diff --git a/tests/browsable_api/test_browsable_api.py b/tests/browsable_api/test_browsable_api.py
index 153b4c189..09b29ae1b 100644
--- a/tests/browsable_api/test_browsable_api.py
+++ b/tests/browsable_api/test_browsable_api.py
@@ -1,16 +1,14 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
-from django.test import TestCase
+from django.test import override_settings, TestCase
 
 from rest_framework.test import APIClient
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.browsable_api.auth_urls')
 class DropdownWithAuthTests(TestCase):
     """Tests correct dropdown behaviour with Auth views enabled."""
-
-    urls = 'tests.browsable_api.auth_urls'
-
     def setUp(self):
         self.client = APIClient(enforce_csrf_checks=True)
         self.username = 'john'
@@ -40,11 +38,9 @@ class DropdownWithAuthTests(TestCase):
         self.assertContains(response, '>Log in<')
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.browsable_api.no_auth_urls')
 class NoDropdownWithoutAuthTests(TestCase):
     """Tests correct dropdown behaviour with Auth views NOT enabled."""
-
-    urls = 'tests.browsable_api.no_auth_urls'
-
     def setUp(self):
         self.client = APIClient(enforce_csrf_checks=True)
         self.username = 'john'
diff --git a/tests/test_authentication.py b/tests/test_authentication.py
index 6c411936d..db137b8ad 100644
--- a/tests/test_authentication.py
+++ b/tests/test_authentication.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from django.conf.urls import include, url
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.db import models
 from django.http import HttpResponse
-from django.test import TestCase
+from django.test import override_settings, TestCase
 from django.utils import six
 
 from rest_framework import (
@@ -81,10 +81,9 @@ urlpatterns = [
 ]
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_authentication')
 class BasicAuthTests(TestCase):
     """Basic authentication"""
-    urls = 'tests.test_authentication'
-
     def setUp(self):
         self.csrf_client = APIClient(enforce_csrf_checks=True)
         self.username = 'john'
@@ -152,10 +151,9 @@ class BasicAuthTests(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(response['WWW-Authenticate'], 'Basic realm="api"')
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_authentication')
 class SessionAuthTests(TestCase):
     """User session authentication"""
-    urls = 'tests.test_authentication'
-
     def setUp(self):
         self.csrf_client = APIClient(enforce_csrf_checks=True)
         self.non_csrf_client = APIClient(enforce_csrf_checks=False)
@@ -222,9 +220,9 @@ class SessionAuthTests(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN)
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_authentication')
 class BaseTokenAuthTests(object):
     """Token authentication"""
-    urls = 'tests.test_authentication'
     model = None
     path = None
     header_prefix = 'Token '
diff --git a/tests/test_filters.py b/tests/test_filters.py
index 8493c96af..fd71764f7 100644
--- a/tests/test_filters.py
+++ b/tests/test_filters.py
@@ -274,12 +274,11 @@ class IntegrationTestFiltering(CommonFilteringTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, status.HTTP_200_OK)
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_filters')
 class IntegrationTestDetailFiltering(CommonFilteringTestCase):
     """
     Integration tests for filtered detail views.
     """
-    urls = 'tests.test_filters'
-
     def _get_url(self, item):
         return reverse('detail-view', kwargs=dict(pk=item.pk))
 
diff --git a/tests/test_htmlrenderer.py b/tests/test_htmlrenderer.py
index 01ef46d35..649a7c919 100644
--- a/tests/test_htmlrenderer.py
+++ b/tests/test_htmlrenderer.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from django.conf.urls import url
 from django.core.exceptions import PermissionDenied
 from django.http import Http404
 from django.template import Template, TemplateDoesNotExist
-from django.test import TestCase
+from django.test import override_settings, TestCase
 from django.utils import six
 
 from rest_framework import status
@@ -43,9 +43,8 @@ urlpatterns = [
 ]
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_htmlrenderer')
 class TemplateHTMLRendererTests(TestCase):
-    urls = 'tests.test_htmlrenderer'
-
     def setUp(self):
         """
         Monkeypatch get_template
@@ -89,9 +88,8 @@ class TemplateHTMLRendererTests(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(response['Content-Type'], 'text/html; charset=utf-8')
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_htmlrenderer')
 class TemplateHTMLRendererExceptionTests(TestCase):
-    urls = 'tests.test_htmlrenderer'
-
     def setUp(self):
         """
         Monkeypatch get_template
diff --git a/tests/test_middleware.py b/tests/test_middleware.py
index 49124da61..a9f620c0e 100644
--- a/tests/test_middleware.py
+++ b/tests/test_middleware.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-
 from django.conf.urls import url
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
+from django.test import override_settings
 
 from rest_framework.authentication import TokenAuthentication
 from rest_framework.authtoken.models import Token
@@ -20,10 +20,8 @@ class MyMiddleware(object):
         return response
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_middleware')
 class TestMiddleware(APITestCase):
-
-    urls = 'tests.test_middleware'
-
     def test_middleware_can_access_user_when_processing_response(self):
         user = User.objects.create_user('john', 'john@example.com', 'password')
         key = 'abcd1234'
diff --git a/tests/test_relations_hyperlink.py b/tests/test_relations_hyperlink.py
index c0642eda2..0eb22b2aa 100644
--- a/tests/test_relations_hyperlink.py
+++ b/tests/test_relations_hyperlink.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 from django.conf.urls import url
-from django.test import TestCase
+from django.test import override_settings, TestCase
 
 from rest_framework import serializers
 from rest_framework.test import APIRequestFactory
@@ -71,10 +71,8 @@ class NullableOneToOneTargetSerializer(serializers.HyperlinkedModelSerializer):
 
