diff --git a/test/custom-handlers.test.js b/test/custom-handlers.test.js
index c27779ae..f8541a18 100644
--- a/test/custom-handlers.test.js
+++ b/test/custom-handlers.test.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 const { GET, POST, expect } = require('../test') .run ('bookshop')
-const cds = require('@sap/cds/lib'); cds.User = cds.User.Privileged // skip auth
+const cds = require('@sap/cds/lib')
+if (cds.User.default) cds.User.default = cds.User.Privileged // hard core monkey patch
+else cds.User = cds.User.Privileged // hard core monkey patch for older cds releases
 
 describe('Custom Handlers', () => {
 
diff --git a/test/localized-data.test.js b/test/localized-data.test.js
index 9c840830..bfa3411f 100644
--- a/test/localized-data.test.js
+++ b/test/localized-data.test.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 const { GET, expect } = require('../test') .run ('serve', 'test/localized-data.cds', '--in-memory')
-const cds = require('@sap/cds/lib'); cds.User = cds.User.Privileged // skip auth
+const cds = require('@sap/cds/lib')
+if (cds.User.default) cds.User.default = cds.User.Privileged // hard core monkey patch
+else cds.User = cds.User.Privileged // hard core monkey patch for older cds releases
 
 describe('Localized Data', () => {
 
diff --git a/test/odata.test.js b/test/odata.test.js
index 25a8c604..7d8c8123 100644
--- a/test/odata.test.js
+++ b/test/odata.test.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 const { GET, expect } = require('../test') .run ('bookshop')
-const cds = require('@sap/cds/lib'); cds.User = cds.User.Privileged // skip auth
+const cds = require('@sap/cds/lib')
+if (cds.User.default) cds.User.default = cds.User.Privileged // hard core monkey patch
+else cds.User = cds.User.Privileged // hard core monkey patch for older cds releases
 
 describe('OData Protocol', () => {