diff --git a/tests/engine_test.c b/tests/engine_test.c
index 15b6e4a..c999dab 100644
--- a/tests/engine_test.c
+++ b/tests/engine_test.c
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ vietnamese_state_lifetime(struct ct *t)
 	Str com;
 
 	init();
-	im.l = &testvi;
+	im.l = getlang(LangVI);
 	im.pre = mkstr("as");
 	im.raw = mkstr("as");
 	sclear(&com);
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ vietnamese_state_lifetime(struct ct *t)
 	CT_EQ_INT(t, 0, im.raw.n);
 
 	init();
-	im.l = &testvi;
+	im.l = getlang(LangVI);
 	im.pre = mkstr("as");
 	im.raw = mkstr("as");
 	sclear(&com);
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ vietnamese_state_lifetime(struct ct *t)
 	CT_EQ_INT(t, 0, im.raw.n);
 
 	init();
-	im.l = &testvi;
+	im.l = getlang(LangVI);
 	im.pre = mkstr("as");
 	im.raw = mkstr("as");
 	sclear(&com);
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ engine_vietnamese_client_preedit(struct ct *t)
 
 	for(i = 0; i < nelem(cases); i++){
 		init();
-		im.l = &testvi;
+		im.l = getlang(LangVI);
 		draindraw(nil);
 		sclear(&com);
 		for(k = cases[i].keys; *k != '\0'; k++){
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@ engine_telex_history_bound(struct ct *t)
 	int i;
 
 	init();
-	im.l = &testvi;
+	im.l = getlang(LangVI);
 	sclear(&com);
 	CT_CHECK(t, keystroke('a', 0, &com));
 	for(i = 0; i < Maxrunes; i++){
@@ -620,16 +620,9 @@ engine_language_switch_state(struct ct *t)
 		{ "commit Vietnamese", 't', Mctrl, LangEN, "", "", "á", 0 },
 	};
 	char where[80];
-	Lang *vi;
-	Trie *saved;
 	Str com;
 	int eaten, i;
 
-	vi = getlang(LangVI);
-	if(!CT_CHECK(t, vi != nil))
-		return;
-	saved = vi->map;
-	vi->map = testvi.map;
 	init();
 	for(i = 0; i < nelem(steps); i++){
 		if(steps[i].stale){
@@ -675,7 +668,7 @@ engine_language_switch_state(struct ct *t)
 		CT_EQ_INT(t, 0, im.pre.n);
 	}
 	init();
-	im.l = &testvi;
+	im.l = getlang(LangVI);
 	sclear(&com);
 	if(typekeys(t, "as", &com)){
 		CT_CHECK(t, !keystroke('p', Mctrl, &com));
@@ -683,7 +676,6 @@ engine_language_switch_state(struct ct *t)
 		CT_EQ_INT(t, 0, im.pre.n);
 		CT_EQ_INT(t, 0, im.raw.n);
 	}
-	vi->map = saved;
 }
 
 typedef struct Searchfix Searchfix;
@@ -1694,14 +1686,14 @@ engine_emoji_preedit_languages(struct ct *t)
 	}
 
 	init();
-	im.l = &testvi;
+	im.l = getlang(LangVI);
 	sclear(&com);
 	if(typekeys(t, "as", &com)){
 		CT_CHECK(t, keystroke('e', Mctrl, &com));
 		checkstr(t, "committed Telex preedit", "á", &com);
 		CT_CHECK(t, keystroke(Kesc, 0, &com));
 		CT_CHECK(t, !search.lang);
-		CT_EQ_PTR(t, &testvi, im.l);
+		CT_EQ_PTR(t, getlang(LangVI), im.l);
 		sclear(&com);
 		if(typekeys(t, "as", &com)){
 			impre(&im, &shown);
@@ -2051,8 +2043,6 @@ engine_randomized_stress(struct ct *t)
 	};
 	static Rune modes[] = { 't', 'n', 'k', 's', 'v' };
 	Searchfix f;
-	Lang *vi;
-	Trie *vimap;
 	Keyres res;
 	Caret pos;
 	u32int rnd, mod;
@@ -2060,11 +2050,6 @@ engine_randomized_stress(struct ct *t)
 	void *owner, *owners[3];
 	int i, j, op;
 
-	vi = getlang(LangVI);
-	if(!CT_CHECK(t, vi != nil))
-		return;
-	vimap = vi->map;
-	vi->map = testvi.map;
 	emojibegin(&f, 0);
 	owners[0] = &contexts[0];
 	owners[1] = &contexts[1];
@@ -2140,7 +2125,6 @@ engine_randomized_stress(struct ct *t)
 		}
 	}
 	searchend(&f);
-	vi->map = vimap;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/tests/test.h b/tests/test.h
index 9b36d7e..8083c08 100644
--- a/tests/test.h
+++ b/tests/test.h
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 /* Included after dat.h and fn.h (or after the source under test). */
 #include "cutest/cutest.h"
 
-extern Lang testvi;
-
 /*
  * A test's stand-in for imthread: handles engine requests from keyc,
  * tracing each one first.  Requests whose op is holdop (every request
diff --git a/tests/unit_test.c b/tests/unit_test.c
index dc1deb0..08cfd02 100644
--- a/tests/unit_test.c
+++ b/tests/unit_test.c
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 
 Channel *drawc;
 Channel *keyc;
-Lang testvi;
 
 void
 die(char *fmt, ...)
@@ -45,20 +44,16 @@ erealloc(void *p, ulong n)
 static void
 testmapinit(void)
 {
-	Lang *jp, *kata;
+	Lang *jp, *kata, *vi;
 
 	jp = getlang(LangJP);
 	kata = getlang(LangJPK);
-	if(jp == nil || kata == nil)
+	vi = getlang(LangVI);
+	if(jp == nil || kata == nil || vi == nil)
 		die("test language is not registered");
 	jp->map = trieopen("../map/hira.map");
 	kata->map = trieopen("../map/kata.map");
-	memset(&testvi, 0, sizeof testvi);
-	testvi.lang = LangVI;
-	testvi.mapname = "telex";
-	testvi.trans = transvi;
-	testvi.back = backvi;
-	testvi.map = trieopen("../map/telex.map");
+	vi->map = trieopen("../map/telex.map");
 }
 
 #ifndef STRESS
@@ -170,8 +165,6 @@ threadmain(int argc, char **argv)
 		trieclose(langs[i].map);
 		langs[i].map = nil;
 	}
-	trieclose(testvi.map);
-	testvi.map = nil;
 	chanfree(drawc);
 	chanfree(keyc);
 	threadexitsall(status == 0 ? nil : "tests failed");
diff --git a/tests/vi_test.c b/tests/vi_test.c
index dea8cef..bfb9894 100644
--- a/tests/vi_test.c
+++ b/tests/vi_test.c
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ typevi(struct ct *t, char *keys, char *want)
 	Str out, raw;
 
 	raw = mkstr(keys);
-	transstr(&testvi, nil, &raw, &out);
+	transstr(getlang(LangVI), nil, &raw, &out);
 	checkstr(t, keys, want, &out);
 }
 
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ vietnamese_backspace(struct ct *t)
 
 	for(i = 0; i < nelem(cases); i++){
 		memset(&state, 0, sizeof state);
-		state.l = &testvi;
+		state.l = getlang(LangVI);
 		state.pre = mkstr(cases[i].pre);
 		state.raw = mkstr(cases[i].raw);
 		backvi(&state);