diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 41936c96..04f87076 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -9,8 +9,7 @@
     "@capire/common": "file:common",
     "@capire/fiori": "file:fiori",
     "@capire/orders": "file:orders",
-    "@capire/reviews": "file:reviews",
-    "@capire/tests": "file:test"
+    "@capire/reviews": "file:reviews"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "chai": "^4.2.0",
diff --git a/test/_cds_tests.js b/test/_cds_tests.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 664d1472..00000000
--- a/test/_cds_tests.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,151 +0,0 @@
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-//
-//  This is included with cds in newer versions
-//
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
-const { resolve, dirname } = require('path')
-const cwd = process.cwd()
-
-// harmonizing jest and mocha
-const is_mocha = !global.test
-const is_jest = !!global.test
-if (is_jest) { // it's jest
-  global.before = (msg,fn) => global.beforeAll(fn||msg)
-  global.after = (msg,fn) => global.afterAll(fn||msg)
-} else { // it's mocha
-  global.beforeAll = global.before
-  global.afterAll = global.after
-  global.test = global.it
-}
-
-/**
- * Test kit for jest or mocha testing, which can be used statically
- * via the getters for chai, expect and assert or through a server
- * started with .launch(...).
- */
-class CDSTestKit {
-
-  /**
-   * Creates a new instance serving projects from subfolders under the root
-   * specified by a sequence of path components which are concatenated with
-   * path.resolve().
-   */
-  for (...paths) {
-    const tk = new CDSTestKit
-    tk.root = resolve (...paths)
-    return tk
-  }
-
-  /** Lazily loads and returns an instance of chai */
-  get chai() {
-    const chai = require('chai')
-    chai.use (require('chai-as-promised'))
-    chai.use (require('chai-subset'))
-    Object.defineProperty (CDSTestKit.prototype, 'chai', {value:chai})
-    return chai
-  }
-  get expect(){ return this.chai.expect }
-  get assert(){ return this.chai.assert }
-
-  /**
-   * Launches a cds server with arbitrary port and returns a subclass which
-   * also acts as an axios lookalike, providing methods to send requests.
-   */
-  launch (project, ...args) {
-
-    // Setting up test server
-    const console = global.console, logs=[]
-    const axios = require('axios').default
-    const lazy = this, test = {
-
-      GET: (path,...etc) => axios.get (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
-      PUT: (path,...etc) => axios.put (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
-      POST: (path,...etc) => axios.post (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
-      PATCH: (path,...etc) => axios.patch (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
-      DELETE: (path,...etc) => axios.delete (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
-
-      get: (path,...etc) => axios.get (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
-      put: (path,...etc) => axios.put (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
-      post: (path,...etc) => axios.post (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
-      patch: (path,...etc) => axios.patch (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
-      delete: (path,...etc) => axios.delete (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
-
-      /** Lazily loads and returns an instance of chai */
-      get chai(){ return lazy.chai },
-      get expect(){ return lazy.expect },
-      get assert(){ return lazy.assert },
-    }
-
-    // launch cds server...
-    before (`launching cds server for ${project}...`, done => {
-
-      const cds = require('@sap/cds'), { isdir } = cds.utils
-
-      let cmd = 'run'
-      if (project.startsWith('cds ')) [ cmd, project ] = [ project.slice(4), args.shift() ]
-      if (!args.length) args = ['--in-memory?']
-
-      // Supporting .launch (<package name>)
-      if (cmd === 'run') {
-        if (isdir(project)) ; //> all fine
-        else if (isdir(resolve(this.root,project))) project = resolve(this.root,project)
-        else try { project = dirname (require.resolve(project+'/package.json')) }
-        catch(e) { throw cds.error (`Cannot resolve project folder for '${project}'`) }
-      }
-
-      if (!process.env.CDS_TEST_VERBOSE) global.console = { __proto__: global.console, logs,
-        time: ()=>{}, timeEnd: (...args)=> logs.push(args),
-        debug: (...args)=> logs.push(args),
-        log: (...args)=> logs.push(args),
-        warn: (...args)=> logs.push(args),
-        error: (...args)=> logs.push(args),
-        dump(){ for (let each of logs) console.log (...each) },
-      }
-
-      // return done (new Error(11))
-      process.env.PORT = '0'
-      const p = cds.exec (cmd, project, ...args) // TODO w/ @sap/cds@3.33.3: , '--port', '0')
-      if (p && 'catch' in p) p.catch (e => {
-        if (is_mocha) console.error(e)
-        done(e)
-      })
-
-      cds.once('listening', ({ server, url }) => {
-        Object.assign (test,{server,url})
-        done()
-      })
-    })
-
-    // shutdown cds server...
-    after (done => {
-      if (global.console !== console) global.console = console
-      if (cwd !== process.cwd())  process.chdir(cwd)
-      test.server ? test.server.close (done) : done()
-      process.emit('shutdown')
-    })
-
-    function _error (e) {
-      if (!e.response)  throw e
-      if (!e.response.data)  throw e
-      if (!e.response.data.error)  throw e
-      const { code, message } = e.response.data.error
-      throw new Error (code && code !== 'null' ? `${code} - ${message}` : message)
-    }
-
-    return test
-  }
-
-}
-
-// eslint-disable-next-line no-global-assign
-require = (mod) => {
-  try { return module.require(mod) }
-  catch(e) { if (e.code === 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND') throw new Error (`
-    Failed to load required package '${mod}'. Please add it thru:
-    npm add -D ${mod === 'chai' ? 'chai chai-as-promised chai-subset' : mod}
-  `) }
-}
-
-module.exports = new CDSTestKit
-exports.root = __dirname
diff --git a/test/capire.js b/test/capire.js
deleted file mode 100644
index d5145ad6..00000000
--- a/test/capire.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-module.exports = require('./_cds_tests').for(__dirname,'..')
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/cds.js b/test/cds.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bca7bf00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/cds.js
@@ -0,0 +1,158 @@
+const cds = module.exports = require('@sap/cds/lib')
+if (!cds.test) { // monkey patching cds
+
+  const { resolve, dirname } = require('path')
