diff --git a/helix-term/tests/integration.rs b/helix-term/tests/integration.rs
index be1bfc2c0..cec374afa 100644
--- a/helix-term/tests/integration.rs
+++ b/helix-term/tests/integration.rs
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ mod test {
 
     use std::path::PathBuf;
 
-    use helix_core::{syntax::AutoPairConfig, Position, Selection};
-    use helix_term::{args::Args, config::Config};
+    use helix_core::{syntax::AutoPairConfig, Selection};
+    use helix_term::config::Config;
 
     use indoc::indoc;
 
diff --git a/helix-term/tests/test/auto_indent.rs b/helix-term/tests/test/auto_indent.rs
index e626acad3..5132d44d9 100644
--- a/helix-term/tests/test/auto_indent.rs
+++ b/helix-term/tests/test/auto_indent.rs
@@ -3,12 +3,7 @@ use super::*;
 #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
 async fn auto_indent_c() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     test_with_config(
-        Args {
-            files: vec![(PathBuf::from("foo.c"), Position::default())],
-            ..Default::default()
-        },
-        helpers::test_config(),
-        helpers::test_syntax_conf(None),
+        AppBuilder::new().with_file("foo.c", None),
         // switches to append mode?
         (
             helpers::platform_line("void foo() {#[|}]#"),
diff --git a/helix-term/tests/test/auto_pairs.rs b/helix-term/tests/test/auto_pairs.rs
index e18c71195..e10e0840b 100644
--- a/helix-term/tests/test/auto_pairs.rs
+++ b/helix-term/tests/test/auto_pairs.rs
@@ -41,9 +41,7 @@ async fn insert_configured_multi_byte_chars() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 
     for (open, close) in pairs.iter() {
         test_with_config(
-            Args::default(),
-            config.clone(),
-            helpers::test_syntax_conf(None),
+            AppBuilder::new().with_config(config.clone()),
             (
                 format!("#[{}|]#", LINE_END),
                 format!("i{}", open),
@@ -53,9 +51,7 @@ async fn insert_configured_multi_byte_chars() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         .await?;
 
         test_with_config(
-            Args::default(),
-            config.clone(),
-            helpers::test_syntax_conf(None),
+            AppBuilder::new().with_config(config.clone()),
             (
                 format!("{}#[{}|]#{}", open, close, LINE_END),
                 format!("i{}", close),
@@ -170,15 +166,13 @@ async fn insert_before_eol() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 async fn insert_auto_pairs_disabled() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     for pair in DEFAULT_PAIRS {
         test_with_config(
-            Args::default(),
-            Config {
+            AppBuilder::new().with_config(Config {
                 editor: helix_view::editor::Config {
                     auto_pairs: AutoPairConfig::Enable(false),
                     ..Default::default()
                 },
                 ..Default::default()
-            },
-            helpers::test_syntax_conf(None),
+            }),
             (
                 format!("#[{}|]#", LINE_END),
                 format!("i{}", pair.0),
diff --git a/helix-term/tests/test/helpers.rs b/helix-term/tests/test/helpers.rs
index 77332fa58..ccd07bfa5 100644
--- a/helix-term/tests/test/helpers.rs
+++ b/helix-term/tests/test/helpers.rs
@@ -178,14 +178,11 @@ pub fn test_syntax_conf(overrides: Option<String>) -> helix_core::syntax::Config
 /// document, selection, and sequence of key presses, and you just
 /// want to verify the resulting document and selection.
 pub async fn test_with_config<T: Into<TestCase>>(
-    args: Args,
-    mut config: Config,
-    syn_conf: helix_core::syntax::Configuration,
+    app_builder: AppBuilder,
     test_case: T,
 ) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let test_case = test_case.into();
-    config = helix_term::keymap::merge_keys(config);
-    let app = Application::new(args, config, syn_conf)?;
+    let app = app_builder.build()?;
 
     test_key_sequence_with_input_text(
         Some(app),
@@ -206,13 +203,7 @@ pub async fn test_with_config<T: Into<TestCase>>(
 }
 
 pub async fn test<T: Into<TestCase>>(test_case: T) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
-    test_with_config(
-        Args::default(),
-        test_config(),
-        test_syntax_conf(None),
-        test_case,
-    )
-    .await
+    test_with_config(AppBuilder::default(), test_case).await
 }
 
 pub fn temp_file_with_contents<S: AsRef<str>>(
@@ -310,7 +301,7 @@ impl AppBuilder {
     // Remove this attribute once `with_config` is used in a test:
     #[allow(dead_code)]
     pub fn with_config(mut self, config: Config) -> Self {
-        self.config = config;
+        self.config = helix_term::keymap::merge_keys(config);
         self
     }
 
diff --git a/helix-term/tests/test/movement.rs b/helix-term/tests/test/movement.rs
index 6cc89021d..e10ec6f5d 100644
--- a/helix-term/tests/test/movement.rs
+++ b/helix-term/tests/test/movement.rs
@@ -413,12 +413,7 @@ async fn cursor_position_append_eof() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
 async fn select_mode_tree_sitter_next_function_is_union_of_objects() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     test_with_config(
-        Args {
-            files: vec![(PathBuf::from("foo.rs"), Position::default())],
-            ..Default::default()
-        },
-        Config::default(),
-        helpers::test_syntax_conf(None),
+        AppBuilder::new().with_file("foo.rs", None),
         (
             helpers::platform_line(indoc! {"\
                 #[/|]#// Increments
@@ -443,12 +438,7 @@ async fn select_mode_tree_sitter_next_function_is_union_of_objects() -> anyhow::
 #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread")]
 async fn select_mode_tree_sitter_prev_function_unselects_object() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     test_with_config(
-        Args {
-            files: vec![(PathBuf::from("foo.rs"), Position::default())],
-            ..Default::default()
-        },
-        Config::default(),
-        helpers::test_syntax_conf(None),
+        AppBuilder::new().with_file("foo.rs", None),
         (
             helpers::platform_line(indoc! {"\
                 /// Increments
@@ -474,12 +464,7 @@ async fn select_mode_tree_sitter_prev_function_unselects_object() -> anyhow::Res
 async fn select_mode_tree_sitter_prev_function_goes_backwards_to_object() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     // Note: the anchor stays put and the head moves back.
     test_with_config(
-        Args {
-            files: vec![(PathBuf::from("foo.rs"), Position::default())],
-            ..Default::default()
-        },
-        Config::default(),
-        helpers::test_syntax_conf(None),
+        AppBuilder::new().with_file("foo.rs", None),
         (
             helpers::platform_line(indoc! {"\
                 /// Increments
@@ -503,12 +488,7 @@ async fn select_mode_tree_sitter_prev_function_goes_backwards_to_object() -> any
     .await?;
 
     test_with_config(
-        Args {
-            files: vec![(PathBuf::from("foo.rs"), Position::default())],
-            ..Default::default()
-        },
-        Config::default(),
-        helpers::test_syntax_conf(None),
+        AppBuilder::new().with_file("foo.rs", None),
         (
             helpers::platform_line(indoc! {"\
                 /// Increments