diff --git a/itests/tests/src/test/java/org/apache/karaf/shell/itests/CoreTest.java b/itests/tests/src/test/java/org/apache/karaf/shell/itests/CoreTest.java
index 8ae5c8b..33175e9 100644
--- a/itests/tests/src/test/java/org/apache/karaf/shell/itests/CoreTest.java
+++ b/itests/tests/src/test/java/org/apache/karaf/shell/itests/CoreTest.java
@@ -16,6 +16,16 @@
  */
 package org.apache.karaf.shell.itests;
 
+import static org.apache.karaf.testing.Helper.getDefaultOptions;
+import static org.apache.karaf.testing.Helper.setLogLevel;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
+import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.equinox;
+import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.felix;
+import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.waitForFrameworkStartup;
+import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.OptionUtils.combine;
+import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.container.def.PaxRunnerOptions.workingDirectory;
+
 import org.apache.karaf.testing.AbstractIntegrationTest;
 import org.apache.karaf.testing.Helper;
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -27,16 +37,6 @@ import org.osgi.framework.Bundle;
 import org.osgi.service.command.CommandProcessor;
 import org.osgi.service.command.CommandSession;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
-import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
-import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.equinox;
-import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.felix;
-import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.systemProperty;
-import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.waitForFrameworkStartup;
-import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.OptionUtils.combine;
-
-import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.container.def.PaxRunnerOptions.workingDirectory;
-
 @RunWith(JUnit4TestRunner.class)
 public class CoreTest extends AbstractIntegrationTest {
 
@@ -112,9 +112,10 @@ public class CoreTest extends AbstractIntegrationTest {
     public static Option[] configuration() throws Exception {
         Option[] options = combine(
             // Default karaf environment
-            Helper.getDefaultOptions(
-                // this is how you set the default log level when using pax logging (logProfile)
-                systemProperty("org.ops4j.pax.logging.DefaultServiceLog.level").value("TRACE")),
+            getDefaultOptions(),
+
+            // this is how you set the default log level when using pax logging (logProfile)
+            setLogLevel("TRACE"),
 
             workingDirectory("target/paxrunner/core/"),
 
@@ -123,7 +124,7 @@ public class CoreTest extends AbstractIntegrationTest {
             // Test on both equinox and felix
             equinox(), felix()
         );
-        // Stop the shell log bundle 
+        // Stop the shell log bundle
         Helper.findMaven(options, "org.apache.karaf.shell", "org.apache.karaf.shell.log").noStart();
         return options;
     }
diff --git a/itests/tests/src/test/java/org/apache/karaf/shell/itests/FeaturesTest.java b/itests/tests/src/test/java/org/apache/karaf/shell/itests/FeaturesTest.java
index f24e81b..77c7085 100644
--- a/itests/tests/src/test/java/org/apache/karaf/shell/itests/FeaturesTest.java
+++ b/itests/tests/src/test/java/org/apache/karaf/shell/itests/FeaturesTest.java
@@ -16,8 +16,17 @@
  */
 package org.apache.karaf.shell.itests;
 
+import static org.apache.karaf.testing.Helper.getDefaultOptions;
+import static org.apache.karaf.testing.Helper.loadKarafFeatures;
+import static org.apache.karaf.testing.Helper.setLogLevel;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
+import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.equinox;
+import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.felix;
+import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.waitForFrameworkStartup;
+import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.OptionUtils.combine;
+import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.container.def.PaxRunnerOptions.workingDirectory;
+
 import org.apache.karaf.testing.AbstractIntegrationTest;
-import org.apache.karaf.testing.Helper;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.ops4j.pax.exam.Option;
@@ -27,17 +36,6 @@ import org.osgi.service.blueprint.container.BlueprintContainer;
 import org.osgi.service.command.CommandProcessor;
 import org.osgi.service.command.CommandSession;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
-import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.equinox;
-import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.felix;
-import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.maven;
-import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.systemProperty;
-import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.waitForFrameworkStartup;
-import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.OptionUtils.combine;
-import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.container.def.PaxRunnerOptions.scanFeatures;
-
-import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.container.def.PaxRunnerOptions.workingDirectory;
-
 @RunWith(JUnit4TestRunner.class)
 public class FeaturesTest extends AbstractIntegrationTest {
 
@@ -58,20 +56,18 @@ public class FeaturesTest extends AbstractIntegrationTest {
     public static Option[] configuration() throws Exception{
         return combine(
             // Default karaf environment
-            Helper.getDefaultOptions(
-                // this is how you set the default log level when using pax logging (logProfile)
-                systemProperty("org.ops4j.pax.logging.DefaultServiceLog.level").value("DEBUG")),
+            getDefaultOptions(),
+
+            // this is how you set the default log level when using pax logging (logProfile)
+            setLogLevel("DEBUG"),
 
             // add two features
-            scanFeatures(
-                    maven().groupId("org.apache.karaf").artifactId("apache-karaf").type("xml").classifier("features").versionAsInProject(),
-                    "obr", "wrapper"
-            ),
+            loadKarafFeatures("obr", "wrapper"),
 
             workingDirectory("target/paxrunner/features/"),
 
             waitForFrameworkStartup(),
-            
+
             // Test on both equinox and felix
             equinox(), felix()
         );