+  const cwd = process.cwd()
+
+  // harmonizing jest and mocha
+  const is_mocha = !global.test
+  const is_jest = !!global.test
+  if (is_jest) { // it's jest
+    global.before = (msg,fn) => global.beforeAll(fn||msg)
+    global.after = (msg,fn) => global.afterAll(fn||msg)
+  } else { // it's mocha
+    global.beforeAll = global.before
+    global.afterAll = global.after
+    global.test = global.it
+  }
+
+  // eslint-disable-next-line no-global-assign
+  require = (mod) => {
+    try { return module.require(mod) }
+    catch(e) { if (e.code === 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND') throw new Error (`
+      Failed to load required package '${mod}'. Please add it thru:
+      npm add -D ${mod === 'chai' ? 'chai chai-as-promised chai-subset' : mod}
+    `) }
+  }
+
+
+
+  class Test {
+
+    /**
+     * Launches a cds server with arbitrary port and returns a subclass which
+     * also acts as an axios lookalike, providing methods to send requests.
+     * @returns {Test}
+     */
+    static run (cmd, ...args) {
+
+      // Setting up test server
+      const console = global.console, logs=[]
+      const axios = require('axios').default
+      const test = {__proto__:Test.run,
+
+        GET: (path,...etc) => axios.get (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
+        PUT: (path,...etc) => axios.put (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
+        POST: (path,...etc) => axios.post (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
+        PATCH: (path,...etc) => axios.patch (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
+        DEL: (path,...etc) => axios.delete (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
+
+        get: (path,...etc) => axios.get (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
+        put: (path,...etc) => axios.put (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
+        post: (path,...etc) => axios.post (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
+        patch: (path,...etc) => axios.patch (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
+        delete: (path,...etc) => axios.delete (test.url+path,...etc) .catch(_error),
+
+      }
+
+      // launch cds server...
+      before (`launching ${cmd} ${args.join(' ')}...`, done => {
+
+        // const cds = require('../index'),
+        const { isdir } = cds.utils
+        if (!args.length) {
+          let project = cmd; cmd = 'run'
+          if (isdir(project)) ; //> all fine
+          // Supporting .launch (<package name>)
+          else if (isdir(resolve(project))) project = resolve(project)
+          else try { project = dirname (require.resolve(project+'/package.json')) }
+          catch(e) { throw cds.error (`Cannot resolve project folder for '${project}' in '${process.cwd()}'`) }
+          args.push (project, '--in-memory?')
+        }
+
+        if (!process.env.CDS_TEST_VERBOSE) global.console = { __proto__: global.console, logs,
+          time: ()=>{}, timeEnd: (...args)=> logs.push(args),
+          debug: (...args)=> logs.push(args),
+          log: (...args)=> logs.push(args),
+          warn: (...args)=> logs.push(args),
+          error: (...args)=> logs.push(args),
+          dump(){ for (let each of logs) console.log (...each) },
+        }
+
+        // return done (new Error(11))
+        process.env.PORT = '0'
+        const p = cds.exec (cmd, ...args) // TODO w/ @sap/cds@3.33.3: , '--port', '0')
+        if (p && 'catch' in p) p.catch (e => {
+          if (is_mocha) console.error(e)
+          done(e)
+        })
+
+        cds.once('listening', ({ server, url }) => {
+          Object.assign (test,{server,url})
+          done()
+        })
+      })
+
+      // shutdown cds server...
+      after (done => {
+        if (global.console !== console) global.console = console
+        if (cwd !== process.cwd())  process.chdir(cwd)
+        test.server ? test.server.close (done) : done()
+        process.emit('shutdown')
+      })
+
+      function _error (e) {
+        if (!e.response)  throw e
+        if (!e.response.data)  throw e
+        if (!e.response.data.error)  throw e
+        const { code, message } = e.response.data.error
+        throw new Error (code && code !== 'null' ? `${code} - ${message}` : message)
+      }
+
+      return test
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Serving projects from subfolders under the root specified by a sequence
+     * of path components which are concatenated with path.resolve().
+     */
+    in (...paths) {
+      process.chdir (resolve (...paths))
+      return this
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Switch on/off console log output.
+     */
+    verbose(v) {
+      process.env.CDS_TEST_VERBOSE = v
+      return this
+    }
+
+    /** Lazily loads and returns an instance of chai */
+    get chai() {
+      const chai = require('chai')
+      chai.use (require('chai-subset'))
+      chai.use (require('chai-as-promised'))
+      Object.defineProperty (this, 'chai', {value:chai})
+      return chai
+    }
+    get expect(){ return this.chai.expect }
+    get assert(){ return this.chai.assert }
+  }
+
+
+  /**
+   * Test kit for jest or mocha testing, which can be used statically
+   * via the getters for chai, expect and assert or through a server
+   * started with cds.test(...).
+   * @type Test.run & Test
+   */
+  Object.defineProperties (Test.run, Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptors (Test.prototype))
+  Object.defineProperty (cds, 'test', {value:Test.run})
+  const cds_load = cds.load; cds.load = (models,o)=>{
+    if (typeof models === 'string')  models = models.split(',')
+    return cds_load.call(cds,models,o)
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/test/cds.ql.test.js b/test/cds.ql.test.js
index 6b3b277a..ce82dc11 100644
--- a/test/cds.ql.test.js
+++ b/test/cds.ql.test.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-const { expect } = require('./capire')
-const cds = require('@sap/cds')
+const cds = require('./cds'),{ expect } = cds.test
 const CQL = ([cql]) => cds.parse.cql(cql)
 const Foo = { name: 'Foo' }
 const Books = { name: 'capire.bookshop.Books' }
diff --git a/test/consuming-services.test.js b/test/consuming-services.test.js
index 54a8410b..4f308e11 100644
--- a/test/consuming-services.test.js
+++ b/test/consuming-services.test.js
@@ -1,23 +1,17 @@
-const { expect } = require('./capire')
-const cds = require('@sap/cds')
-
-const cwd = process.cwd()
-before (()=> process.chdir(__dirname))
-after(()=> process.chdir(cwd))
+const cds = require('./cds')
+const { expect } = cds.test (
+  'serve', 'AdminService', '--from', '@capire/bookshop,@capire/common', '--in-memory'
+).in(__dirname)
 
