diff --git a/test/components/structures/MessagePanel-test.js b/test/components/structures/MessagePanel-test.js
index d16371b368..a96d0ed5d1 100644
--- a/test/components/structures/MessagePanel-test.js
+++ b/test/components/structures/MessagePanel-test.js
@@ -20,30 +20,44 @@ var TestUtils = require('react-addons-test-utils');
 var expect = require('expect');
 
 var sdk = require('matrix-react-sdk');
-var MatrixClientPeg = require('MatrixClientPeg');
 
 var MessagePanel = sdk.getComponent('structures.MessagePanel');
 
 var test_utils = require('test-utils');
 var mockclock = require('mock-clock');
 
+var client;
+
+// wrap MessagePanel with a component which provides the MatrixClient in the context.
+const WrappedMessagePanel = React.createClass({
+    childContextTypes: {
+        matrixClient: React.PropTypes.object,
+    },
+
+    getChildContext: function() {
+        return {
+            matrixClient: client,
+        };
+    },
+
+    render: function() {
+        return <MessagePanel {...this.props} />;
+    },
+});
+
 describe('MessagePanel', function () {
-    var sandbox;
     var clock = mockclock.clock();
     var realSetTimeout = window.setTimeout;
     var events = mkEvents();
 
     beforeEach(function() {
         test_utils.beforeEach(this);
-        sandbox = test_utils.stubClient(sandbox);
-
-        var client = MatrixClientPeg.get();
+        client = test_utils.createTestClient();
         client.credentials = {userId: '@me:here'};
     });
 
     afterEach(function () {
         clock.uninstall();
-        sandbox.restore();
     });
 
     function mkEvents() {
@@ -61,7 +75,7 @@ describe('MessagePanel', function () {
 
     it('should show the events', function() {
         var res = TestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
-                <MessagePanel className="cls" events={events} />
+                <WrappedMessagePanel className="cls" events={events} />
         );
 
         // just check we have the right number of tiles for now
@@ -72,7 +86,7 @@ describe('MessagePanel', function () {
 
     it('should show the read-marker in the right place', function() {
         var res = TestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
-                <MessagePanel className="cls" events={events} readMarkerEventId={events[4].getId()}
+                <WrappedMessagePanel className="cls" events={events} readMarkerEventId={events[4].getId()}
                     readMarkerVisible={true} />
         );
 
@@ -96,7 +110,7 @@ describe('MessagePanel', function () {
 
         // first render with the RM in one place
         var mp = ReactDOM.render(
-                <MessagePanel className="cls" events={events} readMarkerEventId={events[4].getId()}
+                <WrappedMessagePanel className="cls" events={events} readMarkerEventId={events[4].getId()}
                     readMarkerVisible={true}
                 />, parentDiv);
 
@@ -112,7 +126,7 @@ describe('MessagePanel', function () {
 
         // now move the RM
         mp = ReactDOM.render(
-                <MessagePanel className="cls" events={events} readMarkerEventId={events[6].getId()}
+                <WrappedMessagePanel className="cls" events={events} readMarkerEventId={events[6].getId()}
                     readMarkerVisible={true}
                 />, parentDiv);
 
@@ -147,7 +161,7 @@ describe('MessagePanel', function () {
 
         // first render with the RM in one place
         var mp = ReactDOM.render(
-                <MessagePanel className="cls" events={events} readMarkerEventId={events[4].getId()}
+                <WrappedMessagePanel className="cls" events={events} readMarkerEventId={events[4].getId()}
                     readMarkerVisible={true}
                 />, parentDiv);
 
@@ -159,7 +173,7 @@ describe('MessagePanel', function () {
 
         // now move the RM
         mp = ReactDOM.render(
-                <MessagePanel className="cls" events={events} readMarkerEventId={events[6].getId()}
+                <WrappedMessagePanel className="cls" events={events} readMarkerEventId={events[6].getId()}
                     readMarkerVisible={true}
                 />, parentDiv);
 
@@ -175,7 +189,7 @@ describe('MessagePanel', function () {
 
         // and move the RM again
         mp = ReactDOM.render(
-                <MessagePanel className="cls" events={events} readMarkerEventId={events[8].getId()}
+                <WrappedMessagePanel className="cls" events={events} readMarkerEventId={events[8].getId()}
                     readMarkerVisible={true}
                 />, parentDiv);
 
diff --git a/test/components/structures/TimelinePanel-test.js b/test/components/structures/TimelinePanel-test.js
index d8ded918f6..9c78a56359 100644
--- a/test/components/structures/TimelinePanel-test.js
+++ b/test/components/structures/TimelinePanel-test.js
@@ -33,6 +33,24 @@ var test_utils = require('test-utils');
 var ROOM_ID = '!room:localhost';
 var USER_ID = '@me:localhost';
 
