diff --git a/run_tests b/run_tests
index 8e7121b5d..ccb045123 100755
--- a/run_tests
+++ b/run_tests
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ failures=$((failures+$?))
 
 echo "*** Running C++ tests..."
 for FILE in tests/cpp_tests/*-bin; do 
-	${FILE} -q;
+	${FILE} -q -d .;
   failures=$((failures+$?))
 done
 
diff --git a/tests/cpp_tests/clipping_test.cpp b/tests/cpp_tests/clipping_test.cpp
index ada7f78c9..0bb257492 100644
--- a/tests/cpp_tests/clipping_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/cpp_tests/clipping_test.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 //#include "agg_path_storage.h"
 //#include "agg_conv_clipper.h"
 
+#include "utils.hpp"
 
 template <typename T>
 std::string dump_path(T & path)
@@ -87,6 +88,9 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     bool quiet = std::find(args.begin(), args.end(), "-q")!=args.end();
 
     try {
+
+        BOOST_TEST(set_working_dir(args));
+
         std::string filename("tests/cpp_tests/data/cases.txt");
         std::ifstream stream(filename.c_str(),std::ios_base::in | std::ios_base::binary);
         if (!stream.is_open())
diff --git a/tests/cpp_tests/conversions_test.cpp b/tests/cpp_tests/conversions_test.cpp
index ed116c581..687f2ba4a 100644
--- a/tests/cpp_tests/conversions_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/cpp_tests/conversions_test.cpp
@@ -261,6 +261,12 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
         to_string(out,mapnik::value_integer(9223372036854775807));
         BOOST_TEST_EQ( out, "9223372036854775807" );
         out.clear();
+#else
+  #ifdef _MSC_VER
+    #pragma NOTE("BIGINT not defined so skipping large number conversion tests")
+  #else
+    #warning BIGINT not defined so skipping large number conversion tests
+  #endif
 #endif
         // bool
         to_string(out, true);
diff --git a/tests/cpp_tests/exceptions_test.cpp b/tests/cpp_tests/exceptions_test.cpp
index d75b8e6cf..bd4b85188 100644
--- a/tests/cpp_tests/exceptions_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/cpp_tests/exceptions_test.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 #include <vector>
 #include <algorithm>
 
+#include "utils.hpp"
+
 int main(int argc, char** argv)
 {
     std::vector<std::string> args;
@@ -32,6 +34,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     bool quiet = std::find(args.begin(), args.end(), "-q")!=args.end();
 
     try {
+        BOOST_TEST(set_working_dir(args));
         mapnik::projection srs("foo");
         // to avoid unused variable warning
         srs.params();
diff --git a/tests/cpp_tests/fontset_runtime_test.cpp b/tests/cpp_tests/fontset_runtime_test.cpp
index 10cc4f0b1..436b1523d 100644
--- a/tests/cpp_tests/fontset_runtime_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/cpp_tests/fontset_runtime_test.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include <vector>
 #include <algorithm>
 
+#include "utils.hpp"
+
 int main(int argc, char** argv)
 {
     std::vector<std::string> args;
@@ -29,41 +31,43 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     }
     bool quiet = std::find(args.begin(), args.end(), "-q")!=args.end();
 