 describe('Consuming Services locally', () => {
   //
-  before('bootstrap db and services', async () => {
-    const model = await cds.load(['@capire/bookshop', '@capire/common'])
-    await cds.deploy(model).to('sqlite::memory:')
-    const { AdminService } = await cds.serve('AdminService').from(model)
+  it('bootrapped the database successfully', ()=>{
+    const { AdminService } = cds.services
     const { Authors } = AdminService.entities
     expect(AdminService).not.to.be.undefined
     expect(Authors).not.to.be.undefined
   })
 
-  it('bootrapped the database successfully', ()=>{})
-
   it('supports targets as strings or reflected defs', async () => {
     const AdminService = await cds.connect.to('AdminService')
     const { Authors } = AdminService.entities
diff --git a/test/custom-handlers.test.js b/test/custom-handlers.test.js
index 8c2f95d3..b2562644 100644
--- a/test/custom-handlers.test.js
+++ b/test/custom-handlers.test.js
@@ -1,14 +1,11 @@
-const cwd = process.cwd()
+const { GET, POST, expect } = require('./cds').test('bookshop').in(__dirname,'..')
 const is_jest = !!global.test
 if (is_jest) { // it's jest
   global.before = (msg,fn) => global.beforeAll(fn||msg)
   global.after = (msg,fn) => global.afterAll(fn||msg)
 }
-before (()=> process.chdir(__dirname))
-after (()=> process.chdir(cwd))
 
