diff --git a/test/_helper.js b/test/_helper.js
index 2c27598074..72cfd950c4 100644
--- a/test/_helper.js
+++ b/test/_helper.js
@@ -18,6 +18,13 @@ var readFile = exports.readFile = function (filename) {
   }
 };
 
+exports.assertVendor = function (name) {
+  if (!fs.existsSync(__dirname + "/../vendor/" + name)) {
+    console.error("No vendor/" + name + " - run `make bootstrap`");
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+};
+
 exports.get = function (entryName, entryLoc) {
   if (exports.cache[entryName]) return exports.cache[entryName];
 
diff --git a/test/test262.js b/test/test262.js
index b8b8f8cb3d..ae5b2e5f2a 100644
--- a/test/test262.js
+++ b/test/test262.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 if (process.env.SIMPLE_6TO5_TESTS) return;
 
+require("./_helper").assertVendor("test262");
+
 var transform = require("../lib/6to5/transformation/transform");
 var readdir   = require("fs-readdir-recursive");
 var path      = require("path");
@@ -7,10 +9,6 @@ var fs        = require("fs");
 var _         = require("lodash");
 
 var test262Loc = __dirname + "/../vendor/test262";
-if (!fs.existsSync(test262Loc)) {
-  console.error("No vendor/test262 - run `make bootstrap`");
-  process.exit(1);
-}
 
 var read = function (loc) {
   return readdir(loc).map(function (filename) {
diff --git a/test/traceur.js b/test/traceur.js
index 2d2866c015..afb0722e1f 100644
--- a/test/traceur.js
+++ b/test/traceur.js
@@ -1,17 +1,13 @@
 if (!process.env.ALL_6TO5_TESTS) return;
 
+require("./_helper").assertVendor("traceur");
+
 var fs = require("fs");
 var _  = require("lodash");
 
-var traceurLoc = __dirname + "/../vendor/traceur";
-if (!fs.existsSync(traceurLoc)) {
-  console.error("No vendor/traceur - run `make bootstrap`");
-  process.exit(1);
-}
-
 require("./_transformation-helper")({
   name: "traceur",
-  loc: traceurLoc + "/test/feature",
+  loc: __dirname + "/../vendor/traceur/test/feature",
 
   ignoreSuites: [
     // these are all internal traceur tests or non-standard features