+// wrap TimelinePanel with a component which provides the MatrixClient in the context.
+const WrappedTimelinePanel = React.createClass({
+    childContextTypes: {
+        matrixClient: React.PropTypes.object,
+    },
+
+    getChildContext: function() {
+        return {
+            matrixClient: peg.get(),
+        };
+    },
+
+    render: function() {
+        return <TimelinePanel ref="panel" {...this.props} />;
+    },
+});
+
+
 describe('TimelinePanel', function() {
     var sandbox;
     var timelineSet;
@@ -105,11 +123,12 @@ describe('TimelinePanel', function() {
         }
 
         var scrollDefer;
-        var panel = ReactDOM.render(
-                <TimelinePanel timelineSet={timelineSet} onScroll={() => {scrollDefer.resolve()}}
+        var rendered = ReactDOM.render(
+                <WrappedTimelinePanel timelineSet={timelineSet} onScroll={() => {scrollDefer.resolve()}}
                 />,
                 parentDiv,
         );
+        var panel = rendered.refs.panel;
         var scrollingDiv = ReactTestUtils.findRenderedDOMComponentWithClass(
             panel, "gm-scroll-view");
 
@@ -188,10 +207,11 @@ describe('TimelinePanel', function() {
             return q(true);
         });
 
-        var panel = ReactDOM.render(
-            <TimelinePanel timelineSet={timelineSet}/>,
+        var rendered = ReactDOM.render(
+            <WrappedTimelinePanel timelineSet={timelineSet}/>,
             parentDiv
         );
+        var panel = rendered.refs.panel;
 
         var messagePanel = ReactTestUtils.findRenderedComponentWithType(
             panel, sdk.getComponent('structures.MessagePanel'));
@@ -236,14 +256,14 @@ describe('TimelinePanel', function() {
         console.log("added events to timeline");
 
         var scrollDefer;
-        var panel = ReactDOM.render(
-            <TimelinePanel timelineSet={timelineSet} onScroll={() => {scrollDefer.resolve()}}
+        var rendered = ReactDOM.render(
+            <WrappedTimelinePanel timelineSet={timelineSet} onScroll={() => {scrollDefer.resolve()}}
                 timelineCap={TIMELINE_CAP}
             />,
             parentDiv
         );
         console.log("TimelinePanel rendered");
-
+        var panel = rendered.refs.panel;
         var messagePanel = ReactTestUtils.findRenderedComponentWithType(
             panel, sdk.getComponent('structures.MessagePanel'));
         var scrollingDiv = ReactTestUtils.findRenderedDOMComponentWithClass(
diff --git a/test/test-utils.js b/test/test-utils.js
index 1201daefe0..db405c2e1a 100644
--- a/test/test-utils.js
+++ b/test/test-utils.js
@@ -24,23 +24,49 @@ export function beforeEach(context) {
  * Stub out the MatrixClient, and configure the MatrixClientPeg object to
  * return it when get() is called.
  *
+ * TODO: once the components are updated to get their MatrixClients from
+ * the react context, we can get rid of this and just inject a test client
+ * via the context instead.
+ *
  * @returns {sinon.Sandbox}; remember to call sandbox.restore afterwards.
  */
 export function stubClient() {
     var sandbox = sinon.sandbox.create();
 
-    var client = {
+    var client = createTestClient();
+
+    // stub out the methods in MatrixClientPeg
+    //
+    // 'sandbox.restore()' doesn't work correctly on inherited methods,
+    // so we do this for each method
+    var methods = ['get', 'unset', 'replaceUsingCreds'];
+    for (var i = 0; i < methods.length; i++) {
+        sandbox.stub(peg, methods[i]);
+    }
+    // MatrixClientPeg.get() is called a /lot/, so implement it with our own
+    // fast stub function rather than a sinon stub
+    peg.get = function() { return client; };
+    return sandbox;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Create a stubbed-out MatrixClient
+ *
+ * @returns {object} MatrixClient stub
+ */
+export function createTestClient() {
+    return {
         getHomeserverUrl: sinon.stub(),
         getIdentityServerUrl: sinon.stub(),
 
         getPushActionsForEvent: sinon.stub(),
-        getRoom: sinon.stub().returns(this.mkStubRoom()),
+        getRoom: sinon.stub().returns(mkStubRoom()),
         getRooms: sinon.stub().returns([]),
         loginFlows: sinon.stub(),
         on: sinon.stub(),
         removeListener: sinon.stub(),
         isRoomEncrypted: sinon.stub().returns(false),
-        peekInRoom: sinon.stub().returns(q(this.mkStubRoom())),
+        peekInRoom: sinon.stub().returns(q(mkStubRoom())),
 
         paginateEventTimeline: sinon.stub().returns(q()),
         sendReadReceipt: sinon.stub().returns(q()),
@@ -59,22 +85,8 @@ export function stubClient() {
         sendHtmlMessage: () => q({}),
         getSyncState: () => "SYNCING",
     };
-
-    // stub out the methods in MatrixClientPeg
-    //
-    // 'sandbox.restore()' doesn't work correctly on inherited methods,
-    // so we do this for each method
-    var methods = ['get', 'unset', 'replaceUsingCreds'];
-    for (var i = 0; i < methods.length; i++) {
-        sandbox.stub(peg, methods[i]);
-    }
-    // MatrixClientPeg.get() is called a /lot/, so implement it with our own
-    // fast stub function rather than a sinon stub
-    peg.get = function() { return client; };
-    return sandbox;
 }
 
-
 /**
  * Create an Event.
  * @param {Object} opts Values for the event.