 describe('Custom Handlers', () => {
-  const { GET, POST, expect } = require('./capire').launch('bookshop')
 
   it('should reject out-of-stock orders', async () => {
     await expect(
diff --git a/test/hello-world.test.js b/test/hello-world.test.js
index 34ea78bb..d6d32974 100644
--- a/test/hello-world.test.js
+++ b/test/hello-world.test.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
+const cds = require ('./cds')
+const { GET, expect } = cds.test('serve','hello/world.cds').in(__dirname,'..')
 
 describe('Hello world!', () => {
-  const { GET, expect } = require('./capire').launch('cds serve', __dirname+'/../hello/world.cds', '')
 
   it('should say hello with class impl', async () => {
     const {data} = await GET `/say/hello(to='world')`
diff --git a/test/hierarchical-data.test.js b/test/hierarchical-data.test.js
index 8a867d9a..1c8451cb 100644
--- a/test/hierarchical-data.test.js
+++ b/test/hierarchical-data.test.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 const cwd = process.cwd(); process.chdir (__dirname) //> only for internal CI/CD@SAP
-const {expect} = require('./capire')
-const cds = require ('@sap/cds')
+const cds = require ('./cds'), {expect} = cds.test
 
 // monkey patching older releases:
 if (!cds.compile.cdl) cds.compile.cdl = cds.parse
diff --git a/test/localized-data.test.js b/test/localized-data.test.js
index fd57add6..2f614ffe 100644
--- a/test/localized-data.test.js
+++ b/test/localized-data.test.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
+const cds = require ('./cds')
+const { GET, expect } = cds.test ('serve', __dirname+'/localized-data.cds', '--in-memory')
+
 describe('Localized Data', () => {
-  const { GET, expect } = require('./capire').launch('cds serve',__dirname+'/localized-data.cds')
 
   it('serves localized $metadata documents', async () => {
     const { data } = await GET`/browse/$metadata?sap-language=de`
diff --git a/test/messaging.test.js b/test/messaging.test.js
index 3cd207b4..632b093f 100644
--- a/test/messaging.test.js
+++ b/test/messaging.test.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 const cwd = process.cwd(); process.chdir (__dirname) //> only for internal CI/CD@SAP
-const {expect} = require('./capire')
-const cds = require ('@sap/cds')
+const cds = require ('./cds'), {expect} = cds.test
 const _model = '@capire/reviews'
 
 
diff --git a/test/odata.test.js b/test/odata.test.js
index 4fb532a0..ca89a20d 100644
--- a/test/odata.test.js
+++ b/test/odata.test.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
+const { GET, expect } = require('./cds').test('bookshop').in(__dirname,'..')
+
 describe('OData Protocol', () => {
-  const { GET, expect } = require('./capire').launch('bookshop')
 
   it('serves $metadata documents in v4', async () => {
     const { headers, status, data } = await GET`/browse/$metadata`
diff --git a/test/package.json b/test/package.json
deleted file mode 100644
index b6fe7d28..00000000
--- a/test/package.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "name": "@capire/tests",
-  "version": "1.0.0",
-  "main": "capire.js"
-}
\ No newline at end of file