diff --git a/test/api_repo.js b/test/api_repo.js
index c794ce9..a6dd19b 100644
--- a/test/api_repo.js
+++ b/test/api_repo.js
@@ -133,17 +133,17 @@ describe('ApiRepo', function() {
       });
     });
     describe('configured for python', function() {
-      beforeEach(function() {
-        var testBins = ['protoc', 'grpc_python_plugin'];
-        fakes = addFakeBinsToPath.apply(null, testBins);
-        repo = new ApiRepo({
-          env: {PATH: fakes.path},
-          languages: ['python'],
-          templateRoot: path.join(__dirname, '..', 'templates')
-        });
-        getsGoodZipFrom(repo.zipUrl);
-      });
       describe('method `buildGaxPackages`', function() {
+        beforeEach(function() {
+          var testBins = ['protoc', 'grpc_python_plugin'];
+          fakes = addFakeBinsToPath.apply(null, testBins);
+          repo = new ApiRepo({
+            env: {PATH: fakes.path},
+            languages: ['python'],
+            templateRoot: path.join(__dirname, '..', 'templates')
+          });
+          getsGoodZipFrom(repo.zipUrl);
+        });
         it('should succeed with unrecognized apis', function(done) {
           repo.on('error', function(err) {
             expect(err).to.not.be.null();
@@ -164,6 +164,17 @@ describe('ApiRepo', function() {
         });
       });
       describe('method `buildCommonProtoPkgs`', function() {
+        beforeEach(function() {
+          var testBins = ['protoc', 'grpc_python_plugin'];
+          fakes = addFakeBinsToPath.apply(null, testBins);
+          repo = new ApiRepo({
+            buildCommonProtos: true,
+            env: {PATH: fakes.path},
+            languages: ['python'],
+            templateRoot: path.join(__dirname, '..', 'templates')
+          });
+          getsGoodZipFrom(repo.zipUrl);
+        });
         it('should pass', function(done) {
           repo.on('error', function() {
             throw new Error('should not be reached');
diff --git a/test/fixtures/fake_protoc b/test/fixtures/fake_protoc
index b4d4da8..f1c095c 100755
--- a/test/fixtures/fake_protoc
+++ b/test/fixtures/fake_protoc
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ main() {
     # fix out_dir in case protoc was run for the go plugin
     local out_dir=$(echo "$out_dir" | sed 's/.*--go_out=plugins=grpc:\([^ ]*\).*/\1/')
     # fix out_dir in case protoc was run for the python plugin
-    local out_dir=$(echo "$out_dir" | sed 's/.*--grpc_python_out=\([^ ]*\).*/\1/')
+    local out_dir=$(echo "$out_dir" | sed 's/.*--python_out=\([^ ]*\).*/\1/')
     echo "out_dir is $out_dir" 1>&2;
     local out_proto_path=${out_dir}/$proto_path
     local out_parent=$(dirname $out_proto_path)