-    // create a renderable map with a fontset and a text symbolizer
-    // and do not register any fonts, to ensure the error thrown is reasonable
-    mapnik::context_ptr ctx = boost::make_shared<mapnik::context_type>();
-    ctx->push("name");
-    mapnik::feature_ptr feature(mapnik::feature_factory::create(ctx,1));
-    mapnik::transcoder tr("utf-8");
-    UnicodeString ustr = tr.transcode("hello world!");
-    feature->put("name",ustr);
-    mapnik::geometry_type * pt = new mapnik::geometry_type(mapnik::Point);
-    pt->move_to(128,128);
-    feature->add_geometry(pt);
-    mapnik::datasource_ptr memory_ds = boost::make_shared<mapnik::memory_datasource>();
-    mapnik::memory_datasource *cache = dynamic_cast<mapnik::memory_datasource *>(memory_ds.get());
-    cache->push(feature);
-    mapnik::Map m(256,256);
-    mapnik::font_set fontset("fontset");
-    // NOTE: this is a valid font, but will fail because none are registered
-    fontset.add_face_name("DejaVu Sans Book");
-    m.insert_fontset("fontset", fontset);
-    mapnik::layer lyr("layer");
-    lyr.set_datasource(memory_ds);
-    lyr.add_style("style");
-    m.addLayer(lyr);
-    mapnik::feature_type_style the_style;
-    mapnik::rule the_rule;
-    mapnik::text_symbolizer text_sym(mapnik::parse_expression("[name]"),10,mapnik::color(0,0,0));
-    text_sym.set_fontset(fontset);
-    the_rule.append(text_sym);
-    the_style.add_rule(the_rule);
-    m.insert_style("style",the_style );
-    m.zoom_to_box(mapnik::box2d<double>(-256,-256,
-                                        256,256));
-    mapnik::image_32 buf(m.width(),m.height());
-    mapnik::agg_renderer<mapnik::image_32> ren(m,buf);
     try {
+        BOOST_TEST(set_working_dir(args));
+
+        // create a renderable map with a fontset and a text symbolizer
+        // and do not register any fonts, to ensure the error thrown is reasonable
+        mapnik::context_ptr ctx = boost::make_shared<mapnik::context_type>();
+        ctx->push("name");
+        mapnik::feature_ptr feature(mapnik::feature_factory::create(ctx,1));
+        mapnik::transcoder tr("utf-8");
+        UnicodeString ustr = tr.transcode("hello world!");
+        feature->put("name",ustr);
+        mapnik::geometry_type * pt = new mapnik::geometry_type(mapnik::Point);
+        pt->move_to(128,128);
+        feature->add_geometry(pt);
+        mapnik::datasource_ptr memory_ds = boost::make_shared<mapnik::memory_datasource>();
+        mapnik::memory_datasource *cache = dynamic_cast<mapnik::memory_datasource *>(memory_ds.get());
+        cache->push(feature);
+        mapnik::Map m(256,256);
+        mapnik::font_set fontset("fontset");
+        // NOTE: this is a valid font, but will fail because none are registered
+        fontset.add_face_name("DejaVu Sans Book");
+        m.insert_fontset("fontset", fontset);
+        mapnik::layer lyr("layer");
+        lyr.set_datasource(memory_ds);
+        lyr.add_style("style");
+        m.addLayer(lyr);
+        mapnik::feature_type_style the_style;
+        mapnik::rule the_rule;
+        mapnik::text_symbolizer text_sym(mapnik::parse_expression("[name]"),10,mapnik::color(0,0,0));
+        text_sym.set_fontset(fontset);
+        the_rule.append(text_sym);
+        the_style.add_rule(the_rule);
+        m.insert_style("style",the_style );
+        m.zoom_to_box(mapnik::box2d<double>(-256,-256,
+                                            256,256));
+        mapnik::image_32 buf(m.width(),m.height());
+        mapnik::agg_renderer<mapnik::image_32> ren(m,buf);
         ren.apply();
     } catch (std::exception const& ex) {
         BOOST_TEST_EQ(std::string(ex.what()),std::string("No valid font face could be loaded for font set: 'fontset'"));
diff --git a/tests/cpp_tests/geometry_converters_test.cpp b/tests/cpp_tests/geometry_converters_test.cpp
index 2cf29942b..fb6241cdc 100644
--- a/tests/cpp_tests/geometry_converters_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/cpp_tests/geometry_converters_test.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include <vector>
 #include <algorithm>
 
+#include "utils.hpp"
+
 struct output_geometry_backend
 {
     output_geometry_backend(boost::ptr_vector<mapnik::geometry_type> & paths, mapnik::eGeomType type)
@@ -133,6 +135,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     }
     bool quiet = std::find(args.begin(), args.end(), "-q")!=args.end();
 
+    BOOST_TEST(set_working_dir(args));
+
     // LineString/bbox clipping
     {
         std::string wkt_in("LineString(0 0,200 200)");