func TestSysSealStatus(t *testing.T) {
-	core := testCore(t)
-	testCoreInit(t, core)
+	core := vault.TestCore(t)
+	vault.TestCoreInit(t, core)
 	ln, addr := testServer(t, core)
 	defer ln.Close()
 
@@ -33,8 +35,8 @@ func TestSysSealStatus(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSysSeal(t *testing.T) {
-	core := testCore(t)
-	testCoreInit(t, core)
+	core := vault.TestCore(t)
+	vault.TestCoreInit(t, core)
 	ln, addr := testServer(t, core)
 	defer ln.Close()
 
@@ -51,11 +53,11 @@ func TestSysSeal(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSysSeal_unsealed(t *testing.T) {
-	core := testCore(t)
+	core := vault.TestCore(t)
 	ln, addr := testServer(t, core)
 	defer ln.Close()
 
-	keys := testCoreInit(t, core)
+	keys := vault.TestCoreInit(t, core)
 	if _, err := core.Unseal(keys[0]); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
 	}
@@ -73,8 +75,8 @@ func TestSysSeal_unsealed(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSysUnseal(t *testing.T) {
-	core := testCore(t)
-	keys := testCoreInit(t, core)
+	core := vault.TestCore(t)
+	keys := vault.TestCoreInit(t, core)
 	ln, addr := testServer(t, core)
 	defer ln.Close()
 
@@ -97,8 +99,8 @@ func TestSysUnseal(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSysUnseal_badKey(t *testing.T) {
-	core := testCore(t)
-	testCoreInit(t, core)
+	core := vault.TestCore(t)
+	vault.TestCoreInit(t, core)
 	ln, addr := testServer(t, core)
 	defer ln.Close()
 
diff --git a/vault/testing.go b/vault/testing.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7bf93c6d03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vault/testing.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package vault
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/physical"
+)
+
+// This file contains a number of methods that are useful for unit
+// tests within other packages.
+
+// TestCore returns a pure in-memory, uninitialized core for testing.
+func TestCore(t *testing.T) *Core {
+	physicalBackend := physical.NewInmem()
+	c, err := NewCore(&CoreConfig{
+		Physical: physicalBackend,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	return c
+}
+
+// TestCoreInit initializes the core with a single key, and returns
+// the list of keys that must be used to unseal the core.
+func TestCoreInit(t *testing.T, core *Core) [][]byte {
+	result, err := core.Initialize(&SealConfig{
+		SecretShares:    1,
+		SecretThreshold: 1,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	return result.SecretShares
+}