 
 # TODO: Add test that .data cannot be accessed prior to .is_valid
-
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_relations_hyperlink')
 class HyperlinkedManyToManyTests(TestCase):
-    urls = 'tests.test_relations_hyperlink'
-
     def setUp(self):
         for idx in range(1, 4):
             target = ManyToManyTarget(name='target-%d' % idx)
@@ -188,9 +186,8 @@ class HyperlinkedManyToManyTests(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(serializer.data, expected)
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_relations_hyperlink')
 class HyperlinkedForeignKeyTests(TestCase):
-    urls = 'tests.test_relations_hyperlink'
-
     def setUp(self):
         target = ForeignKeyTarget(name='target-1')
         target.save()
@@ -318,9 +315,8 @@ class HyperlinkedForeignKeyTests(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(serializer.errors, {'target': ['This field may not be null.']})
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_relations_hyperlink')
 class HyperlinkedNullableForeignKeyTests(TestCase):
-    urls = 'tests.test_relations_hyperlink'
-
     def setUp(self):
         target = ForeignKeyTarget(name='target-1')
         target.save()
@@ -425,9 +421,8 @@ class HyperlinkedNullableForeignKeyTests(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(serializer.data, expected)
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_relations_hyperlink')
 class HyperlinkedNullableOneToOneTests(TestCase):
-    urls = 'tests.test_relations_hyperlink'
-
     def setUp(self):
         target = OneToOneTarget(name='target-1')
         target.save()
diff --git a/tests/test_renderers.py b/tests/test_renderers.py
index de89e50aa..ca8eb0cff 100644
--- a/tests/test_renderers.py
+++ b/tests/test_renderers.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from collections import MutableMapping, OrderedDict
 from django.conf.urls import include, url
 from django.core.cache import cache
 from django.db import models
-from django.test import TestCase
+from django.test import override_settings, TestCase
 from django.utils import six
 from django.utils.safestring import SafeText
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
@@ -148,13 +148,11 @@ class DocumentingRendererTests(TestCase):
         self.assertContains(response, '>PATCH<')
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_renderers')
 class RendererEndToEndTests(TestCase):
     """
     End-to-end testing of renderers using an RendererMixin on a generic view.
     """
-
-    urls = 'tests.test_renderers'
-
     def test_default_renderer_serializes_content(self):
         """If the Accept header is not set the default renderer should serialize the response."""
         resp = self.client.get('/')
@@ -397,13 +395,11 @@ class AsciiJSONRendererTests(TestCase):
 
 
 # Tests for caching issue, #346
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_renderers')
 class CacheRenderTest(TestCase):
     """
     Tests specific to caching responses
     """
-
-    urls = 'tests.test_renderers'
-
     def test_head_caching(self):
         """
         Test caching of HEAD requests
diff --git a/tests/test_request.py b/tests/test_request.py
index 7a0575789..8219bd4ec 100644
--- a/tests/test_request.py
+++ b/tests/test_request.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from django.conf.urls import url
 from django.contrib.auth import authenticate, login, logout
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.contrib.sessions.middleware import SessionMiddleware
-from django.test import TestCase
+from django.test import override_settings, TestCase
 from django.utils import six
 
 from rest_framework import status
@@ -113,9 +113,8 @@ urlpatterns = [
 ]
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_request')
 class TestContentParsingWithAuthentication(TestCase):
-    urls = 'tests.test_request'
-
     def setUp(self):
         self.csrf_client = APIClient(enforce_csrf_checks=True)
         self.username = 'john'
diff --git a/tests/test_response.py b/tests/test_response.py
index df2d7b4ec..f01b05774 100644
--- a/tests/test_response.py
+++ b/tests/test_response.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 from django.conf.urls import include, url
-from django.test import TestCase
+from django.test import override_settings, TestCase
 from django.utils import six
 
 from rest_framework import generics, routers, serializers, status, viewsets
@@ -131,13 +131,11 @@ urlpatterns = [
 
 
 # TODO: Clean tests bellow - remove duplicates with above, better unit testing, ...
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_response')
 class RendererIntegrationTests(TestCase):
     """
     End-to-end testing of renderers using an ResponseMixin on a generic view.
     """
-
-    urls = 'tests.test_response'
-
     def test_default_renderer_serializes_content(self):
         """If the Accept header is not set the default renderer should serialize the response."""
         resp = self.client.get('/')
@@ -201,9 +199,8 @@ class RendererIntegrationTests(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, DUMMYSTATUS)
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_response')
 class UnsupportedMediaTypeTests(TestCase):
-    urls = 'tests.test_response'
-
     def test_should_allow_posting_json(self):
         response = self.client.post('/json', data='{"test": 123}', content_type='application/json')
 
