diff --git a/test/helper/core.go b/test/helper/core.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..052610b0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/helper/core.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package helper
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	amazonebsbuilder "github.com/hashicorp/packer/builder/amazon/ebs"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/command"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/packer"
+	fileprovisioner "github.com/hashicorp/packer/provisioner/file"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/provisioner/shell"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// fileExists returns true if the filename is found
+func FileExists(filename string) bool {
+	if _, err := os.Stat(filename); err == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+// testCoreConfigBuilder creates a packer CoreConfig that has a file builder
+// available. This allows us to test a builder that writes files to disk.
+func testCoreConfigBuilder(t *testing.T) *packer.CoreConfig {
+	components := packer.ComponentFinder{
+		BuilderStore: packer.MapOfBuilder{
+			"amazon-ebs": func() (packer.Builder, error) { return &amazonebsbuilder.Builder{}, nil },
+		},
+		ProvisionerStore: packer.MapOfProvisioner{
+			"shell":       func() (packer.Provisioner, error) { return &shell.Provisioner{}, nil },
+			"file":       func() (packer.Provisioner, error) { return &fileprovisioner.Provisioner{}, nil },
+		},
+		PostProcessorStore: packer.MapOfPostProcessor{},
+	}
+	return &packer.CoreConfig{
+		Components: components,
+	}
+}
+
+// TestMetaFile creates a Meta object that includes a file builder
+func TestMetaFile(t *testing.T) command.Meta {
+	var out, err bytes.Buffer
+	return command.Meta{
+		CoreConfig: testCoreConfigBuilder(t),
+		Ui: &packer.BasicUi{
+			Writer:      &out,
+			ErrorWriter: &err,
+		},
+	}
+}
+
+func CleanupFiles(moreFiles ...string) {
+	for _, file := range moreFiles {
+		os.RemoveAll(file)
+	}
+}
+
+func FatalCommand(t *testing.T, m command.Meta) {
+	ui := m.Ui.(*packer.BasicUi)
+	out := ui.Writer.(*bytes.Buffer)
+	err := ui.ErrorWriter.(*bytes.Buffer)
+	t.Fatalf(
+		"Bad exit code.\n\nStdout:\n\n%s\n\nStderr:\n\n%s",
+		out.String(),
+		err.String())
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/provisioner/shell/provisioner_test.go b/test/provisioner/shell/provisioner_test.go
index 419acc77d..8cb801b90 100644
--- a/test/provisioner/shell/provisioner_test.go
+++ b/test/provisioner/shell/provisioner_test.go
@@ -3,13 +3,8 @@
 package shell_integration
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/go-uuid"
-	amazonebsbuilder "github.com/hashicorp/packer/builder/amazon/ebs"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/command"
-	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/packer"
-	fileprovisioner "github.com/hashicorp/packer/provisioner/file"
-	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/provisioner/shell"
 	testshelper "github.com/hashicorp/packer/test/helper"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -20,26 +15,20 @@ func TestBuildShellProvisionerWithBuildVariablesSharing(t *testing.T) {
 	UUID, _ := uuid.GenerateUUID()
 	os.Setenv("PACKER_RUN_UUID", UUID)
 	c := &command.BuildCommand{
-		Meta: testMetaFile(t),
+		Meta: testshelper.TestMetaFile(t),
 	}
 
 	file := "provisioner.shell." + UUID + ".txt"
-	defer os.RemoveAll(file)
+	defer testshelper.CleanupFiles(file)
 
 	args := []string{
 		filepath.Join("./test-fixtures", "shell-provisioner.json"),
 	}
 	if code := c.Run(args); code != 0 {
-		ui := c.Meta.Ui.(*packer.BasicUi)
-		out := ui.Writer.(*bytes.Buffer)
-		err := ui.ErrorWriter.(*bytes.Buffer)
-		t.Fatalf(
-			"Bad exit code.\n\nStdout:\n\n%s\n\nStderr:\n\n%s",
-			out.String(),
-			err.String())
+		testshelper.FatalCommand(t, c.Meta)
 	}
 
-	if _, err := os.Stat(file); err != nil {
+	if !testshelper.FileExists(file) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected to find %s", file)
 	} else {
 		helper := testshelper.AWSHelper{
@@ -50,29 +39,3 @@ func TestBuildShellProvisionerWithBuildVariablesSharing(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func testMetaFile(t *testing.T) command.Meta {
-	var out, err bytes.Buffer
-	return command.Meta{
-		CoreConfig: testCoreConfigBuilder(t),
-		Ui: &packer.BasicUi{
-			Writer:      &out,
-			ErrorWriter: &err,
-		},
-	}
-}
-
-func testCoreConfigBuilder(t *testing.T) *packer.CoreConfig {
-	components := packer.ComponentFinder{
-		BuilderStore: packer.MapOfBuilder{
-			"amazon-ebs": func() (packer.Builder, error) { return &amazonebsbuilder.Builder{}, nil },
-		},
-		ProvisionerStore: packer.MapOfProvisioner{
-			"shell":       func() (packer.Provisioner, error) { return &shell.Provisioner{}, nil },
-			"file":       func() (packer.Provisioner, error) { return &fileprovisioner.Provisioner{}, nil },
-		},
-		PostProcessorStore: packer.MapOfPostProcessor{},
-	}
-	return &packer.CoreConfig{
-		Components: components,
-	}
-}