diff --git a/tests/src/python/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/src/python/CMakeLists.txt
index 4b691f3fb04..965ff172443 100644
--- a/tests/src/python/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/src/python/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ ADD_PYTHON_TEST(PyQGisApp test_qgisapp.py)
 ADD_PYTHON_TEST(PyQgsComposerHtml test_qgscomposerhtml.py)
 ADD_PYTHON_TEST(PyQgsComposerMap  test_qgscomposermap.py)
 ADD_PYTHON_TEST(PyQgsGeometry test_qgsgeometry.py)
+ADD_PYTHON_TEST(PyQgsVectorLayer test_qgsvectorlayer.py)
 ADD_PYTHON_TEST(PyQgsRasterLayer test_qgsrasterlayer.py)
 ADD_PYTHON_TEST(PyQgsRasterFileWriter test_qgsrasterfilewriter.py)
 ADD_PYTHON_TEST(PyQgsMemoryProvider test_qgsmemoryprovider.py)
diff --git a/tests/src/python/test_qgsvectorlayer.py b/tests/src/python/test_qgsvectorlayer.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9b98e20bc73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/src/python/test_qgsvectorlayer.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import os
+import unittest
+
+from PyQt4.QtCore import QDir
+
+from qgis.core import QgsVectorLayer
+from utilities import getQgisTestApp, unitTestDataPath
+
+QGISAPP, CANVAS, IFACE, PARENT = getQgisTestApp()
+
+
+class TestQgsVectorLayer(unittest.TestCase):
+    
+    def test_FeatureCount(self):
+        myPath = os.path.join(unitTestDataPath(), 'lines.shp')
+        myLayer = QgsVectorLayer(myPath, 'Lines', 'ogr')
+        myCount = myLayer.featureCount()
+        myExpectedCount = 6
+        myMessage = '\nExpected: %s\nGot: %s' % (myCount, myExpectedCount)
+        assert myCount == myExpectedCount, myMessage
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()
+
diff --git a/tests/src/python/utilities.py b/tests/src/python/utilities.py
index 8b57438e62d..e8ec45a7f3b 100644
--- a/tests/src/python/utilities.py
+++ b/tests/src/python/utilities.py
@@ -67,8 +67,25 @@ def getQgisTestApp():
 
     if QGISAPP is None:
         myGuiFlag = True  # All test will run qgis in gui mode
-
         QGISAPP = QgsApplication(sys.argv, myGuiFlag)
+        # Note: QGIS_PREFIX_PATH is set by cmake to the output dir
+        if 'QGIS_PREFIX_PATH' in os.environ:
+            myPath = os.environ['QGIS_PREFIX_PATH']
+            myUseDefaultPathFlag = True
+            QGISAPP.setPrefixPath(myPath, myUseDefaultPathFlag)
+
+        if sys.platform.startswith('darwin'):
+            # override resource paths, otherwise looks for Resources in app
+            if 'QGIS_MAC_PKGDATA_DIR' in os.environ:
+                myPkgPath = os.environ['QGIS_MAC_PKGDATA_DIR']
+                QGISAPP.setPkgDataPath(myPkgPath)
+            if 'QGIS_MAC_SVG_DIR'  in os.environ:
+                mySVGPath = os.environ['QGIS_MAC_SVG_DIR']
+                mySVGPaths = QGISAPP.svgPaths()
+                # doesn't get rid of incorrect path, just adds correct one
+                mySVGPaths.prepend(mySVGPath)
+                QGISAPP.setDefaultSvgPaths(mySVGPaths)
+
         QGISAPP.initQgis()
         s = QGISAPP.showSettings()
         print s