@@ -220,12 +217,11 @@ class UnsupportedMediaTypeTests(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 415)
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_response')
 class Issue122Tests(TestCase):
     """
     Tests that covers #122.
     """
-    urls = 'tests.test_response'
-
     def test_only_html_renderer(self):
         """
         Test if no infinite recursion occurs.
@@ -239,13 +235,11 @@ class Issue122Tests(TestCase):
         self.client.get('/html1')
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_response')
 class Issue467Tests(TestCase):
     """
     Tests for #467
     """
-
-    urls = 'tests.test_response'
-
     def test_form_has_label_and_help_text(self):
         resp = self.client.get('/html_new_model')
         self.assertEqual(resp['Content-Type'], 'text/html; charset=utf-8')
@@ -253,13 +247,11 @@ class Issue467Tests(TestCase):
         # self.assertContains(resp, 'Text description.')
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_response')
 class Issue807Tests(TestCase):
     """
     Covers #807
     """
-
-    urls = 'tests.test_response'
-
     def test_does_not_append_charset_by_default(self):
         """
         Renderers don't include a charset unless set explicitly.
diff --git a/tests/test_reverse.py b/tests/test_reverse.py
index c5486e5db..0962efaf3 100644
--- a/tests/test_reverse.py
+++ b/tests/test_reverse.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 from django.conf.urls import url
 from django.core.urlresolvers import NoReverseMatch
-from django.test import TestCase
+from django.test import override_settings, TestCase
 
 from rest_framework.reverse import reverse
 from rest_framework.test import APIRequestFactory
@@ -30,12 +30,11 @@ class MockVersioningScheme(object):
         return 'http://scheme-reversed/view'
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_reverse')
 class ReverseTests(TestCase):
     """
     Tests for fully qualified URLs when using `reverse`.
     """
-    urls = 'tests.test_reverse'
-
     def test_reversed_urls_are_fully_qualified(self):
         request = factory.get('/view')
         url = reverse('view', request=request)
diff --git a/tests/test_routers.py b/tests/test_routers.py
index ae2639bf2..ae4670802 100644
--- a/tests/test_routers.py
+++ b/tests/test_routers.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from collections import namedtuple
 from django.conf.urls import include, url
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
 from django.db import models
-from django.test import TestCase
+from django.test import override_settings, TestCase
 
 from rest_framework import permissions, serializers, viewsets
 from rest_framework.decorators import detail_route, list_route
@@ -113,9 +113,8 @@ class TestSimpleRouter(TestCase):
                 self.assertEqual(route.mapping[method], endpoint)
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_routers')
 class TestRootView(TestCase):
-    urls = 'tests.test_routers'
-
     def test_retrieve_namespaced_root(self):
         response = self.client.get('/namespaced/')
         self.assertEqual(
@@ -135,12 +134,11 @@ class TestRootView(TestCase):
         )
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_routers')
 class TestCustomLookupFields(TestCase):
     """
     Ensure that custom lookup fields are correctly routed.
     """
-    urls = 'tests.test_routers'
-
     def setUp(self):
         RouterTestModel.objects.create(uuid='123', text='foo bar')
 
@@ -191,14 +189,13 @@ class TestLookupValueRegex(TestCase):
             self.assertEqual(expected[idx], self.urls[idx].regex.pattern)
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_routers')
 class TestLookupUrlKwargs(TestCase):
     """
     Ensure the router honors lookup_url_kwarg.
 
     Setup a deep lookup_field, but map it to a simple URL kwarg.
     """
-    urls = 'tests.test_routers'
-
     def setUp(self):
         RouterTestModel.objects.create(uuid='123', text='foo bar')
 
diff --git a/tests/test_testing.py b/tests/test_testing.py
index e0bf759a4..4fd20c33b 100644
--- a/tests/test_testing.py
+++ b/tests/test_testing.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from io import BytesIO
 from django.conf.urls import url
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.shortcuts import redirect
-from django.test import TestCase
+from django.test import override_settings, TestCase
 
 from rest_framework.decorators import api_view
 from rest_framework.response import Response
@@ -44,9 +44,8 @@ urlpatterns = [
 ]
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_testing')
 class TestAPITestClient(TestCase):
-    urls = 'tests.test_testing'
-
     def setUp(self):
         self.client = APIClient()
 
diff --git a/tests/test_utils.py b/tests/test_utils.py
index ca3d43061..adb735511 100644
--- a/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 from django.conf.urls import url
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
-from django.test import TestCase
+from django.test import override_settings, TestCase
 from django.utils import six
 
 import rest_framework.utils.model_meta
@@ -47,12 +47,11 @@ urlpatterns = [
 ]
 
 
+@override_settings(ROOT_URLCONF='tests.test_utils')
 class BreadcrumbTests(TestCase):
     """
     Tests the breadcrumb functionality used by the HTML renderer.
     """
-    urls = 'tests.test_utils'
-
     def test_root_breadcrumbs(self):
         url = '/'
         self.assertEqual(