diff --git a/tasks/gulp-tests.js b/tasks/gulp-tests.js
index e3b469a9a2..704b0fc2a2 100644
--- a/tasks/gulp-tests.js
+++ b/tasks/gulp-tests.js
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@ const TEST_DB           = 'habitrpg_test'
 
 const TEST_DB_URI       = `mongodb://localhost/${TEST_DB}`
 
+const API_TEST_COMMAND = 'mocha test/api';
+const COMMON_TEST_COMMAND = 'mocha test/common';
+const KARMA_TEST_COMMAND = 'karma start';
+const SERVER_SIDE_TEST_COMMAND = 'mocha test/server_side';
+
+const INSTANBUL_TEST_COMMAND = `istanbul cover -i "website/src/**" --dir coverage/api $(npm bin)/${API_TEST_COMMAND}`;
+
 /* Helper methods for reporting test summary */
 let testResults = [];
 let testCount = (stdout, regexp) => {
@@ -46,7 +53,7 @@ gulp.task('test:prepare', [
 
 gulp.task('test:common', ['test:prepare:build'], (cb) => {
   let runner = exec(
-    testBin('mocha test/common'),
+    testBin(COMMON_TEST_COMMAND),
     (err, stdout, stderr) => {
     	cb(err);
     }
@@ -55,7 +62,7 @@ gulp.task('test:common', ['test:prepare:build'], (cb) => {
 });
 
 gulp.task('test:common:clean', (cb) => {
-  pipe(exec(testBin("mocha test/common"), () => cb()));
+  pipe(exec(testBin(COMMON_TEST_COMMAND), () => cb()));
 });
 
 gulp.task('test:common:watch', ['test:common:clean'], () => {
@@ -64,7 +71,7 @@ gulp.task('test:common:watch', ['test:common:clean'], () => {
 
 gulp.task('test:common:safe', ['test:prepare:build'], (cb) => {
   let runner = exec(
-    testBin('mocha test/common'),
+    testBin(COMMON_TEST_COMMAND),
     (err, stdout, stderr) => {
       testResults.push({
         suite: 'Common Specs\t',
@@ -80,7 +87,7 @@ gulp.task('test:common:safe', ['test:prepare:build'], (cb) => {
 
 gulp.task('test:server_side', ['test:prepare:build'], (cb) => {
   let runner = exec(
-    testBin('mocha test/server_side'),
+    testBin(SERVER_SIDE_TEST_COMMAND),
     (err, stdout, stderr) => {
     	cb(err);
     }
@@ -90,7 +97,7 @@ gulp.task('test:server_side', ['test:prepare:build'], (cb) => {
 
 gulp.task('test:server_side:safe', ['test:prepare:build'], (cb) => {
   let runner = exec(
-    testBin('mocha test/server_side'),
+    testBin(SERVER_SIDE_TEST_COMMAND),
     (err, stdout, stderr) => {
       testResults.push({
         suite: 'Server Side Specs',
@@ -106,7 +113,7 @@ gulp.task('test:server_side:safe', ['test:prepare:build'], (cb) => {
 
 gulp.task('test:api', ['test:prepare:mongo'], (cb) => {
   let runner = exec(
-    testBin("istanbul cover -i 'website/src/**' --dir coverage/api ./node_modules/.bin/_mocha -- test/api"),
+    testBin(INSTANBUL_TEST_COMMAND),
     (err, stdout, stderr) => {
       cb(err);
     }
@@ -116,7 +123,7 @@ gulp.task('test:api', ['test:prepare:mongo'], (cb) => {
 
 gulp.task('test:api:safe', ['test:prepare:mongo'], (cb) => {
   let runner = exec(
-    testBin("istanbul cover -i 'website/src/**' --dir coverage/api ./node_modules/.bin/_mocha -- test/api"),
+    testBin(INSTANBUL_TEST_COMMAND),
     (err, stdout, stderr) => {
       testResults.push({
         suite: 'API Specs\t',
@@ -131,7 +138,7 @@ gulp.task('test:api:safe', ['test:prepare:mongo'], (cb) => {
 });
 
 gulp.task('test:api:clean', (cb) => {
-  pipe(exec(testBin("mocha test/api"), () => cb()));
+  pipe(exec(testBin(API_TEST_COMMAND), () => cb()));
 });
 
 gulp.task('test:api:watch', [
@@ -143,7 +150,7 @@ gulp.task('test:api:watch', [
 
 gulp.task('test:karma', ['test:prepare:build'], (cb) => {
   let runner = exec(
-    testBin('karma start --single-run'),
+    testBin(`${KARMA_TEST_COMMAND} --single-run`),
     (err, stdout) => {
     	cb(err);
     }
@@ -153,7 +160,7 @@ gulp.task('test:karma', ['test:prepare:build'], (cb) => {
 
 gulp.task('test:karma:watch', ['test:prepare:build'], (cb) => {
   let runner = exec(
-    testBin('karma start'),
+    testBin(KARMA_TEST_COMMAND),
     (err, stdout) => {
     	cb(err);
     }
@@ -163,7 +170,7 @@ gulp.task('test:karma:watch', ['test:prepare:build'], (cb) => {
 
 gulp.task('test:karma:safe', ['test:prepare:build'], (cb) => {
   let runner = exec(
-    testBin('karma start --single-run'),
+    testBin(`${KARMA_TEST_COMMAND} --single-run`),
     (err, stdout) => {
       testResults.push({
         suite: 'Karma Specs\t',